Alex Gutteridge's Blog, page 10

Wordless Wednesday - I'm Sure it's in there Somewhere!

Poetry

'Do you read much poetry?' a friend recently asked. This particular friend is a keen calligrapher and produces beautiful work, often inspired by poetry. The answer to this question, I am afraid, was 'No'.


I do read poetry from time to time but we have a sporadic relationship, poetry and I. There is a thick book of poems by Robert Frost next to my bed. I possess the New Oxford Book of English Verse, The Faber Book of Nonsense Verse, The Collected Poems of Wilf...

Every Story is a Love Story

A little while ago I was reading out a piece of my work to some writer friends. It was a picture book text and I knew there was something missing. 'Think of it as a love story' one of my wise advisers said. And she was absolutely right, even though this book was obviously not a romance; it was about a boy and his bear.

One of the most regular comments I make when commenting on manuscripts on behalf of a literary agency is that the stories lack emotion. The writing is detached and however...

Reaching Out

Writing can be a solitary business, sitting at the keyboard or with a pad of paper in front of you, for long periods of time. For me one of the best things to do as an antidote to this hermit-like activity is to meet up with other writers. And I have been lucky enough to do this twice this week. The first time was at The Romantic Novelists' Awards in London and the second time was a lunch with local children's writers who have become good friends over the years.


The Romantic Novelists' Award C...

A Gentler Life

Gosh, it's been busy lately. I seem to be running at full pelt just to stand still. I know it isn't just me who feel that time really does seem to be speeding up. 'If you want something done, ask a busy person', so the saying goes. That's true up to a point and Parkinson's Law does state that we stretch out jobs to fill the time available. But too much busyness, for me anyway, is not good for creativity. My creativity flourishes in the shadows, in quiet time, in space. There doesn't...

Writing a Diary

Recently I have been going back in time and re-reading one of my diaries from 2007. It is not always a good thing to return to the past but it can be cathartic. It can show you how far you have come in the intervening years.


I have written a diary on and off since being sent to boarding school at eleven. My godmother gave me a five year diary; that little black book, along with letters to and from family, as well as good friends made, are what got me through those years. My parents believ...

Snowdrops at Easton Walled Gardens

I've wanted to go to Easton Walled Gardens in Lincolnshire for ages. Last Saturday, a beautiful, bright, sunny day, and as a treat following my husband's hernia operation, we finally made it. This is the garden which Franklin D. Roosevelt described thus:-

''A dream of Nirvana...almost too good to be true.' He and Eleanor spent part of their honeymoon here but much has changed since that time. During the Second World War the grand house was requisitioned by the army and left...

Wordless Wednesday - Life's Journey

 

Beetroot, Rocket and Pomegranate Salad

What shall we have to eat? It's something I ask several times a week. My husband and sons would  always opt for meat. My daughter would be a vegetarian if she was cooking for herself all of the time. Feeding a family is often a balancing act and, even though there are just two of us for most of the time these days, sometimes I just run out of ideas! Sometimes I am at a complete loss as to what to have for a change. Sometimes I lie awake at night worrying about what we are...

Wordless Wednesday - Taking the Slow Route from Stratford-Upon-Avon