What inspired me to write The Chateau on the Lake? I began with the vague thought that it would be interesting to write a love story set at the time of the French Revolution. I didn’t know much about it then but everyone knows that the starving poor rebelled against the greedy aristocrats and beheaded Louis XVI, don’t they? Except that, once I started to research, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t as straightforward as that.
Danielle and I teamed up together to form Creative Writing Escapes. Our aim is to provide friendly and supportive advice in full day or half day workshops to a maximum of eight Escapees at my cottage in the woods. There will be a home-cooked lunch, tea and coffee on tap and CAKE!
Conflict is an essential ingredient of a good story. I’d go so far as to say that without conflict there is no story.
Setting is a great deal more than simply the place where your story happens. Used to maximum advantage, the setting will enhance your characters and the plot while enriching the readers’ experience.
My younger brother and I grew up during the fifties and sixties and some of our happiest memories are those of Christmas. The celebrations began on Stir-Up Sunday.