Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 39

To The Old Mill

The ghost of the mill stands in the shadows. With only the trees roots and the river knowing it is there. For it still has a hold over the course of their directions.This manmade construction is now bricks without mortar. A ghost that haunts the coots and moorhen, which once was powered by the river as it clattered and shook into the night. Men may pass it by, but the trees and the river will never forget. The Ghost Of The Old Mill by Paula R C Readman: 15th July 2021 The Ghost of the Mill (take in February 2020)

On Tuesday we headed to the site of the old West Mill. It took us 168 minutes over five and half miles (8.851 Kilometres) to complete the walk. We went via the gravel pit, following the path to the bluebell wood. Along the way there was plenty to see.

Himalayan Balsam

Himalayan Balsam: Jumping Jack or Policeman’s Helmet was introduced into the country in 1839 and grown in greenhouses before it escaped into the wild. As beautiful as this flower maybe it isn’t a naïve plant to Britain and is considered a problem weed. The problem is due to its size, growth rate and ability to thrive even in low light conditions. It often overshadows other plants, starving them of light and eventually completely outgrowing them. Himalayan Balsam spreads rapidly due to the huge amount of seeds it produces. The fruit capsules when ripe or prodded explode spreading them over a wide area (up to seven metres).

Restharrow:

Restharrow: This plant used to be a common weed, but now is difficult to locate.  A member of the pea family this one is a woody perennial with a tough stem. Its name comes from the fact it could stop a horse-drawn plough in its tracks because of its roots system.

Creeping Cinquefoil

Cinquefoil: This plant’s name derive its name from the French words meaning five leaves.

Agrimony

Agrimony: The plant was once believed to be associated with magic as it was known as fairy’s wand or fairy’s rod in the south-western England. It was once used for dying wool as it produces a strong yellow dye.

Ribbed Melilot

Ribbed Melilot: this plant was introduced into Britain in the 16th century from the Continent by herbalists for making poultices.

Caper Spurge: This is a plants poisonous, milky-white juice contained in the stems and leaves. The seeds contain an unusual proportion of oil (50% by weight) and has been suggested it could be used as a possible bio-fuel crop. Trials have already begun with some success in Germany, the US and here in the UK.

Walk To The Old Mill

I hope you enjoy watching this video

Just a small Reminder!

Books are not free. They come with a price. Someone worked hard to create them.

Just a small Reminder!

Clubhouse Guest’s Chat: Stewart McDowall

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Today, I’m welcoming Stewart McDowall to the Clubhouse Tearoom on the release of his novel, The Murder Option. Welcome to the tearoom, Stewart. You have an exciting time ahead of you. So my first question what would you like to drink?

Thank you for the invite, Paula. Yes, it has been a tense few months leading up to the release of my novel. I would love a milky tea and lots and lots of it.

It is always a nervous time until the first reviews come in. Here our drinks now. Can I start by ask you when you first began your writing journey what drew you to your chosen genre?
My fiction writing journey started 30 years ago and before that I was always interested in crime stories. Once as a kid I borrowed an Ed McBain, New York cop story from the library, which built up to a big reveal on the last page, but horrifyingly someone had torn the page out. (Who would do that?) The suspense I had to endure until I could get into town, find the book in a bookshop and find out what had happened struck me as a powerful motivator. 

Which writing elements do you think are your strongest points, and what would you like to do better?
I would like to do all of it better.  

Tell us a little about latest writing project. Is it a new idea, or one you have been mulling over for some time?
My next project will be a follow-up to The Murder Option, and will have the same central characters, McQueen the ex-psychologist P.I. and Tracey, the police detective.

How many unfinished projects do you have on your computer?
Three.

Stewart McDowall

Do you write a synopsis first, write the first chapter or do you let the characters lead you?

I write the first paragraph, then rewrite it twenty times. If I can’t get that right then I don’t have the foundation for a book.

Choosing only five of your favourite authors. Can you list them in order 1 begin the top of your list and say how have they influenced your writing?
I only need one. It’s Cormac McCarthy. I so admire his work. If you don’t know him, his prose has changed considerably over the years. It used to be poetic and expansive, and then he became clipped and minimal. He uses as little punctuation as possible, as he describes it, ‘why fill the page up with silly little squiggles?’. There are no quotation marks for speech, but to do that you have to be a very, very good writer. Nothing is wasted and the way he evokes emotions with the slightest of touches is incredible to me. He wrote a book called ‘The Road’ which has to be one of the bleakest and least enjoyable things I have ever read, but I was still compelled to stick with it. Meanwhile, ‘No country for old men’ has one of the best and most terrifying characters I have ever come across in Anton Chigurrha. The film they made was nowhere near as good as the book.

When reading your work through do you ever find that your daily mood swings are reflected in your writing?
No, not really. My story is separate from me. The mood of the story takes me with it rather than the other way around. 

Were any of your characters inspired by real people?

Elements of them, rather than the whole person. The dead father in my book has many of the traits of my own dead father, and the advice he gives is the same as mine gave to me. Which was? read the book and find out.

What did you learn when writing your book? In writing it, how much research did you do?
I researched quite a few of the things and places in my book, in as much as I checked that what I thought was true. My daughter is a Clinical Psychologist and my brother-in-law was a policeman, so I asked them questions.

Is there anything about you your readers might be surprised to find out?
That I used to be a stand-up comedian perhaps, given that this is a crime story? 

Did you uncover things about yourself while writing your books? Whether that be a long forgotten memory, a positive experience etc.
It made me think about my father, who died when I was 12 and how little I know about him. 

What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I have a day-job as a Copywriter, so I’m writing all day, and then when I finish I do an hour of fiction, and then work on it at weekends.

Do you set yourself a daily word count?
I try to, but I’d rather have 500 good words than 1000 that need to be re-written.

Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

No. I am terrible at thinking up names.

How do you select the names of your characters? Do you know everything about them before you start writing their story?
I use the first name of my friends and then make up the second name. I hate doing it, all names sound made-up and false to me. 

What was your hardest scene to write?
Any scene where I have to join up two different ideas and make a seamless join so the story is smooth.

How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

Varies. I start off thinking that I’m going to take a year over it, and then become obsessed and finish in 3 months. 

Thank you for the chat, Stewart. Good luck with your sales. I really enjoyed reading your novel.

To follow Stewart, check out his Amazon Author’s Page by clicking Here

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Clubhouse CafeLit 10 Chat: Alyson Rhodes

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Cafelit is an online magazine which posts a new story every day. To find out more click here CafeLit books are published by Chapel Town Books to find out more about the publisher click here. Today in the tearoom, I’m chatting to Cafelit writer, Alyson Rhodes about her entry The Barbie Wars in The Best of CafeLit 10.

Welcome to the tearoom, Alyson. What would you like to drink?

Drink- ooh – pink prosecco with ice and lemon and a dash of vodka in it, Please.

Now we have our drinks, can we start by asking you, what made you write the story you decided to submit to Cafelit? Was it as seasonal call-out .i.e. Christmas, summer holidays, autumn, Halloween etc or just something you needed to get off your chest?

No particular callout for this one, just a story which popped into my head.

Alyson Rhodes

Did you use a writing prompt for your story?

I drew, for this story, on my memories of being a mum visiting playgroups and what little kids are like when they play together and how competitive it can get.

Did you write an outline first, or follow where the characters led you?

For flash fiction, I tend to get the overall idea, go for it one burst then go back and rewrite and tweak a lot.

How do you create your characters? Do you start with a name first?

Sometimes the names come first, sometimes last of all, each flash piece is different. The last line can be the trickiest though.

The Best of CafeLit 10

Was your story told in your normal genre or did you try something different?

I write a lot of dark fiction but I do like to try my hand at fun, lighter pieces like this one, in Cafelit 10, The Barbie Wars about two young sisters sparring and the games they get up to.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cafelit community?

The online contact with other Cafelit writers, the anthos, the support and the feeling of getting my writing out there.

Daughters Of Darkness

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

This is my second go round at writing, and more seriously in the last 5 or so years. A WEA class near Leeds restarted my writing mojo again with a very encouraging tutor.

What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?

Each stage I’ve striven to improve, and over time I think I have- I’ve enjoyed the journey and where it takes me, so I don’t think I’d change a thing.

To find out more about Alyson Rhodes’ writing check out the links below:-

@AlysonFaye2

Alyson Rhodes’ Amazon Author’s Page

https://blackangelpressblog.wordpress.com    (the indie press I’ve set up with Steph Ellis)

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Clubhouse CafeLit 10 Chat: Dawn Knox

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels.com

Cafelit is an online magazine which posts a new story every day. To find out more click here CafeLit books are published by Chapel Town Books to find out more about the publisher click here. Today in the tearoom, I’m chatting to Cafelit writer, Dawn Knox about her entries in The Best of CafeLit 10. Welcome to the tearoom, Dawn. Lovely to have you back again.

Thank you for inviting me back.

Let’s start by asking you what made you write the story you decided to submit to Cafelit? Was it as seasonal call-out.i.e. Christmas, summer holidays, autumn, Halloween etc or just something you needed to get off your chest?

Three of my stories which are included in The Best of CafeLit 10 are part of a series of stories which were published by Chapeltown in October 2020 called ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’ The first, is ‘The Macaroon Chronicles Prologue and The Three Wise Monkeys’ https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2020/01/the-macaroon-chronicles-prologue-and.html?m=0, which is the introduction to the book and the first story.

The second, is ‘French for Cheese’, where Eddie the Bald Eagle (who is really a chicken) and Miss Haversham, a short-sighted and eccentric mouse start a fashion company together and the story tells how their business differences are finally resolved.

The last story is ‘Aleema’, where one of Eddie’s friends, Colin the lemur, is mistaken for an electronic gadget! https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2020/05/aleema.html.

Once Gill agreed to publish ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’, I sent in each story to her in turn, spaced a few weeks apart until they were all published on CafeLit and then Gill prepared them all for publishing as an ebook and paperback. This is my second such book—the first being ‘The Basilwade Chronicles’ which is written in a similar, quirky style and also, each chapter was submitted individually on CafeLit before the ebook and paperback were published in 2019.

 However, I’m thrilled my fourth story was chosen to be included in The Best of CafeLit 10’ because it’s one which is very close to my heart. Sadly, in October 2020, my mum passed away. ‘A Lasting Impression’ came about one day shortly after she’d gone, when I was on my early morning lockdown walk, thinking about her. It didn’t seem possible she was no longer there and I was wondering—as I’ve done so many times since—where she is, and how she could have made such a huge impression on our lives and yet now be gone. ‘A Lasting Impression’ was the result of those thoughts. It’s not a piece I can read without crying. https://www.cafelitmagazine.uk/2020/11/a-lasting-impression_9.html

Did you use a writing prompt for your story?

‘The Macaroon Chronicle’ stories initially came about because of a writing prompt from one of my writing groups. We were given a list of unrelated objects from which we had to choose at least five, and then write a story about them. The items I chose were: a Hawaiian shirt, a billboard, a ballpoint pen, an electric guitar and fishing waders. You can imagine with such a list, the story had to be rather surreal! After reading out the story at my writing group, I thought I’d submit to CafeLit and I was thrilled when it was accepted. The following month at my writers’ group, I decided to carry on with the same characters and continue their story. That was also accepted by Gill for CafeLit and each month I wrote a new story and continued the adventures of the characters. Gill was happy to publish the stories as a book and ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’ was born.

For ‘A Lasting Impression’, I guess the title says it all. The prompt was my thoughts about my mum’s passing and my longing for something to reconnect us.

Did you write an outline first, or follow where the characters led you?

For the three ‘Macaroon’ stories, I thought about where I’d left the characters in the previous story and imagined a new adventure for them to become involved in. When I write a story, I often make notes and I usually have an idea of how each story ends although not necessarily how I’m going to arrive there! From time to time, things have happened which have taken me by surprise, particularly in ‘French for Cheese’ where I hadn’t anticipated the court scene at all. I’d planned that Eddie the Bald Eagle, (who’s really a chicken) would set up in partnership with eccentric and irascible, Miss Haversham, the mouse. But the cheese theme took over and their subsequent court battle which was presided over by the rather rapacious owl judge, took me by surprise!

‘A Lasting Impression’ came to me very quickly. I suppose I was trying to make some sense of the grief.

Dawn Knox

How do you create your characters? Do you start with a name first?

For the first story in ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’, I had the list of assorted items I needed to include from my writing prompt and, next, I tried to think of a character I could create who would be able to bring all those things together. By chance, I saw a video of Eddie the Eagle, British the ski jumper who stole so many people’s hearts in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and I loved the name, so I borrowed it for the main character, who is actually a bald chicken with delusions of grandeur – hence Eddie, the Bald Eagle! But for other characters, it really depends. Sometimes I think of a name and then fit the character to it or vice versa. Miss Haversham, the absent-minded mouse, is first introduced in a story where she has wandered short-sightedly through a cellar and is covered in cobwebs, so Miss Haversham seemed like the perfect name! For Colin the lemur and Brian the monkey, I chose the characters first. They are members of a rock band and I tried to think of rather ‘unrock’n’roll’ names for them both!

Was your story told in your normal genre or did you try something different?

I’m not sure I have a ‘normal’ genre! I like writing in different genres such as horror, speculative fiction, sci-fi, romance, history and quirky stories. When it came to writing ‘The Macaroon Chronicles’, I found that trying to incorporate a Hawaiian shirt, a ballpoint pen, an electric guitar, a billboard and a pair of fisherman’s waders into a story seemed to push me towards the whacky and zany end of the spectrum, so I went with it!

‘A Lasting Impression’ is a sad and poignant piece because I was recording my thoughts at that time. I often find if I write about something which is very important, emotional or meaningful to me, I restrict myself to one hundred words. I wrote many drabbles when both my mum and dad passed away and mostly, they are too personal to share —but it seems to be a way for me to process the anguish of whatever is happening.

Dawn and her Mum

I’m not quite sure why I restrict myself to one hundred words but so far, it seems to work. If I have an idea and then write about it at length, somehow it appears diluted and my passion isn’t as obvious. One hundred words is usually sufficient to express an idea and hopefully, I show that in my book ‘The Great War – 100 Stories of 100 Words Honouring Those Who Lived and Died 100 Years Ago’ which is full of my impression of various aspects and characters in the First World War, a topic which touched me deeply.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cafelit community?

I appreciate Gill’s encouragement and support as well as the fact she is so approachable. She seems to work tirelessly and keeps up with the latest developments, always presenting us with new ideas and challenges. Many of the CafeLit authors have become friends and a wonderful community has grown up with people who are helpful and encouraging – both online and in person. I love the camaraderie and the support of everyone and the fact I’ve made so many friends who understand my passion for writing.

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

I’m a relative newcomer, only having been writing for about eighteen years although I’ve always made up stories in my imagination—I just never got around to writing them down. The event which started me writing, was one day when I was helping my son who was a teenager at the time, with his creative writing homework and the ideas I gave him to coax him to write, prompted me to finish the story! It really started there. An upset in my life in 2015 resulted in me writing more frequently when I realised it gave me peace of mind and allowed me to escape. From that time on, I began to write every day and to appreciate how important it is for my mental wellbeing.

The Best Of Cafelit 10

What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?

I’ve given up watching television in order to have more time to write and hopefully to improve. And since there are limited hours in a day, I’ve also given up drawing portraits which I used to spend a lot of time doing. I can only hope that reading more widely and writing more often will help me improve. And if not, well, I simply love writing anyway!

Thank you, Dawn. To find out more about Dawn’s writing check out the link below:

Dawn Knox’s Amazon Author’s Page

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Member’s Books don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Reality Of Being A Writer

The one thing I didn’t think about when I set off on my writing journey was how much time, energy and money I would need to throw at marketing my writing to make a living. We all have romantic dreams of what being a published writer means, but the reality of it all is far different.

All published writers have a different journey as they stride towards their goal. For me, I was lucky enough to have an experienced author as my guide to the publishing world. Maggie Ford (aka Ivy Lord) took me under her wing and introduced me to every aspect of what a published writer must expect.

The Wonderful Maggie Ford (Ivy Lord)

Before I met Maggie I recalled hearing her talking on the local radio about her writing journey. It was while listening to her I made the decision to follow in her footsteps. Of course, things have changed since Maggie began her journey in the late 1970’s and in fact, I would say it is much easier to become published these days with all the small publishing companies available, plus self-publishing.

Over the last year and half since I became a published author my focus has shifted. Now I want to work towards a much higher standard of publication. My dear friend, Maggie Ford started her journey with a small publishing company and worked her way up to become published by Random House. This gave her the opportunity to increase her royalties. The one thing that hasn’t change for us published authors is the lack of financial reward for all our hard work.

This is where marketing comes in to play as we all battle for readers’ attention. You only have to look on Amazon to know there are millions of other authors all fighting for a slice of the pie too. Our problem is how do we make our work stand out from the crowd, without breaking the bank. It is too easy to spend money in the hope it will bring you great sales. I have spent a moderate amount on marketing because of limited funds. I know other who have spend larger sums for less returns. It must be remembered your book might not be to everyone taste. Maybe the readers have read something similar already etc. This means no matter how much money you throw at it, it might not sell.

Look at the film industry. Remember the big blockbusters that were flops even after they had huge named actors, marketing and big budgets spend on them. Yet small film companies with tiny budgets and unknown actors can and do have bestselling films. Why? The answer is so simple. The storyline caught the imagination of the general public.

Yesterday, I played around with BookBrush.com to create some new marketing ads for some of my books. The site is easy to use. You’re allowed fifteen images for free before you have to start paying. For book trailers, I’ve used Microsoft Video Editor and Pixabay to find the images I need to create storyboards for my novels. Video Editor allows you to add stills and video clips together plus special effects and music too. Once you have created your book trailer you can post it on your Amazon Author’s page, as well as across the net and for free.

Days Pass Like A Shadow

What I think is important is getting the balance right between marketing your work to potential readers without becoming annoying. Knowing your market helps. Remember not all readers are looking for your book so don’t try to shoehorn it into a romance because the two main characters steal a kiss just before the mad axeman splatters their brains across the ceiling. Yes, there is a lots of sub-categories on offer these days and I could easily market my books as Gothic Crime (which I do) because at theirs heart is a mystery to be solved.

I do promote my books as horror. Though I’m sure a die-hard Horror Fan wouldn’t class it as such. Nor would a purist crime fan see Seeking The Dark as a crime novel either. This makes me nervous, but I’ve been surprised and of course delighted to find some of my readers have stepped out of their comfort zone, read my novels and reviewed them.

I love my latest review on Seeking the Dark

Without Ivy’s invaluable advice and guidance my dreams would’ve lay shattered, and maybe I would have given up. The rewards for long hours and years spend at the keyboard are far less than the cost of a pint of milk and a loaf of bread bought at the corner shop. The terms struggling artist comes to mind often.

It is said one should only take up writing for the joy of it, and not for financial gain, but when you have to pay out to market your work, you want it to pay for itself in the end. I remember clearly Maggie’s excitement when she showed me her one of her last royalties statements. “This is what I dreamt of when I first started writing,” she said, “And it has taken me until now to start earning it.” ( Maggie passed away in 2020)

This is why I know that my journey is far from over, in reality I’ve only just begun, financially anyway. There’s no short cut to success. You’ve just got to keep on writing and hoping that at some point you write the right book at the right time and get it the right person.

First, let me introduce you to Granny Wenlock. Who knows Granny Wenlock could be my key to success

My new Granny Wenlock Ad: The Funeral Birds

Clubhouse Cafelit 10 Chat: Maxine Churchman

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Cafelit is an online magazine which posts a new story every day. To find out more click here CafeLit books are published by Chapel Town Books to find out more about the publisher click here. Today in the tearoom, I’m chatting to Cafelit writer, Maxine Churchman about her entries in The Best of CafeLit 10.

Maxine, what made you write the story you decided to submit to Cafelit? Was it as seasonal call-out .i.e. Christmas, summer holidays, autumn, Halloween etc or just something you needed to get off your chest?

I was walking along the canal at Hythe in Kent when this amazing chap walked past surrounded by seagulls. One was perched on his shoulder. I took a picture because I felt there was a story to be told and I felt Cafelit might be a great place to submit it.

Did you use a writing prompt for your story?

In a way, the experience was the prompt.

Did you write an outline first, or follow where the characters led you?

When I started writing I had no idea how the story would end. I just started with the description of the man and what he and the birds were doing. As the story progressed, I decided on an ending and had to change the setting to the beach.

Maxine Churchman

How do you create your characters? Do you start with a name first?

Sometimes, but not in this case. I didn’t give him a name because the story is written from the point of view of someone watching him. There was no interaction between the protagonist and the narrator.

Was your story told in your normal genre or did you try something different?

I don’t think I have a normal genre although I am drawn to the creepy and fantastical. This was different to anything I had written before as it was somewhat whimsical.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cafelit community?

Everyone is supportive and friendly and I love reading the short stories on the website. They are so diverse and often inspire me to write something myself.

The Best Of Cafelit 10

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

I’ve only been writing for a couple of years. I have been an avid reader all my life but only recently starting wishing I could write something myself. I would love to write a novel, but I found putting ideas into words really difficult so kept putting it off. Then I met Paula on a local facebook page and joined her writing group. Writing short stories was a good way for me to begin and the feedback and encouragement from the group was invaluable. I am really missing the sessions and hope we can start meeting again soon.

What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?

I have been thinking about this question for a while and really can’t think of an answer other than my business. I need peace and quiet and plenty of time to really concentrate on improving my writing but I also need the stimulus of travel and meeting people. I am hoping to have all that when I retire in a year or two.

To find out more about Maxine’s writing click on the link below:

https://Cccmaxine.blogspot.com

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Misty Morning

In the morning light, the mist dances on the water While clouds mirror the earth, a butterfly alights. As I pass by the earthbound clouds of purple grasses, they sway gently. Morning Walk by Paula R C Readman in July 2021

A short walk around the two lakes and up pass the old oak tree before we edged the woods looking for insects. So far we haven’t seen any blue butterflies on our walks, but both my friend, Ana and I have see them in our own gardens. The walk was short, only 83 minutes long as Ana and her husband were going out for the day.

At the moment I’m busy working on two writing projects. I’m trying to stay focus, but a big day is coming up soon. Once the day has passed I will get back into writing Granny Wenlock. I’m six chapters in at the moment. My new novella is growing fast and I’m really excited by it now I have the space to develop the story line. I shall keep you up to date with how I’m getting on.

Today we have more rain here, but I don’t think that will dampen our football fans. I’m not a big football fan, but I do wish our team all the very best.

Here’s my slideshow from my latest walk. I do hope you enjoy watching it.

Best wishes always. Off to do some more editing.

Clubhouse CafeLit 10 Chat: Amanda Jones

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Photo by jonas mohamadi on Pexels.com

Cafelit is an online magazine which posts a new story every day. To find out more click here. CafeLit books are published by Chapel Town Books to find out more about the publisher click here. Today in the tearoom, I’m chatting to Cafelit writer, Amanda Jones about her entries in The Best of CafeLit 10. Welcome to the tearoom, Amanda. Let’s order our drinks now, so what would you like?

Thank you for invite me to the tearoom, Paula. Please could I have a hot chocolate, thank you.

Now we have our refreshments I’ll start by asking you, what made you write the story you decided to submit to Cafelit? Was it as seasonal call-out .i.e. Christmas, summer holidays, autumn, Halloween etc or just something you needed to get off your chest?

My Grandfather’s Far East Prisoner of War story has been years in the waiting. Like most of my work it became part of my diary and was crossed out and rescheduled until I had a draft. I work like this due to my health and it gets things done! Years of research from the National Archives at Kew, Bedford Archives and online forums come together in this short story. It was just waiting for the right moment for me to finish it and Gill’s 1940s group inspired me to submit it to CafeLit.

Amanda Jones

Did you use a writing prompt for your story?

No, it is a true story based on thorough research in my quest to find out what happened in the Far East in World War II; the Forgotten War.

Did you write an outline first, or follow where the characters led you?

Yes, I started the story by looking through my many notes, timeline and research items from over the years. Then I created an outline of the key facts to include and typed them in Word, ready for me to fill and write around.

How do you create your characters? Do you start with a name first?

When I write fiction my characters form at the beginning of a piece. Names are less important to me as I start to write and come along as the character develops. I like to create around a theme most often with a moral or underlying purpose.

Was your story told in your normal genre or did you try something different?

I have been writing true, non-fiction recently so it is different than my normal. However, a long time ago I started writing about my life and it sat by the wayside. Suddenly I was inspired to break the writing down. So, rather than write a whole book I created short stories exploring different life lessons learned and themes. It started with my ongoing Mum series, all about her life, but in ‘chapters’ of one short story at a time. I really feel it works better like this and helps the reader navigate often difficult subjects. My story about my Grandfather came into being in a similar way.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cafelit community?

The spirit of support and friendship is so welcoming and the encouragement to promote each other’s work. I love the format of CafeLit too, the ability to submit, see a story scheduled and read online. Each story I have scheduled I create a Facebook Event for on my Facebook Author Page and choose relevant images from Pixabay to illustrate the story and help with marketing.

How long have you been writing and what got you started?

My Mum taught me to read and write from the age of three and I still have some stories I wrote from my first school days. Then I began writing poems and made an illustrated booklet as an eight year old. From here I just kept writing; poetry, essays, short stories, novels and non-fiction. I have a book I wrote by hand as a 10-12 year old which I then typed on an electronic typewriter having taught myself to touch type. With carbon copy paper in use I typed this book in between school work and created a copy at the same time. Then I borrowed the Writer’s Annual Year Book from the library and sent off my manuscript to publishers. This was in the early 1990s and before I had a computer. I continued to write as a teenager and have a novel I am resurrecting at the moment, worked on with my English teacher at the time.

When I visited Australia with my late partner I wrote a diary-style book and inspired him to do the same. It would be interesting to print the two into one book! Then I started my Missy Dog charity series having had the inspiration to delve into history and bring it alive in my dog’s dreams. The research and thoroughness of real history is very interesting when you weave it into such a setting. From there I continued to write short stories and poetry with ideas for more novels.

The Best Of CafeLit 10

What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?

I would give up my incurable, progressive disability so I could tour the UK, run book signings and talks and author events for myself and others and combine the events with music performances. These are my online links with an overlap between writing and arts/crafts as I sell my books in my online shop Missy’s Matters and promote my editing work there too.

My Books are available from the links below through Missy’s Matters and through Kindle. Please follow me through my profile and social media channels to keep up to date with my work. Thank you!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amandababer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amandababerauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amanda_jones_aka_baber_author

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/missydogbooks/

Website: http://amandababerauthor.wordpress.com/

CafeLit: http://cafelit.co.uk/index.php/meet-our-authors/2-uncategorised/114-amanda-baber

Missy’s Matters is my Conscious Crafties Shop full of creative, handmade goodies with many donating to good causes. https://www.consciouscrafties.com/crafties/missys-matters/

Facebook https://m.facebook.com/MissysMatters/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/missysmatters/

Twitter https://mobile.twitter.com/Missysmatters

Pinterest https://uk.pinterest.com/missysmatters/pins/

Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/161120523@N02/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-baber-6094b9154/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrqE6dmZJ3TXpsojksu2BFQ

My Go Fund Me campaign supports good causes through my Missy Dog Books. I donate the writing, art, design and illustrations, friends support me with their time, proof-reading, editing, layout and more, but printing is an expense. Please support the creation of a book as a book is for life and supports a charity forever.

https://uk.gofundme.com/missy-dog-books-for-good-causes

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.

Clubhouse CafeLit 10 Chat: Dawn Debraal

Welcome to Clubhouse Chat page. Those of you who are not a member won’t be aware that the location of the Clubhouse is shrouded in mystery. The only way to visit it is via membership or an invite to the tearoom. Every few days, I’ll be sharing a conversation with all sorts of writers and authors at different levels of their writing careers. Over tea and cakes, or maybe a glass of something stronger, I shall be chatting with my guest about their work in progress, or latest book release.

Cafelit is an online magazine which posts a new story every day. To find out more click here CafeLit books are published by Chapel Town Books to find out more about the publisher click here. Today in the tearoom, I’m chatting to Cafelit writer, Dawn Debraal about her entries in The Best of CafeLit 10.

Dawn, what made you write the story you decided to submit to Cafelit? Was it as seasonal call-out .i.e. Christmas, summer holidays, autumn, Halloween etc or just something you needed to get off your chest?

The Summer of 1962 was a result of a call that I had submitted to and they never responded. I loved the story so much I knew I needed to send it elsewhere. So Cafelit was my home of choice.

Did you use a writing prompt for your story? 

The call I submitted to had to be a story about 1962. Later I realized I hadn’t even come close to what they were looking for. I never heard back from the submission, so I went online only to find the magazine was already out and they hadn’t taken my story.

Dawn Debraal

Did you write an outline first, or follow where the characters led you?

I am a pantser. I like to sit down and write.

Usually, I have an ending in mind when I start writing, or at least an idea of where I want the story to go.

How do you create your characters? Do you start with a name first?

Sometimes the name comes first, which develops the personality and sometimes the personality comes first that develops the characters name! That’s the beauty of writing, it’s never the same process for me.

Was your story told in your normal genre or did you try something different?

I am going to say normal. Telling the story of a young romance and how a  misunderstanding leads to lost years of love.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Cafelit community?

Gill is so supportive of her authors. I send her many stories and they don’t all make it in, but I know she has given them a chance and it just wasn’t the best one for the day.

The Best Of CafeLit 10

How long have you been writing and what got you started?
My first story was published Dec 2018. I became a snowbird that year and didn’t know anyone, so I found a call for a Christmas story, and I sent it in on a whim. I was shocked to get an acceptance my first try. From then on, it became an addiction!

What The Hell Happened To Joan?

What’s the one thing you would give up to become a better writer?

LOL, I wanted to joke and say my husband… I don’t know how to take that question Paula. I would not give up anything to be a better writer. I would take in a lot more to be a better writer!

Thank you for asking me, Paula.

Lovely to have you back again, Dawn.

To find out more about Dawn DeBraal’s writing check out the link below:

Dawn DeBraal’s Amazon Author Page

and don’t forget to check out Dawn and Copper Rose amazing book too. It’s a great read.

If you want to find out more about Clubhouse Members’ Books, don’t forget to check out the Clubhouse Bookshops too.