Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 57

December 31, 2020

To all my readers…

May I wish you all a Happy New Year. Let’s hope that 2021 brings us all out of these dark days into lighter ones. Keep safe everyone

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Published on December 31, 2020 09:38

December 30, 2020

A small recognition.

It’s the little things that matter the most. It may not mean much to others, but it puts a smile on my face to know someone has singled out my work.

Anthologies are a great way of getting your name known. It is the first step on a long journey. It’s like dipping your toe in the water and getting the feel for something bigger. I still enjoy writing for anthologies as it allows you the spread your writing wings and decide what kind of writer you want to be. What suits your style? I’ve experimented with crime, romance, Victorian gothic ghost stories, sci-fi and fantasy. I’ve written drabbles to 20k words and everything in between.

Writing competitions give you an insight to working to deadlines, something all writers who are serious about their careers will come up against. If you’re taken on by a big agency or publisher you’ll be expected to work to a deadline. Another skill learnt by writing for competitions and anthologies is the word count.

Yes, I know you think writing a novel gives you the freedom to write to any word count you want, but does it?

By writing short stories for anthologies and competitions teaches you to write more concise as you make each word count. You improve your editing skills too as you find yourself wanting to say so much more than the word limit will let you. As you take your editing knife in hand to cut out the dead wood you realise you can add more than you thought you could. A drop in word count give you the opportunity to add more information, improve a character, while tightening the plot line.

This amazing revelation helps you to become a better writer when tackling a novel. I built up a collection of rejected stories that I often find myself reading through for themes and competition entries at short notice. So nothing goes to waste.

Have a great start to a new year by entering a few anthology shout-out or writing competitions, there’s plenty about. Below is a five star review for an anthology my story is in. I’m proud to have my work published along side other amazing writers. Though it is extra special when your work is singled out by the reader

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Published on December 30, 2020 07:52

December 28, 2020

My name is Paula, and I have book envy

Is there such a thing as book envy? Or maybe library book room envy? If so I have it.

My greatest wish was to walk into a room lined with my whole book collection instead of it being scattered across my home in boxes, bags, and a suitcase in my loft. My ideal room would have a huge solid English oak desk looking towards French windows that opened onto a stone patio. The view from the patio would be towards rolling green fields and woodland. The house would be a smallish with large windows that let in plenty of light. It would be an easy to clean house with a surrounding garden of trees, flowers, and a flagstone paths leading a vegetable garden.

An English Stately Home Library

Whenever I visit stately houses in England I go weak at the knees on seeing their libraries. Most of their books are under lock and key. Books were valuable possessions and a symbol of wealth. It meant that the family could afford to educate their children. Books were privately printed for those who could afford to fill a room with them.
It wasn’t until mass printing in the 15th century that allowed books to become more freely available. At that time the only book most people owned and valued was the family Bible. It’s why they recorded their births, marriages and deaths in it.

Some old books from my collection.

My love of books started when I was very young. I couldn’t read, but my grandmother used to read The Family of Robin stories to my sisters and I. As I grow older, I used to spend my Saturdays in a reference library across the road from where I grew up. All day until it closed, I would sit on the floor looking through a pile of books.

My father had a love of books too, mainly sci-fi, which he would often give me to read. After I read them he would ask my thought on them. My ex-husband’s family were great readers, and were the first family I knew who had shelves of books everywhere. My father in law was a member of a book club and received new books through the post, which I thought was amazing.

Car boot sales and charity shops gave me access to cheap books. As I’ve always lived on a tight budget, especially when my son was little, I was able to build up a good collection of my own books. I’ve told my son that all that would be left in my home when I died, will be my collection of books. Everything else I no longer need will slowly be got rid of like china, clothes, etc.