Category: Creativity
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Book Review: The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean
Plus a meal fit for a phoenix I was given an ARC of The Phoenix Keeper, and here’s my honest review, plus some recipes the characters might like. I loved this book. It was the perfect thing to read while recovering from illness, and the anxiety rep hit home. I was swept away into a world…
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…And Here’s How the Songwriting Retreat Went!
I’m back from my songwriting retreat in the Peak District, where I spent a week in a converted barn in the countryside with a group of musicians and our facilitator, Murray Webster, who arranged daily activities and masterminded the whole thing. There was a lot of talent in that one living space! Guitar chords rang…
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Book Review: Kind of Coping by Maureen “Marzi” Wilson
We all get anxious sometimes. But for some of us, anxiety can be intense or pervasive. I’ve been coming to terms lately with the role that anxiety plays in my life. It sounds great to be a relaxed person who doesn’t worry about much of anything…and these people exist, but I’m not one of them. …
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Good Idea or Bad Idea? It’s All in the Execution
“Where do you get your ideas?” It’s a dreaded question for many writers. Sometimes, people outside of the writing world focus on ideas as the holy grail of literature. If you have a good idea, they may suggest, you might as well have a book already. And woe betide if someone steals your idea! The…
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September is for Songwriting Class
The pandemic has led a lot of people to take up new creative hobbies. Last November I tried NaNoWriMo for the first time in lockdown. Last month, I took a songwriting class. Making up songs is something I’ve done off and on, casually throughout my life, but never pursued in earnest. As a kid, I…
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Where to Find New Book Discoveries and Deals
During London’s third lockdown (with restrictions just beginning to ease recently), I read more than ever. Books provided solace and escape into other worlds. I took full advantage of library loans and collected e-books, keeping my eyes peeled for deals and new discoveries. If you devour books more quickly than popcorn, or simply aspire to…
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The Joy of Playing with Tropes
This month, I had a very short dragon story published in Contrary, one of my biggest literary bylines. I love dragon stories. I used to think they weren’t “serious literature,” and when I submitted for awards, I’d send pieces about death set in the “real world.” Meanwhile, I’d write secret stories about magical creatures and…
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What to Do When Your Brain Just Won’t Write
According to coach and author Alexis Rockley, the lack of focus and creative blocks that many of us are experiencing during the coronavirus pandemic stem from the uncertainty arising from this situation. We don’t know what’s going to happen next, and our brains are overwhelmed. In this and other stressful situations, it can be hard…
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