Mo Fanning's Blog, page 15
February 15, 2020
I’m sorry you’ve lost your mother: they make it sound like I’ve left her in another room
My mother has passed away. At 1.30 this morning, I woke. My husband, too. He trailed downstairs to her temporary bedroom, and I listened for the rattle of laboured breathing. Seconds later, he appeared and asked me to stay calm. Storm Dennis is due in her part of the country any time now, already raindrops ricochet […]
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February 10, 2020
Writing: it’s my job to point things out
A frequently quoted ‘rule’ for writing is to write something every day. No matter if it’s good. No matter if it’s bad. Set yourself a window – anything from ten minutes to every waking moment – and sit in front of a screen or an empty piece of paper and write. The idea being if […]
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February 8, 2020
Death: Don’t try this at home
My mother has been dying for 47 days and yet everyone who visits insists she looks better. They hover by her bedside and make impossible promises about things they’ll do together when she’s back on her feet. Sometimes she manages a smile. Sometimes I do too. We both know we’re lying. In the early years […]
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February 6, 2020
Testicular cancer: Few dinner parties pass without me tossing my scrotum into the conversation
Last year, around 2,300 British men were told they had testicular cancer. That’s more than six every day. The number of cases diagnosed has doubled since the mid-1970s with 70 men dying each year from the disease. 1 in 250 men will get testicular cancer. With those numbers, it’s only a matter of time before […]
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December 31, 2019
Bit of a plug and promo
True love starts with one little white lie.
https://books2read.com/armchairbride
December 15, 2019
Gloom: hope died, but it’s Christmas …
First up, forgive the gloom and somewhat downbeat nature of my news this month. I’ve not been well. If you need better news, skip to the end. I’m going to do the misery first. The idea being my three ghosts of Christmas are all Christmas present and at the end I’ll skip through the front […]
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October 23, 2019
Phoning in the dialogue
I’ve never claimed to be anything but an ill-informed Luddite when it comes to mobile phones. Or phones, as I believe the youngsters insist on calling them, refusing to believe there was ever a day when we tied them to a supporting wall with wires. Or that ‘the house phone’ once lived on a special […]
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October 10, 2019
A Brexit poem
Rarely do I venture so openly into political comments, but I can hardly let Brexit pass this site unmentioned. This is a poem. Its very short and very angry. Im tall and angry.
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October 4, 2019
12DaysOfWriting – 2019 Blog Tour
It's coming up to that time when writers go all out to find new readers - the holiday season will be here before you know it. And who wouldn't like a chance to sell more books?
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September 23, 2019
Ban ‘real life’ dialogue – My first act as leader
Time to talk writing. In particular, tips for writing dialogue. One of my first acts as leader will be to ban ‘real life’ dialogue. It’s something I cover in ‘Talking out loud‘ – a guide to writing sparkling dialogue. There’s an extract below and for the next FIVE DAYS ONLY, you can get yourself an […]
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