The Scattergun Approach

The Scattergun Approach

I’ve been jumping around like a jackrabbit when it comes to reading during the past year. One week I’m delving into The Europeans by Henry James then I’m switching centuries to read about modern-day émigrés in Janice Lee’s The Expatriates. I burrow into Renaissance...
Beginnings

Beginnings

The opening chapter of a novel is the element that is rewritten, amended and tweaked more than any other part of a story. Ask any writer how many versions of an opening chapter they have written, and the answer will be dozens, if not more. Deciding on exactly where...
Classics

Classics

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read Pride and Prejudice. I discover something new on each reading: a witticism from Elizabeth or a snipe from Mrs Bennett that I hadn’t fully appreciated during an earlier reading. Classic novels never lose their appeal,...
Fiction to Devour

Fiction to Devour

Summer is my season for idleness. I relish the peaceful days and slower pace that summer brings. With regular activities on hiatus, I have time for relaxing in the shade of an umbrella, enjoying informal gatherings with friends, experimenting with new recipes, taking...
Narrative Distance

Narrative Distance

The first time I learned about narrative distance – also called psychic distance – I was attending a writers’ workshop in York. It was a light-bulb moment for me. Workshop teacher, author and freelance editor, Debi Alper, described narrative distance as the space...

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