Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 14

Migration…

Bloganuary writing promptWhat do you complain about the most?View all responses

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England …

William Shakespeare, John of Gaunt’s speech from Richard II.

For centuries, birds, animals, and humans have migrated for various reasons. This was great when the world was a vast open wilderness where animals could roam. In today’s world, animals struggle to find a place of their own to raise their young as human numbers increase. It isn’t just a simple fact that human numbers are increasing; we take more land for our needs to survive and create more waste and pollution, too.

The loss of the woods where English bluebells grows, means the loss of ecosystem.

I live in England, part of the British Isles. Britain has lost almost half of its natural biodiversity over many centuries due to the spread of urban and intense farming. A study carried out by scientists at the London Natural History Museum revealed that Britain is one of the worst-rated nations in the world for the loss of its precious ecosystem.

Britain, at the moment, it is a mess. High prices in the shops, unemployment, and homelessness are on the increase. The gap between the haves and have-nots is growing, which means an increase in crime. There are food banks to help feed those struggling, but even the food banks are asking for donations. Our nation’s health service can’t cope with all the demands. There’s a waiting list for dental care, too. The infrastructure in the country is no longer fit for purpose. Our schools are falling apart, our roads are full of potholes, and there isn’t enough social housing for those who can’t afford to buy.

The incinerator being build to burn
waste and rubbish near my village.

Yes, there are massive building projects ongoing in Britain at the moment, but most of these have been financed by overseas investors, but at what cost to Britain. Once the overseas investors take back their money will Britain be able to support itself, or are we just something to be sold on at a price. We have lost most of our big British companies who cared for their employees, and gave them a decent wage and pension plan. Over the years these companies have been sold off to take out the competition and to employ contract workers on the cheap, without job security. Britain is seeing a boom in house building across the land, but the people who need the housing can’t afford it, especially with the loss of employment.

A huge Solar Panel Farm is being built to
generate energy for the incinerator

Now back to migration. There’s an increase in the number of people wanting to come into Britain, and with this increase comes more problems. Britain is shrinking as our coastlines are crumbling, and areas are suffering flooding which if you add to the need for more housing becomes a vicious circle. How is Britain supposed to house, clothe and feed more people, when we can’t home, clothe and feed the ones who have the right to be here.

While we are dealing with what humans want, our wildlife is disappearing faster than ever. Over the last 30 years, I have been walking the footpaths around the village where I live and have seen a huge drop in the number of insects and bees. The loss of farmlands means Britain will rely more on imported food to feed the people here. This means more of the land is taken from the once familiar wildlife that inhabited these islands.

So if you are asking me what I complain about the most then here’s my answer:

Where has all the wildlife gone that I once enjoyed seeing while out walking?

Marketing without paying.

Here’s a link if you’re interested in purchasing one of my books

Okay, so the number of sales I made last year won’t make me a bestselling author, nor will it keep the wolf from the door, but I’m pretty pleased with the results. Working with three small publishing companies means I have to promote my own books. Promoting books can be expensive, and there are no guarantees of sales.

Let me explain, I don’t pay a penny to market my books because I use Twitter (X) and try to post every day using the hashtag Writerslift. This morning, I received a royalty statement on three of my books. I was expecting to read that I had sold maybe a couple of books, but was delighted to find I had sold more than I thought. With what was on the statement, plus the book talks I gave in 2023. Last year, I sold 41 books.

Oh, happy dancing. Of course, this doesn’t include the sales from my other three books.

When I had my first book published in 2020, I felt I should pay for book promotions to generate sales, but soon realised I was wasting my money as it didn’t generate any. I decided not to worry too much about the number of sales I made, but to stay focused on enjoying the writing process. The more books you have published the stronger your selling power become as readers want to read more of your books.

Most of the promoting companies do the same as I’ve been doing for myself which is posting across the internet. Firstly, I keep updating the ads I’ve created for my books on Canva. Then I share them across the media sites every day. I try to post a different ad every day while keeping my eye open for book requests from readers. I also hand out my business cards to anyone I get into conversation with, too. The business cards I make for myself so I can update them quickly if I need to add new information.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Have a great day.

Fair Play

What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

I’ve never been a fan of sports. At school, I loved playing rounders and gymnastics. After leaving school, the only sport I’ve been interested in is fair play, and a level playing field for all. Whether that’s on the sports field, or in life in general.

Fair competition is good and learning how to work as a team prepares children for adulthood. Those who are great at sports in school might enjoy a career in it in the future. There are many jobs within the sporting arena that youngsters could pursue as a career other than a star player.

Working as part of a team is found in all walks of life so learning sports while young isn’t wasted, if not pursued in future. Also, youngsters learn about fair play, determination, sportsmanship and most importantly discipline.

To be on top of your game, whatever you pursue through life, you need dedication, patience, determination, and discipline, plus fair play. I know I’ve needed all of these skills while following my dream of becoming a published writer.

Have a great day and a positive week.

Life’s a Lottery

Bloganuary writing promptWhat would you do if you won the lottery?View all responsesThen you are dead.

You’ve Won The Lottery!

Four magical words that can change the direction of your life forever. To imagine such an instant overnight change in one’s life can be amazing, but would reality bring such comfort.

As a single struggling parent, I often dreamt of winning the lottery. Sometimes, I would buy a ticket if I had any spare money. I wanted to fix the roof and replace the windows and doors in my house. The winning sum of money need not to have been much. Yes, I could have paid off the mortgage, loan for the car, the solicitor fees, and have money in the bank. Yes, I could have dreamed of a big house, fancy clothes, travelling the world or even sending my son to a posh school, but what if all that spending meant the money ran out.

My problem is I’m too much of a realist.

In the end, I took out a loan, actually several loans over a few years. I worked long hours, doing overtime at work, and brought work home, too. Once my young son was in bed, I would work through the night and then sleep for four hours. Up early to get breakfast, take my son to the childminder, and then off to work again. This went on for a few years. It wasn’t easy by any means as I was made redundant and had to find another job quickly. I was living hand to mouth. Some months, if I was lucky, I had a couple of pennies left in the bank once all the bills went out. As long as I wasn’t short, I was happy. If I was short in the bank it meant I needed to make up the money next month.

I made sure my son was clothed, went on school trips and had all he needed. Of course, there was things he wanted, but he understood the money had to come from somewhere or I had to work longer hours. I had an eye on the future, and kept out of debt.

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Life is a lottery.

In the end, I’ve paid for my life. Things have worked out well for me. There still isn’t much in the bank. I still have to think carefully about what I spend my money on, no wild moments of over-spending for me. In a funny way, I enjoy being a bargain hunter, and looking for ways to cut my cost of living down to the minimum. Charity shops, second-hand and food shopping discount is where we hunt for what we need. Home cooking and repairs are all done to cut back on unnecessary spending. The whole idea is to live life as stress-free as possible without working twenty-four seven.

I’m now living my dream life. My son is happily married, with a family of his own and I’m married to a supportive husband who allows me to follow my dream to be a published author and artist.

Yes, we can all do with more money in our pockets and winning a lottery might be fun, but what would I spend it on? New carpets throughout the house, after it had been decorated. An updated car for my husband for work, and ten thousand in the bank for a rainy day.

Yes, money might buy you security, but it won’t buy you happiness. Happiness comes from within and making the best of what you have at any given time. Don’t wait around for a lottery win to start enjoying life because time is short.

Thank you for reading my post.

So Many Books

Bloganuary writing promptWhat books do you want to read?View all responses

Like many writers, I’m a reader too. It’s part of my job description. To be a good writer, and to stand out from the crowd, one must read as many different genres as one can. By doing so, you’ll learn what is good writing, and what is bad.

What do I mean by good and bad writing?

Quite simply, as a reader, you’ll learn what style of writing hooks a reader from the start. If a book can draw you in quickly, so you no longer see the words on the page, this is good writing. To take a reader on a journey with the characters you have created is magical. You want them to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Writing that immerses the reader is what all writers hope they are creating. Anything that jars the reader out of the storyline is bad writing. That’s why editing is so important. A badly edited book means a reader might not pick up your next one. If the plot isn’t realistic enough i.e. yes, you can write about magic, dragons, and vampires, who I’m sorry to say (spoiler alert) aren’t real, but what is realistic is the interaction between characters. Are your characters behaving realistically?

(Another spoiler alert) Writers always need to remember readers are human. They understand emotions and have experienced the ups and downs of life. So if your characters don’t react in a way that they might expect them to react then you will lose them and they will close the book.

So as a reader, I’m always on the look out for a story that takes me on a journey where I don’t see the words. The characters are so realistic, I can hear their hearts beating. The atmosphere of the book has me on the edge of my seat, but without the blood and gore of pure horror. I want a book that entertains me, without scaring me to death.

Many times before I became a writer, after reading a book which never lived up to my expectations I felt I could write one better. My journey to publication has been a long one, but it has been worth it. If you would like to experience reading one of my books, and see if you think I take my own advice, and run with it, here’s the links to my books.

Just click on this link and then select a book coverJust Click on this link and select a book cover Just click on the link and it will take you to the book

If you do choice to read one of my books. Thank you and I hope you enjoy reading it. Please leave me a short review on Amazon or Goodreads.

Thank you for reading my post.

Have a great weekend.

Let’s Time Travel.

Bloganuary writing promptName an attraction or town close to home that you still haven’t got around to visiting.View all responses

In the early 80s, while walking along a coastal path on the Blackwater Estuary, I photographed a series of posts sticking out of the mud. The estuary of the River Blackwater is found between Maldon and West Mersea in Essex, England.

The River Blackwater rises as the River Pant in the northwest of the county of Essex, just east of Saffron Walden, and flows in a generally southeast direction to Bocking, near Braintree, via Great Sampford and Great Bardfield. At Bocking, it becomes the River Blackwater, and veers east to flow past Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall. It then veers south, flowing past Kelvedon and Witham, before reaching Maldon. There, it veers east again and empties into the Blackwater Estuary, which in turn meets the North Sea at Mersea Island.

The series of posts seemed to be rough cut branches of trees as they weren’t uniform. They were in pairs and marked out in a V shaped as they stuck out of the mud at low tide. I was curious to know why they were there, and what were they used for. Nearly 20 years later, I found out via an article in a local newspaper.

The article headline read: Ingenuity of Early Saxon Fish Farmers:

The ancient upright timbers can be seen sticking out of the mud in 500 sites around the English coast, but in Essex they can be found near Osea Island, Tollesbury Fleet, Mersea Flats, Bradwell and nearby Pewet Island.

What I could see in the mud of the Blackwater Estuary, near Bradwell was all that remains of the fish weirs created 1,400 years ago by East Saxons.

The East Saxons were part of the Anglo-Saxons people. Essex was one of the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. An area of early settlement, it probably originally included the territory of the modern county of Middlesex; London was its chief town.

The worn, paired stumps in rows often over 100 metres long, meet in a V shape. The walls would have been infilled with brushwood, and a large basket or net placed at the point of the V. The weirs worked on the principle that the fish followed the falling tide and swim into the wide open funnel of the V and as the tide goes out they are trapped in the basket. The fishermen would then gut the fish on site.

During a 1998 survey of the Blackwater Estuary, radiocarbon dating of the timbers from seven fish weirs established that the earliest were in use around 600AD. Most dated from the 8th century. This makes Essex East Saxon’s fish weirs the oldest in the country. The fish weirs went into decline about 12th to 14th centuries as the more commercial sea fishing grew more popular.

The Essex County Council archaeologist, Nigel Brown said (in the article) The constant waterlogging has preserved these monuments to the skill of East Saxon man. The biggest threats to their future survival are coastal erosion and modern boats. ‘We may try to get them marked on navigation charts as areas to avoid.’

I hope they have. I’m so glad I photographed the fish weirs when I did. I haven’t been back since. Maybe, I should make another visit to the site to see if they are still there.

I hope you find my blog post interesting.

Chat again tomorrow.

Be creative.

List five things you do for fun.

To Save your sanity, be Creative:Writing

Writing: Write out your problem. Make it into a story about someone else’s life. Then work out the problem from a different stand point and see how many different solutions you can find to give the story a positive ending.

Drawing: Learning to draw is a great way of learning to view life from a different perspective. You learn about shading, tone, and shadows. All these things give depth to life. Nothing in life is just black and white. All the shades in between are what makes life so interesting.

Painting

Painting: To paint the world with colours, one has to learn to see the world with light first. To be an artist, one must look at the world from a different perspective. Every day becomes a joy, every journey a discovery. To learn the magic of tones. To take a blank canvas and make it 3D is amazing to see.

Walking

Walking: One must exercise the whole body to keep the mind and spirit in tune. If a vehicle is left standing for too long without being driven, it can cause all sorts of problems. Our bodies are designed for movement. I try to walk every day, but sometimes this isn’t always possible because of the weather or other commitments. On days I can’t walk, I have a series of exercises I do at home. Just stick some music on and dance. Walking gives me the chance to get up close and personal with nature while helping to cleanse my mind and clean the cobwebs out of my lungs, too.

Photography

Photography: Ever since my grandmother gave me a box camera as a child I have loved taking photographs. I still have the first photograph I took of my sisters standing together. I remember the magic of seeing it printed. I enjoyed the magic of recording events, and looking back through albums. Its amazing that everyone has a camera and a video camera in their pockets these days.

Muntjac deer

For me to have the freedom to go out walking around my village with a camera and record the sights and sounds of nature is a joy to me. Later on, in my art studio I can draw and paint them. This is the closest thing to heaven on earth and I never take anything for granted. Life can be so unpredictable and in a blink of an eye it can all be gone.

These are the five things I enjoy doing the most. Thank you for reading my blog post today and I look forward to reading your comment on it.

What’s In A Name?’

Bloganuary writing promptWrite about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc. View all responses

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet to quote the great English man of words, William Shakespeare. My names mean I’m a small beautiful woman but as I was growing up I never felt as if I was, which in a way, I’m glad. Never relying on my looks means I’ve always tried to improve my education. Brains over Beauty.

Mr. Shakespeare’s quote can be read in one of two ways. A rose is just a rose, a thing of outstanding beauty which in a short space of time will fade. Its beauty remains in the eye of the beholder. The word rose is a symbol of a type of beauty. An English Rose is often used to describe white skin with a blush of pink. Yet, in the War of the Roses in Tudor England, two houses known as the White Rose of York and Red Rose of Lancaster went to war over the English throne for thirty-two years.

Even the beauty of a Rose has a dark side like the plant itself. As the saying tells us, There’s a rose between two thorns. Sleeping beauty’s castle was surrounded by a wall of roses as the castle and all its occupants slept for a hundred years. In that time, the princes of many lands died impaled on the thorns as they tried to reach the sleeping princess to wake her from her curse.

My three given names from which I can choose to call myself have been a curse to me. The second two are strangers to me. One belongs to my grandmother and only makes me think of her. It’s as though I’ve stolen part of her, so I can’t truly make it my own. My third name is a shade too feminine and creates in my mind a more girly version of myself that I would be uncomfortable being. She would wear short skirts and low-cut blouses, big hairstyles, long painted nails, and constantly touch up her makeup. Maybe, this version of me would have become a femme fatale and used her womanly wiles to drive men crazy to get what she wanted from life.

My first name isn’t even my own name. In as much as I wasn’t named for myself. It’s a haunting name given to me after the death of a much-wanted child. Every time I write my name, I’ve written his first. Every time my mother called my name, she spoke the ghost of her much mourned-for son first, and snapped my name on at the end with a single vowel. All of my life, I have had a shadow of an unlived life following me. Sometimes I feel his presence in how I think and feel. I wonder if his masculinity has dominated my life as he fights to live through me. I’ve never been one for wearing dresses, and makeup, and spending all day deciding what to wear when I’m the happiest wearing trousers, climbing trees, and being independent. I’ve always been a tomboy, wanting the freedom men have to choose for themselves which road through life to take. No one asks them when they are going to start a family. They are totally reliant on their own strength and don’t have to worry about a ticking body clock.

So what is in a name? For me, its a ghost.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

What A Dream, but don’t give up the day job.

Bloganuary writing promptWhat’s your dream job?View all responses

The cold, hard truth.

Nothing comes easy. Oh, writing is the easy part. Just keep telling yourself that when the editing starts. Yes, the editing. Let me repeat that. THE EDITING! Those pesky mistakes that slip through the gap after re-reading it for the tenth, twentieth, and fiftieth time.

Back and forth you go between the editor and publisher. It’s got to be right. Characters, you’ve loved and hated in equal measure. You know them just as well as yourself. Hey, you’re me and I’m of your creation. Each step along the way you’re getting closer to your dream. Is this what you were expecting?

A bestseller? Does anyone know your name? People queuing to have you sign a book they’ve yet to read. Adding your book to their Kindle sorry, their to-never-read list. Your book is on their if-ever-I’m-short-of-a-book. You dream of green arrows and see only red. Up and down your dream slips and slides. Where are the reviews, the sales, and your number-one spot? Your book is a drop in the ocean of literature. Gone in the blink of an eye. But you must dream on.

Time to write another book, another book, another book.

Can you write two books a year? No, make it four, let’s make it six. Here, sign on the dotted line.

Think quickly, write quicker. It’s a job. Nine to five. No, wait a minute. It’s a 24-hour job with deadlines and little pay. No sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun. All work and no play today, but at least you still have your dream.

One day you might just write a bestseller.

Oh, wait a minute, you forgot to mention marketing your books, now that’s fun. Yes, as fun as watching paint dry or playing Hunt the Reader.

Just enjoy the writing, being creative and going with the flow.

(From someone who knows, and has a husband to support them)

A Question of Love.

Bloganuary writing promptCan you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?View all responsesA piece of flash fiction:

Sitting on the park bench overlooking the boating lake on a cold winter’s morning wasn’t Ben’s idea of fun. Was this going to be another failed blind date? Goodness, how many more times does a man have to be stood up before he calls it quits?

Okay, so in his past, he might have stood a couple of dates up; he was just one of the lads back then. Now he could see it wasn’t the right thing to do. After all, age brings wisdom. Someone in his age group wouldn’t do such a thing. Ben checked his phone. Nope, no message to say the date was off.

Maybe, Simon was mucking him about, but he’d exchanged phone numbers with Lizzy. They even chatted on the phone and FaceTime over the net. It wasn’t as if it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. They had chatted about their past and hopes for the future. Explained, what had led to their loneliness. A failed marriage, a life partner passing away.

Ben looked along the path in both directions. Lizzy seemed sweet, but there was something about her. Ben liked her lively, laughing eyes. Her bright, positive attitude and outlook on life. What had she said about every cloud? Maybe he should learn to listen more.

‘Ben, every cloud has a silver lining. Something good always comes out of something negative. If I hadn’t been stood up on that blind date forty years ago I would’ve never met the man of my dreams. There I was sitting in the cold all dressed up with nowhere to go. Charles came along with a group of friends. I knew him briefly before. Seen him around.’

‘The love of my life,’ Lizzy had said. Oh, to have known such a love Charles had with Lizzy would have made him the luckiest man on earth, Ben thought as his phone buzzed.

‘At last,’ Ben said, pulling his phone from his pocket. His fingers were numb with cold.

The text read: ‘I know forty years is a long time to carry a grudge, Benjamin, and if you hadn’t stood me up… well, do I need to say more. At least, I’ve sent you a message to say there’s a lovely coffee shop behind you that’s just opening up about now. Who knows you might just meet someone nice in there while you warm up.’

(A woman scorned is never a good thing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯(¬‿¬))

I hope you enjoyed my tale.

Have a great day.