Libre Paley's Blog: Libre Paley - Thoughts on Literary Erotica, page 17

Joking Aside

With a smirk of derision… His eyebrows rose at her and he gave a humorless laugh… He stared arrogantly down at me, a smirk plastered across his face. He smiled in scorn as he said this. …a sardonic smile played over his generous, well-formed lips and highlighted the strength of his jaw. He smiled at her … Continue reading Joking Aside

My Day in Pictures

From the ‘May Day in Pictures’ challenge at Raynotbradbury, https://raynotbradbury.com/2018/06/01... to Use the pictures snapped/taken during 3 last days Reflect who you are, what do you like or doing on a daily basis Name for the post – any or “My day in pictures” Nominate others. It’s the weekend! So no snaps of commuter trains, … Continue reading My Day in Pictures

Getting out my head

A limp, wasted couple of days recovering from a stomach virus, just when I had so many plans to get loads of stuff done over the long holiday weekend. And all whilst the sun was shining – now there’s a hackneyed metaphor for you. Worse than that, post-viral inertia gave too much time to think, activating my … Continue reading Getting out my head

Train of Thought

An article on the radio several days ago caught my ear: the poet Helen Mort on her work inspired by northern train journeys. In and out of Manchester’s Victoria Station, where the trains ride north and north-west bound. It caught my ear because that’s “my” station, where “my” train, the one of my week-day commute to … Continue reading Train of Thought

Choosing a title for your book

What’s in a name? It had to come to this. The working title of a novel I am trying to complete was never going to work. Too obscure and doesn’t catch the eye, nor match the genre; it’s not obvious how to pronounce it, and has other problems besides. What to do? Book name generators (e.g. booktitlegenerator.com) are … Continue reading Choosing a title for your book

Never-ending story

I am at that stage with a book. You may recognise the one. The point where I do not know if it’s finished. I mean, I think it is. It’s been outlined, researched, drafted, written, re-written; raked for fat and fillers; content edited, and re-written again. I’ve followed various advice to check a printed copy; … Continue reading Never-ending story

Flying Solo

The following post is about masturbation. It is not graphic, but please do not read on if you are likely to be offended. “I write in praise of a solitary act…” So runs the opening line of New Zealand poet Fleur Adcock’s paean to masturbation, Against Coupling. At the outset of International Masturbation Month, which climaxes (ahem) on … Continue reading Flying Solo

Pink and Frillies

It made me glad to see singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe’s ‘vagina pants’ this week in her “PYNK” video. Just search for the artist and “vagina pants” / “vulva pants” to take a look, or go onto Youtube. I admit that I would not have been aware of this it were not for the publicity, … Continue reading Pink and Frillies

“Anyone can write that stuff”

  If I only had the time  The late writer, essayist, and journalist Christopher Hitchens is quoted as saying “Everyone has a book in them, but in most cases that’s where it should stay.” True or not, we cannot argue that most people never manage to get that book outside themselves and onto the page. For … Continue reading “Anyone can write that stuff”

My editing to-do list

I’ve just completed the next draft of a novel. Following re-writes, I think (think!) I have largely ‘cut off the fat’, got events into the order I want. But it’s not at the final version, you understand. That last proof-reading feels a way off, as my original (self-imposed) deadlines recede through the rear-view mirror. Only … Continue reading My editing to-do list