Avril Joy's Blog, page 5

Creative Solutions

Hi everyone if you joined me for Sundays Stay-At-Home Lit Fest a big thank you. I may not have seen your face or read your comment if you made one I could really only concentrate on the few faces directly in front of me, but it seems over 40 people participated, which was way beyond my expectation.

I was a bit apprehensive, never having done anything like it before, but I neednt have been. What really surprised me was how connected I felt and just how much I enjoyed the experience. So much...

Sunday at the Stay-at-Home Lit Fest

Just a reminder that on Sunday (5th) at 11.00 am I will be online at the Stay-at-Home Lit Fest talking about and reading from my latest book Going In With Flowers, a reflection in poetry and prose of the 25 years I spent working in HMP Low Newton womens prison, Durham.

There are many dark and difficult aspects to life in a womens prison (and there are many concerns about both staff and prisoners in our current situation) but on Sunday, knowing how fragile many of us are at the moment, I will...

Starting Something New

I have space to write something new, time stretches out before me unbroken until who knows when. Something new I have time without pressure, no excuse, but what and how? And can I shut down that nagging voice in my head that says, But whats the point? Whos going to to read it anyway? There are so many successful books already out there, maybe you should try writing something more commercial.

In my experience theres only one way to silence that voice and thats to begin, start small and build...

On Doing Nothing

I spent the day yesterday de-cluttering my study and re-doing the pin boards all very satisfying. I did some writing too.

Today I dont feel like doing much at all and probably wont!

I think we need to resist the idea that we must keep busy and be productive. Its great to be active when we feel like it, but more importantly we need to do what feels right: curling up with a book, bingeing on catch-up or Netflix, baking, listening to the radio, chatting online with family or friends, sitting in...

The First Day of British Summer Time

and we woke to snow, just a skin on the car roofs and then flurries which quickly faded. Theres no snow now but the sky is an unrelenting grey.

Yesterday the day slipped away from me, spent in attending to things other than my own work and it was difficult for me to find time for myself, or for writing here. I have to admit I found it quite stressful and I realised that in these altered times what keeps me calm is having time to myself and having control over my daily routines and practices:...

The StayatHome Lit Fest

Evening everyone. Im sorry for being so late with this post but Ive spent a lot of my day trying to get to grips with Zoom the online meeting app. Try as I might I could not get into any of my scheduled meetings but eventually after much hand wringing, swearing and stomping about, I changed my web browser from Safari to Chrome (and thats about as tech savvy as I get) and I made it to the last one of the day!

So here it is the programme for the StayatHome Lit Fest which begins to tommorow....

PART 7 From Writing With Love

Hi everyone, Part 7 is here today its a very short postscript and my recommendations for books on writing.

Further to yesterdays post and the picture of a cream cake, today my lovely neighbour brought me a vanilla slice! What heaven! I havent eaten it yet. Ive looked at it, nestling in its box, thought about when I might eat it, looked at it again, decided I need to take a photograph of it before I do eat it In exchange Ive given her a book I hope she thinks its a good swap.

Below part of...

Part 6 – From Writing With Love

Click here and you can read Part 6 of my book on writing, From Writing With Love, where I talk about the writing life, including : going away to write (not really the thing at the moment!) writing buddies, writing retreats at home (more like it!) ways of getting into print, the importance of reading (again, I cant stress it enough!), self-publishing, avoiding the envy trap, blogging (maybe a bit old-fashioned now, but I still love it!) and celebrating what we do.

So make a coffee or pour a...

PART 5 – From Writing With Love – FREE

Morning! If youve been following here, youll know Im publishing the whole of my book on writing From Writing With Love, FREE on the website. Its written in 7 PARTS.

Today in Part 5 of From Writing With Love FREE here, (keep scrolling down) I talk about the meaning of success, about re-defining what success meant for me, about how to banish failure and deal with rejection, compiling your own writers manifesto, celebrating what we do, and winning the Costa prize I hope you enjoy it

Happy...

PART 4 – From Writing With Love – FREE – the Novel

In PART 4 of From Writing With Love, I try to pick out the things I wish Id known before I started writing novels, but in truth no matter how much we learn from others about writing novels (and I had the very best of mentors) the only way to truly learn is to write.

If youre just starting out, theres a novel writing workshop. I also talk about how I wrote my very first novel.

You can read PART 4 HERE just keep scrolling down

Good Luck and do let me know if it helps or you have any...