S.C. Skillman's Blog, page 43
June 26, 2017
Goodness, Kindness and Love Amidst Tragedy: Let Your Light Shine in the World
From out of the mouths of children…
Last week I took part in “Experience Church”, a special event for children in St Mark’s Church, Leamington Spa. [image error]
The event was organised by Ros Davies our lovely and energetic Children and Family Worker. 130 Brownies and Guides toured four “stations” in our church, in groups of five or six.
The four stations were:
1) The Church Welcomes.
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2) The Church Prays.
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3) The Church Teaches.
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4) The Church Serves.
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My daughter Abigail and I were in charge of the Stained Glass station – The Church Serves.
We asked the girls why churches have stained glass windows and what the purpose of them is, then we talked about some of the stories that are told in the windows, and the people in those stories, and the lives they led; people who serve God in this life by “shining a light” in the way they behave to others. Then the girls painted jam-jars with glass paints and we set them on the altar steps in front of lighted candles so we could see the light shining through them.[image error]
So first we asked the girls, “has anyone been kind and generous to you in the last few days – or today?”
One of the girls said her friend had stood up for her; another said her mum gave her some sweets, and another mentioned that her older sister is kind to her. We also heard, “all the people in my school. I’ve just moved to a new school and they have all made me feel really welcome.” And the other two said, “Yes!” because they were in her group at school and were among those who had welcomed her. And with every act of kindness, a light shines out into the world.
Light is a strong symbol in the Christian faith as in others.[image error]
People who are kind and generous to others may be described as shining a light in the world. Images of light are abundant in the Old and in the New Testament. One of the many names by which Jesus is known is The Light of the World. When a tragedy happens with mass fatalities, the instinct of all of us, religious or non-religious, is to light a candle for those souls who have perished.
I don’t believe we should equate darkness with evil, but unfortunately there is a strong symbolic correlation in the popular mind. Nevertheless, light is something we can all relate to. We see a light shining through people who act with goodness in this world.
In the recent appalling tragedy of Grenfell Tower, we saw people in the local community acting with goodness, kindness and generosity; a natural outpouring of empathy and a desire to serve.
Through these people, a light shone out into a situation of immense and ongoing pain and anguish.
What about you? Who has been kind and generous to you today, or in the past few days?
If you have enjoyed this post, here are a couple of my past posts on the subject of light:
The Power of Light to Uplift the Spirit
Darkness into Light: Celtic Spirituality
Filed under: design, faith, inspiration, interpersonal relationships, life, love, people of inspiration, religion, SC Skillman, spirituality, thoughts Tagged: children, Grenfell Tower, Jesus, life, light, love, stained glass windows, stories, tragedy
June 20, 2017
Book Review: “How To Craft Superbad Villains: 13 Steps to Evil” by Sacha Black
I found this book an excellent resource for writers, especially for those of us who may be at the stage I was in at the time of reading – nearing the end of the first draft of my WIP, Director’s Cut – which I have now finished.[image error]
Sacha Black equips the writer with plenty of tools to sharpen up and deepen their understanding of villainy. She writes with the knowledge and insight of one who is trained and qualified in Psychology. At times I found her handling of the subject almost too dense and over-analytical – especially in areas such as complexes, which has been the subjec tof one of my past blog posts , based on the writings of Carl Jung.
But then I realised that I could only benefit from Sacha Black’s close attention to this subject; what she writes here repays careful study, because it is so important for a fiction author to understand exactly what constitutes villainy. She is particularly good on the subject of mental health in fictional villains; as she rightly points out, it is no good giving one’s villain a mental health issue and then ascribing their villainy to that issue. She helps the reader focus on how complex the human psyche is and reminds us once again that as writers we must be faithful students of human nature. In addition, her own personal style is very lively, which makes the book more accessible, too, to a popular audience. I highly recommend Sacha’s book.
To see my own book on the writing craft, Perilous Path – a selection of articles containing tips, insights and reminders for writers, including a chapter on how to develop villainous characteristics in a fictional characer – click here
To read my own series of blog posts on how the theories of Carl Jung can help novelists, here are a few for you to dip into:
Filed under: About Books I love, Authors I love, book reviews, Books, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, Jungian psychology, life, literature, SC Skillman, Writing Tagged: blog, book, characters, fictional villains, psychology, review, SC Skillman, writers, writing
June 13, 2017
People of Inspiration Part 8: Dan and Phillipa Munday, Helping the People of Nepal
Today’s post is number 8 in my series People of Inspiration (see below for links to my other posts in the series). [image error]Today I am inspired by two people who represent loving service to others, regardless of any artificial boundary that divides the people of this world.
Dan and Phillipa Munday are two mission partners from Warwick, near where I live, who have been sent by the CMS (Church Mission Society) to work in Nepal. Phillipa teaches in the Khathmandu International Study Centre (KISC) – a school which takes children age 3-18 – and Dan is a palliative care specialist who has been helping the Nepalese government and medical profession to start and develop a service in their country to support those suffering from terminal illnesses who are nearing the end of their lives.
[image error]During their stay in the UK now for a few weeks, Dan keeps up the hours of acccreditation he needs, serving in our local hospice, Myton Hospice in Warwick.
I have known Dan and Phillipa as members of our church for nineteen years. They’re currently in England visiting family and talking to different groups of people about Nepal and their lives and work there. They spoke to our own small group one evening a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve now heard Phillipa speaking again today.
The reason why they both inspire me is because everything they do is rooted in love for others, regardless of their backgrounds, religion, gender, or any other artificial boundary that divides people.[image error]
Whilst in Nepal, Dan and Phillipa are serving others in every way they can. They have numerous opportunities to be “Salt and light” in the lives of others; Phillipa might find herself offering a listening ear and loving support to a young schoolgirl who has already been made to enter an arranged marriage; Dan might find himself visiting someone in a remote village who is suffering a painful terminal disease, with no specialist support or medical help at all.[image error]
Read more about Dan and Phillipa’s work here, and about the KISC, and also about Dan’s work in developing palliative care in Nepal.
If you’ve enjoyed this post you might like to check out my other posts in this series, People of Inspiration. You’ll find that I’m inspired by a diverse range of public figures, but now my people of inspiration may be branching out into other areas. Watch this blog for further articles in my People of Inspiration series, which is paralleled by another series, Places of Inspiration.
People of Inspiration
1: Paul McCartney
2: Rabbi Lionel Blue
3: Susan Boyle
4: Rob Parsons
5: Frankie Howerd
6: Gareth Malone
7: The Horrible Histories Cast
Filed under: empowerment, faith, inspiration, interpersonal relationships, life, love, religion, SC Skillman, thoughts, travel Tagged: faith, inspiration, Khathmandu, KISC, love, Nepal, palliative care
June 12, 2017
Why I Love the #BloggersBash and Why You Should Attend #MondayBlogs
A lovely account of our day on Saturday 10th June at the Bloggers Bash 2017!
On a beautiful sunny day in June, Westminster was invaded by a gaggle of bloggers (or should that be a brace of bloggers??).
A room full of introverts shrugged off their fears and embraced the nature of the Bloggers Bash with fun, frolics, and cake-a-plenty!
As I stuffed my face with a full English breakfast in my hotel on Sunday morning, I noticed an influx of blog posts from attendees and the nominees/winners of awards arriving in my notifications. Fast work guys! I loved reading their thoughts on the event and the positive moments they took from the day. Bloggers from across the globe got involved with live streaming, and posts of gratitude. Suzanne from Global Housesitter scooped the runner-up prize for Best Newcomer Blog, and she posted her thoughts HERE.
The lovely Ellen Best won the prize for her ‘Connections’ story submitted for the short story competition which you…
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June 6, 2017
Fun and Excitement with Fantasy Authors at the UK Games Expo 2017
The UK Games Expo had not been on my radar until Richard Denning one of the Games Expo directors and a historical and fantasy novelist, kindly offered me space on the Authors Stand in the Birmingham NEC during the weekend Friday 2 – Sunday 4 June 2017.[image error]
So there I was for three days, sharing a stand in a huge venue with some very popular and successful authors, as I displayed and sold copies of my three books, Mystical Circles, A Passionate Spirit and Perilous Path.
This was a fabulous opportunity. The gaming world is one that I haven’t paid too much attention to in the past, but the whole weekend was a revelation. The atmosphere was vibrant; colourful characters and a dazzling variety of games and gaming accessories abounded, all contributing to the fun and good humour which was evident among the exhibitors and visitors.
I met and learned from other authors on the stand:
Jonathan Green [image error]who writes sci fi, fantasy and adventure gamebooks;and Gareth Baker, children’s writer. [image error]
I also met Ian Livingstone, fantasy author and entrepreneur, and co-founder of the Fighting Fantasy series of gamebooks.[image error]
He came to do a signing and long queues formed as his fans flocked to the stand to have their books signed and to chat to him.[image error]
I had the chance to exchange ideas and learn better ways to promote myself as an author, and there was a great sense of camaraderie among all those exhibiting their books on the stand.
Meanwhile, many cosplay enthusiasts strolled past in wonderful costumes.[image error]
Transformation was the name of the game as so many took on the personnas of multifarious game characters and archetypes.[image error]
We also had a photo opportunity with a Dalek, who passed by the Authors stand and demanded, “What is A Passionate Spirit?” [image error]
The gaming world is one in which a vast number of “tropes” flourish: adventure, quests, danger, violence, fantasy, history, steampunk, sci fi…
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I gained some new insights into how my own WIP is indeed using some of the gaming tropes, for instance, the predicament of the main protagonist as she finds herself in a deadly situation from which she must escape – hidden chambers and secret passageways and dark rooms all find their place in my novel, and these elements are very popular in the gaming world. [image error]
Also the Gothic genre – which I now work within – has a close relationship with the gaming world. So there was an unexpected connection for me, together with the fact that I’m using paranormal and supernatural elements more and more in my fiction, and also would like to move more into fantasy in the future.
Perhaps I have inspired you to try the UK Games Expo yourself next year![image error]
Filed under: a passionate spirit, Authors I love, Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, inspiration, life, literature, love, modern Gothic fiction, musings, paranormal thriller fiction, people of inspiration, Perilous Path, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, thoughts, UK, Writing Tagged: authors, fantasy, genre, Gothic, novel, paranormal, SC Skillman author, supernatural, tropes, UK Games Expo
June 1, 2017
I’ll be at the UK Games Expo at the NEC Birmingham 2-6 June 2017
I’ll be at the UK Games Expo at the NEC Birmingham [image error]tomorrow Fri 2 June and all weekend signing copies of Mystical Circles, A Passionate Spirit and Perilous Path on the Authors Stand (F11) alongside Gareth Baker, (thrillers & fantasy); Darren W Pearce (fantasy & sci fi); Richard Denning (horror, fantasy & historical fiction); Jonathan Green (Fighting Fantasy gamebooks & Doctor who novels) & Ian Livingstone (creator of Fighting Fantasy interactive gamebooks).
Hope to see some of you there over the weekend!
Filed under: a passionate spirit, About Books I love, Authors I love, Books, British, life, modern Gothic fiction, Mystical Circles, news, paranormal thriller fiction, Perilous Path, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, UK Tagged: a passionate spirit, authors, booksigning, fantasy, fiction, mystical circles, Perilous Path, SC Skillman, UK Games Expo
May 30, 2017
My Dream Cast for “Mystical Circles”
Novelists, have you “dreamcast the film adaptation of your book? Many do! [image error] If you do it early enough in the process of writing your novel, it can be very helpful. Though I understand that the reality of having your book turned into a film can sometimes not be a very pleasant experience. I was amused by this quote from the blog My Book, the Movie:
They would ask me what actors I saw in the roles. I would tell them, and they’d say, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.’ And that would be the end of it. (Elmore Leonard, in 2000, on the extent of his input for Hollywood’s adaptation of his novels).
Here’s my dream cast for Mystical Circles:
Juliet, my main protagonist, who hurries to the Cotswolds to rescue her sister from a charismatic cult leader:
Zoe, Juliet’s younger sister:
Theo, a troubled priest:
Rory, a strange young man with a mysterious “thorn in the flesh”:
Edgar, obsessed with getting new recruits to fill out questionnaires:
Al, an American visitor:
Llewellyn, a Welsh poet:
Don, the cult leader’s disenchanted father:
Oleg, a Russian visitor:
Sam, a nervous youth, here on his GP’s recommendation to recover from an unhealthy mutually interdependent relationship with his twin brother:
Laura, flighty girl-woman of indeterminate age:
Craig, the cult leader:
James, urbane and elegant, Craig’s former mentor from Edinburgh University who inspired him to set up the cult in the first place:
Patrick, an Irish handyman and gardener:
Beth, an insecure and tense young woman:
And having chosen the cast, here is my dream production company: Working Title Films.
And the producers: , Eric Fellner and .
And finally, the Director:
Look out for the third edition of Mystical Circles with a new cover design. It will be published by Luminarie on 30 August 2017.
Filed under: Books, British, creative writing, dreams and dreaming, films, life, movies, psychological suspense fiction, SC Skillman, UK, Writing Tagged: actors, cast, Cotswolds, cult leader, director, dream, movies, mystical circles, producer, production company, SC Skillman author
May 23, 2017
Thoughts for Manchester
Following the news this morning of the tragic events in Manchester, I have held back my intended post, and am reblogging one of my fellow-bloggers’ posts as it seems to sum up all we can say and feel at this time, as the news unfolds, and as our hearts go out to all the mothers and fathers, family and friends of those children and young people senselessly injured and murdered after enjoying a pop concert on the night of Monday 22nd May 2017.
I was awake at 3.00am and was horrified at the events in Manchester, my home city, last night. At present, 22 people have died and 59 have been injured after what is thought to be a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in the foyer at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) arena after an Ariana Grande concert had ended. The arena has a capacity of 18,000 people, and most of the audience in attendance were children, teenagers, young adults and their families. It’s the biggest loss of life in a terrorist attack since 7/7, and there are already children confirmed among those who have been killed. Children.
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Filed under: British, life, news, SC Skillman, UK Tagged: 22nd May 2017, hearts, Manchester, SC Skillman, tragic
May 16, 2017
The Full Monty and What it Says About Not Being Controlled by Your Circumstances
Recently I watched the 1997 British comedy drama film “The Full Monty” again. [image error]The reason why I love it is that it’s about “little” people deciding not to be controlled by their circumstances. Six men who in their different ways are suffering during the decline of the Sheffield steel industry, decide to do something nobody believes they can deliver on.
If you haven’t seen this wonderful film then I highly recommend it; read about it here. Somehow that message of hope is encapsulated in one of the outstanding elements of the film: the faces of the audience members in the club at the end. They express joy, laughter, fun and delight. Their reaction is a natural response to “local lads” demonstrating that if we choose, we can all have the courage to:
compete with those who seem to be hugely successful “out there”
get up on stage and run the risk of making fools of ourselves
demonstrate that we will not allow ourselves to be controlled by our circumstances.
This is a universal message, relevant in so many different ways in today’s society. This is why “The Full Monty” is an inspiration to its audiences and why, using humour, it delivers a powerful truth, relevant to all our lives.
Filed under: British, culture, films, inspiration, interpersonal relationships, life, love, media, movies, musings, positive thinking, SC Skillman, thoughts, UK Tagged: controlled by our circumstances, courage, film, humour, inspiration, life, SC Skillman, successful, The Full Monty, truth
