S.C. Skillman's Blog, page 71

Elements That Make Up a Good Fiction Story

I believe in the power of story. And of course, in various cultures story tellers have held power; in Celtic communities, for instance, the Bard was second only to the Chief; consider the fact that the layout of a Bronze Age home gravitated around the centre where an elaborate chair was placed for the story teller; and witness the strength of the oral tradition, out of which Homer came with his tales of the Trojan war, and of the journeys of Odysseus.

Given that the secular gods of this society are celebrity and fame and wealth, it is hardly surprising that the story tellers have found themselves drawn in. And thus you have the cult of the celebrity bestselling novelist. Yes, sometimes our culture rewards a storyteller – but it is very uneven in the way it spreads its blessing. And beyond every famous successful writer there stand many others who are faithfully doing exactly the same thing – crafting stories.

So what are the elements of a good fiction story? Here are the five elements I believe are absolutely essential:

1) Characters that catch the reader's imagination - as in reality, so in fiction stories, individuals have a private and a public life. And it's the private life that yields the stories by which they live. Especially for a fiction writer, you cannot afford to present someone solely by how they behave in community, as they appear to other people. To me, the joy of fiction is that you are inside the characters, you feel how they feel, you experience life through their eyes, through their minds and hearts. We all have bright and dark areas in our characters. Our lives are a process of facing down our demons – archetypal story structure often includes dual characters like Spiderman & Peter Parker, or Superman & Clark Kent. Both these superheroes battle with the duality of dark and light in their characters. On one side is the bold, brilliant, public face; on the other side we find the quiet, the obscure, the vulnerable.

2) Archetypal theme – no matter how humble you think your story is, the fact remains, that in order to give the reader a strong experience, ultimately there has to be an archetypal theme behind it. This can be friendship, loyalty, love, betrayal, loss, redemption, grief, despair, fear – but all of these are archetypal, meaning they are profoundly part of human experience. The story can be light, humorous, hard-boiled, playful, serious, panoramic or any one of a number of different styles; but there will be an archetypal theme behind it. And then all is down to the author, as to which angle to take. Any originality a story has lies in the angle which the author takes.

3) Emotional charge – every successful story, even if it is pared-down in style, and doesn't ever describe the characters' feelings, as in Neil Gaiman's Coraline, or John Fowles' The Collector, carries its own emotional charge. This can come from the author's selection of events, and once again the angle the author chooses to take; the information the author decides to use, and the information the author keeps out of sight. If the story elicits a strong response from the reader, that story inevitably has "emotional charge".

4) Unexpected Turning Point – whether a story is a suspense, or a thriller, or a mystery, or any other genre, a powerful turning point is key. Of course this plays its part within classic story-stucture. This is why Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca is so universally loved. The turning point shocks. This has a lot to do with what is hidden from us, and what is revealed, during the progress of the story. The skilful withholding of information, the subtle drip-feeding of clues… all this plays its part in determining the effect that turning point will have on us.

5) X Factor – and then there is the final, unknown factor. This cannot be discounted. It evades the teachers of creative writing courses, the writers of "how-to" books; but it is there, undeniable. It has to do with the spirit behind the novel, and the spirit of the age in which the author writes, and the age in which the story is received. In Jane Austen's apparently simple romance novel about love, sex and money, Pride and Prejudice, we can analyse – and many have – but where exactly do we locate the X-factor? Yet it is there, mysterious, elusive, mercurial. Stories with X-factor have characters who haunt us, dilemmas we can relate to in every generation. Thomas Hardy's novel The Mayor of Casterbridge touches a deep nerve in human experience. You cannot chase X-factor. You have to work with your unconscious, be true to yourself, and let go.

I have loved many books in my life, but the ones that stand out for me have all the above five elements. Some have the power to shock and electrify the reader: authors such as Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene and Shusaku Endo. Others have characters that haunt you through the years: Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester, Cathy and Heathcliffe, Lizzy Bennett and Darcy, Pip and Estella; perhaps Bathsheba from Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd or Raskolnikov in Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, or Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray; or the master-criminal Count Fosco in Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White, or maybe Dorothea in George Eliot's Middlemarch or Nicholas Darrow in Susan Howatch's Mystical Paths.

And I also favour authors who are witty, perceptive and brilliantly funny – like P.G. Wodehouse, Tom Sharpe, David Lodge, Jerome K. Jerome, Dodie Smith, Stella Gibbons and Jilly Cooper. I respond to authors whose work shows warmth and compassion, such as Katie Fforde and Joanna Trollope, or those who sail to the furthest reaches of the human psyche, such as Iris Murdoch or Susan Howatch. And among my most-loved books are those which tell of a small person harnessing the power of loyalty, friendship and love to overcome great odds – JK. Rowling's Harry Potter stories, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, or C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I have marveled, too, at the imaginative fireworks in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

Finally, as a postscript to this, I remember a line from Virginia Woolf's essay How Should One Read a Book? "I have sometimes dreamt, at least, that when the Day of Judgement dawns…The Almighty will turn to Peter and will say, not without a certain envy when he sees us coming with our books under our arms, 'Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading.'"

S.C. Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles". The word "mystical" in the title is used ironically to mean "mysterious behaviour, events that keep you guessing, and people playing at cross purposes". Reviewers have enjoyed Skillman's "exploration of a community of complex characters who inhabit an eerie and atmospheric retreat" and have found it "a very entertaining read with plenty of action and sparky dialogue." If you are interested in people and their foibles you will enjoy this book. You can buy the novel on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore or visit the author's website to find out more. Click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at http://www.scskillman.co.uk.

 

Ways to Express the Person on the Inside, on the Outside

Why is it that we sometimes fail to express the person on the inside, on the outside? We can often be held back by self-limiting negative beliefs. Examples are: "I haven't got any imagination"; "I'm no good at maths"; "I can't draw" or "I can't sing." Have you ever wondered, though, how apparently ordinary people achieve extraordinary things? Or how those who formerly considered themselves lacking in talent may find themselves performing in front of an audience and giving joy to others? In this post I will show how you can overcome self-limiting negative beliefs in one area of creative self-expression – and why I believe this can impact every other area of your life.

It is a popularly-held idea that in order to excel in any field, we need not only talent but education and training. But consider a number of activities which have the word "folk" in front of them. For instance, take folk art, folk songs, or folk religion. The one thing they all have in common is that they all emerge from the minds and imaginations of ordinary people with no specialist knowledge, skill or training whatsoever. Folk art is created by those who never went to art school; folk songs are composed, performed and taught by those who never studied at music college;and folk religion evolved through the innate wisdom of those who never studied theology.

I propose to take the example of singing, because I believe it can be applied generally. Consider those who claim they "can't sing". Non-singers have a negative view of the sounds that come out of their mouths; and so they often remain silent. And yet, have you considered how our forbears ever learned to sing songs, before words were written down, and before sophisticated musical instruments and before musical notation? By simply singing lines of music after a natural singing teacher.

In a harmony workshop I have attended, the participants (none of whom had auditions, and some at least who have never been in a choir before) all stand in a circle around the singing teacher. And beyond this teacher, they see each other's faces, and look at and hear each other singing, and moving in rhythm to the music. This creates more cohesion, harmony, togetherness. The voices blend better, stay in sync with each other. The singing teacher is in the middle, he's always on the move, his body moves rhythmically all the time, he almost dances from one part of the choir to another. He himself has songs in his head. All the music is there. He has perfect pitch.

The singers learn and feel and tune into the notes, the words and the rhythm from looking at and listening to each other: the perfect feedback experience. I have heard groups of 'ordinary' people sound lovely, blend beautifully, creating something out of the ordinary. Base metal is transmuted into gold. It is as if some musical spirit is drawn out of them, to dance freely and live and breathe among them. They all look up, they know the words off by heart, they sing out, it's instinctive, it's taken into the heart of their being and that shows in the quality of the singing.

As in the field of singing, so in every other field of creative endeavour, not least creative writing. I for instance never went to a college of journalism, although over the years I have from time to time wondered whether I should have done, and whether my writing would be more competent and professional if I had. In fact I believe the most essential qualification to become a good writer is being someone who loves reading books.

So how can we express the person on the inside, on the outside? By recognising the falseness of those self-limiting beliefs; by trusting and listening to and learning from each other more; by being true to ourselves and responding on a far more instinctive level. So – look up, know the words off by heart, sing out,and believe that base metal can be transmuted into gold.

S.C. Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles". The word "mystical" in the title is used ironically to mean "mysterious behaviour, events that keep you guessing, and people playing at cross purposes". Reviewers have enjoyed Skillman's "exploration of a community of complex characters who inhabit an eerie and atmospheric retreat" and have found it "a very entertaining read with plenty of action and sparky dialogue." If you are interested in people and their foibles you will enjoy this book. You can buy the novel on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore or visit the author's website to find out more. Click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at http://www.scskillman.co.uk.

Can a Spiritual Seeker Ever Say "I've Arrived"?

Many of the characters in my novel "Mystical Circles" are on a spiritual search. And here is a quote from Craig, leader of "The Wheel of Love": "If you've been searching all your life, and never found what you've been looking for, you've come to the right place."

Come to the right place for what? you may ask.  To find that thing you've been looking for all your life? Or – more to the point – simply to find yourself among the likeminded, who also haven't found what they're looking for?

But what of those who've made their decision, who've chosen a particular religious outlook – say one of the major monotheistic faiths, Christianity, Judaism or Islam? Once a new believer has made his or her choice, is it possible then to say "I've arrived"?

In this post, I can only take Christianity as my example. Christian theology insists that we do not need to search for God – God has already searched for us, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. All we need to do is accept that God has sought us in His Son and allow ourselves to be found by Him – and to say yes. And, the Bible tells us, those whom Christ has found, He will never let go. But what do we say then of people who turn to Christ, spend time with Him, and fail to grow?

Of course this situation is expressed in the famous Parable of the Sower; and Jesus warns us that there will be some for whom his words will fall on the path, and birds will come and eat them up; and others whose faith will spring up quickly in shallow soil and then be scorched by the sun and wither; again there will be those for whom Jesus' words will fall among thorns and grow to be choked by weeds. Only for one group will those words fall on good soil and produce an abundant crop.

Elsewhere in the New Testament we also read that once Christ has found us He will never let us go. How can this be true in the face of lacklustre or fallen-away Christians? Can we say that Christ has truly found them? The Bible, and Christian theology, can seem full of contradictions when faced with the reality of the human condition and the sheer subtlety and deviousness of what Christians describe as 'sin'. Frances Thompson speaks in his poem "The Hound of Heaven" of having chased Him through the years, "through the labyrinthine ways of my own mind".

So did I chase Him, and I believed I saw Him in the tranquil expression in the eyes of a holy man I encountered near a cave in the Himalayas above Badrinath. So did I chase God, and I believed I found Him at Binna Burra, in the mountain range behind Australia's Gold Coast. Surely, I believed, God's presence is there in the birdsong that echoed across the cliffs of that mountain range.

I believe a search for God never ends – even if you have decided to identify yourself with one particular religious outlook, the journey continues. Rabbi Lionel Blue said that he learned through experience that Judaism was his spiritual home, not his spiritual prison.

The main difficulty, therefore, for stagnant "believers", lies in the perception that we have somehow "arrived". It seems part of human life to long to "sail into harbour." We find this applied in the area of sexual and romantic love, in the search for a life partner. Somehow, finding the right person, and mutual commitment, seems to equate to "having arrived." But is this true to human nature and to the reality of life?

And again, this principle applies to seeking fame and fortune. There is a real danger in this process which is so well-recognised it has now become a cliche: "resting on your laurels". Because it's a cliche it may be easy to overlook. But the truth behind "resting on your laurels" can be tragic; it can mean loss, disaster, the failure of your dreams.

So I suggest that the key to answering the question: "Why do some believers fail to grow?" lies in recognising the truth that we never arrive: life is dynamic, always moving on. To summarise, I can best quote words used by a homeless person who had come to a local homeless shelter run by The Salvation Army, and found food, shelter, loving acceptance and long-term support to rebuild his life. He felt hopeful, reassured, empowered. And what did he say of his new vision for his future? "I'm looking forward to the journey."

Those are words to humble and inspire us all.

S.C.Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological romance novel "Mystical Circles". You can buy the book on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore, or visit the author's website to find out more, and click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at http://www.scskillman.co.uk.

Why Achieving Your Dreams Require Motivation

 How may we achieve our dreams? It is not enough just to have a beautiful idea. There has to be in place a potent mixture of elements to drive us forward. Life itself and our experience of it can hand us those ingredients; and it all depends how they are combined, and in what quantities, and whether you have got a strong enough mixture. In this post, I will give you five powerful reasons why dreams require motivation.

There is a pragmatic school of thought which maintains that "dreams don't exist; life isn't black and white, it comes in shades of grey. Life is all compromise." But this, of course, depends upon how you choose to define the word "dream". Sadly, Roget's famous and much-beloved Thesaurus has a huge number of negative words under the heading "dreamer". But I do not propose to write here about "insubstantial things", or "visual fallacies"; but about how hopes and visions come to worldly success.

"Dreams Die First" is the title of a novel. And when I saw that title it had high emotional charge for me. Why? I suggest this is because those three words encapsulate what for many of us must be the very worst thing to happen: to see our dreams disappear into nothingness, unfulfilled. That prospect carries within it the implication of so many other things failing too – in body, mind and spirit. Where are we, as humans, without our dreams? The answer is, at the bottom of the pit.

I have always been a dreamer. Dreaming of course can cover a range of activities, varying from sitting gazing out of the window with your mind turned off, to having fully-formed visions, the visions which must precede any great achievement in this world – consider how Sydney Opera House came about, or look at the story behind the creation of The Eden Project in Cornwall… many of these and other major expressions of human creativity and ingenuity evolved from someone scribbling a rough sketch on a paper napkin in a pub.

Sometimes, we may hear someone described as "a dreamer", and the speaker intends this to be a pejorative term, as in a self-delusion or hallucination. And it may be the case that during the early parts of our lives it's difficult for others, especially adults and authority figures, to see our "dreaming habit" as anything else. Nothing could be further than the truth when we come to consider the case of a mature "visionary".

Many of those who achieve worldly success, first had dreams. Considering the example of show business, look, for example, at the young musical talents who competed in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber for the prize of playing Maria in "The Sound of Music" or Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" or Nancy in "Oliver!" Going a few decades back, look at the four Liverpool teenagers who rose from working class and lower middle class obscurity to eventually became The Beatles. "Where are we going?" John Lennon would ask. "To the top!" the others would cry. Paul McCartney himself is a perfect example of one who had dreams and then went on to fulfill them – especially as he attributes some of his most iconic songs (e.g. "Yesterday") to direct inspiration, literally, from dreams.

The difference between how I felt about dreams when I was a child, and the way I view it now, is simply that I believe you have to be driven and active and shrewd in order to make your dreams come true… or, significantly, you have to be able to marshal the support of people who have all those characteristics. Having dreams, by itself, is not enough. Just being a dreamer is not enough. What does it take to make dreams come true?

1) Dreams require money. At The Eden Project in Cornwall you will find these words in the exhibition in "The Core": "Dreams cost money." All dreams involve, somewhere along the line, someone who can build a solid base for the dream to stand upon and be rooted in, composed of money. Be prepared to invest money, wisely, in your dream.

2) Dreams require communication. You have to marshal resources to make dreams come true. And often, "resources" means "the support and loyalty of other people". And so you have to communicate your dreams to the people who care, the people who have power and significance within your milieu. And they also need to be highly functional and organized and socially competent, to make your dream come true.

3) Dreams require you to have a steely sense of purpose. How can we tell the difference between the fantasies of a Don Quixote, and the very highest of which we are capable – eager hope and high aspirations? I would say the difference lies in a steely sense of purpose -summed up in the word "motivation".

4) Dreams require a strong mix of different life experiences. What does it take to become one of those who go on to bring their dreams to reality? It's not enough just to have a beautiful idea. We need to have in place a potent combination of elements that propel us forward. Experience of life hands us those ingredients, a wide variety of them: it might be desperation, or insecurity, fear or anger, a search for love, a pursuit of spiritual truth, a thirst for knowledge, or a sense of despair or loss or injustice. It all depends how those ingredients are combined, and in what quantities, and what we then choose to do with them, with how much stubbornness, flexibility, determination, serendipity or persistence, together with animal instinct and acquired skill at navigating the world, in the same way as Christian did in "Pilgrim's Progress".

5) Dreams require a positive, dynamic relationship with time. Is it all just a matter of the will? One of the keys to this mystery of motivation does seem to be our relationship with time. I have heard it put this way: whatever life brings to us, instead of asking "Why?" we should ask: "What now?"

S.C.Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological romance novel "Mystical Circles". You can buy the book on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore, or visit the author's website to find out more, and click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at http://www.scskillman.co.uk.

Dangerous Interpersonal Tensions at The Wheel of Love, Esoteric Spiritual Group

As a novelist I enjoy writing about group dynamics – particularly dangerous ones. I've spent years observing people's behaviour in all sorts of situations – within family relationships, within groups both informal and structured, at dinner parties or self-help therapy groups or in other group situations such as writing workshops.  In my psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles" much depends on  the undercurrents of motive behind the behaviour and interactions of the characters.

Here is an extract showing the dangerous interpersonal tensions that may be found in the hothouse atmosphere of an esoteric spiritual group such as "The Wheel of Love".

"Life is but a dream," Rory said.

"You really believe that?"

"Of course. Who'd have harsh reality when they can live here?" he replied.

Oleg moved within range. "Life's no different from what it was outside. Still goes badly for me most of the time."

She glanced at him, bemused. "I noticed you last night in the barn with Beth, Oleg. Didn't you two sort things out at all?"

He glared at her. "What d'you mean by that? Sort things out? How? And why were you watching us?"

She took a deep breath. "I can't help noticing how much you care for her."

"She doesn't care for me," he snapped.

Silence fell. She sought words. "Perhaps you've misunderstood her true feelings, Oleg. Perhaps you think too little of yourself. Be encouraged by Craig. He says you're in tune with your higher self."

"That depends upon what he actually chose to tell Craig." Rory spoke in a snide tone of voice.

"Rory's jealous," said Oleg.

Rory moved as if he was about to strike him.

Juliet, alarmed, quickly stepped between them. "What's up between you two?" she asked.

Rory looked surprised. "Nothing," he replied, and sauntered on.

Then she turned back to Oleg. "What have you done to upset Rory?"

"Other way round." His voice filled with self-pity. "It's him who upset me."

"Oh?" She ducked under a low branch. "What did he do?"

He looked dejected. "He asked me if I could possibly love him."

Juliet took the risk of flippancy. "Didn't you say 'yes, as a friend? But I love Beth more'? This is, after all, a wheel of love."

"No, I'd never tell him that," he retorted, in a fierce undertone. "It doesn't work that way. Not with Rory. He gets violent."

"Oh?" She started. Her heart missed a beat. "Violent? D'you mean he beats you up?"

But Oleg was clearly unwilling to say more.

Juliet now felt a frisson of fear when she looked at Rory. She knew she shouldn't judge anyone here simply on the basis of what someone else said about them. Even so…  She would treat Rory with just a little extra caution until she knew him better.

But what she really wanted to know right now was: how did Craig mean to deal with all these conflicting desires? Was he really equipped to handle them? Or was this, for him, a dream he never intended to wake up from?

How To Answer The Question at a Writers Workshop "Does Anyone Here Want To Become Rich and Famous?"

At a recent Writers Workshop which I attended in London, one of the delegates asked this question of all of us who sat at my table: "Is there anybody here who wants to become rich and famous?"

A silence followed, of about three seconds in duration, when it seemed that no writer present dared to admit to this hubris.

Then I spoke up, "Well, from the age of seven, I have wanted to become a successful published author and live by my writing."

Nine pairs of eyes swivelled in my direction. Surely, by now, life had taught me otherwise? For what does it actually mean to "live by" your writing? It means a significant amount of reliable money, which flows persistently into the writer's bank account over the course of many years.

And there is of course a universe of difference between living for your writing, and living by your writing.  It is a popularly-held belief that that the word 'novelist' is synonymous with 'huge advance and three-book deal', and 'bestselling author living in a mansion on an island with panoramic views of the ocean from his or her tower room laptop."

Nevertheless, you do need money to live. And if companies are prepared to pay a liveable amount of money, year in year out, to, say junior clerks and secretaries and post-boys, why should not the world also accord that privilege to creative writers? And of course it does, to a happy few. However, the reality is that when it comes to freely scattering their money, many choose not to send it in the direction of struggling authors, but rather prefer to donate it to the World of Faerie via the nearest wishing well. (Although, as a postscript to this, I might add that not everyone is slavishly devoted to this relationship with the supernatural. Witness Homer Simpson, for instance, visiting the wishing well with his son Bart to harvest all the coins so he can fill the missing gaps in Bart's coin collection.)

So my question is this: since humankind is obsessed with money – destroying relationships for it, acquiring it, spending it, throwing our lives away for it – why  sacrifice it to the water god? I suggest that instead they donate it to the story-teller, the bard of the community. Deep in the human psyche, folk religion demands that we offer up at least a nominal amount of what we most value to the water god in the hope that this will transform our lives. But may I suggest that instead of paying tribute to the world of Faerie, you pay tribute to the story-teller instead – and, perhaps, buy more new books…

How To Reply To The Question at a Writers Workshop "Does Anyone Here Want To Become Rich and Famous?"

At a recent Writers Workshop which I attended in London, one of the delegates asked this question of all of us who sat at my table: "Is there anybody here who wants to become rich and famous?"

A silence followed, of about three seconds in duration, when it seemed that no writer present dared to admit to this hubris.

Then I spoke up, "Well, from the age of seven, I have wanted to become a successful published author and live by my writing."

Nine pairs of eyes swivelled in my direction. Surely, by now, life had taught me otherwise? For what does it actually mean to "live by" your writing? It means a significant amount of reliable money, which flows persistently into the writer's bank account over the course of many years.

And there is of course a universe of difference between living for your writing, and living by your writing.  It is a popularly-held belief that that the word 'novelist' is synonymous with 'huge advance and three-book deal', and 'bestselling author living in a mansion on an island with panoramic views of the ocean from his or her tower room laptop."

Nevertheless, you do need money to live. And if companies are prepared to pay a liveable amount of money, year in year out, to, say junior clerks and secretaries and post-boys, why should not the world also accord that privilege to creative writers? And of course it does, to a happy few. However, the reality is that when it comes to freely scattering their money, many choose not to send it in the direction of struggling authors, but rather prefer to donate it to the World of Faerie via the nearest wishing well. (Although, as a postscript to this, I might add that not everyone is slavishly devoted to this relationship with the supernatural. Witness Homer Simpson, for instance, visiting the wishing well with his son Bart to harvest all the coins so he can fill the missing gaps in Bart's coin collection.)

So my question is this: since humankind is obsessed with money – destroying relationships for it, acquiring it, spending it, throwing our lives away for it – why  sacrifice it to the water god? I suggest that instead they donate it to the story-teller, the bard of the community. Deep in the human psyche, folk religion demands that we offer up at least a nominal amount of what we most value to the water god in the hope that this will transform our lives. But may I suggest that instead of paying tribute to the world of Faerie, you pay tribute to the story-teller instead – and, perhaps, buy more new books…

A portal to another world – what makes any place a dream home?

A couple of days ago the words 'dream home' sprang into my mind. I don't know why. Perhaps it was a bit like J.K. Rowling on that train journey when she  was gazing out of the window day-dreaming and she thought 'Boy wizard – doesn't know he's a wizard – gets invited to wizard school.' Anyway, these words 'dream home' came into my mind as I was driving along in my car. And then I thought, Whoever first came up with the idea that any of us might, or indeed should, aspire to one day living in a 'dream home'?  And what gives some of us the right and the privilege to live in a 'dream home', whereas thousands of others are constrained by money, location, convenience and so on, and end up in a home which is OK for them to live in but in no way constitutes a dream home and never will?

Of course there are those in this world for whom 'home' is an improvised shack in a slum or on a rubbish dump. But who says such people don't also have 'dream homes?'  Or is the very concept 'dream home' one that our consumer society has invented so they can attach dream lifestyles to it and then attempt to sell us the products that will somehow propel us into those dream lifestyles?

In my new psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles" you may find a house that probably qualifies to be my own personal dream home. Ever since I was a young child, my dream home has involved things like flagstone floors, whitewashed walls, secret staircases within the thickness of a wall, exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces and diamond-paned windows. Perhaps I was first influenced by a lovely English country pub which somehow got associated in my mind with warmth, happiness, belonging…

So why on earth do I think that a fifteenth century English timbered cottage (beautifully restored and renovated of course) or farmhouse or indeed an Elizabethan hall-house qualify to be my dream home? Because they remind me of things from childhood, because such houses contain idiosyncratic corners and minstrels' galleries and sloping ceilings and uneven walls, and probably because these things are the stuff of children's stories, (or the sort I read anyway).  Houses that may provide entrances to other worlds… perhaps this in itself provides the definition of my dream home.

C.S.Lewis was first inspired for "The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe" by the house he and his brother explored when they were young children. An unused room with a mysterious wardrobe… This was a concept that turned out to be powerful and fertile, as did that of the boy wizard dreamed up on the train journey.  There is a rich tradition in children's literature of houses that somehow become portals to another dimension – consider the world Lewis Carroll projects Alice into through the looking glass in her house, wait for the clock to strike thirteen and see what follows in "Tom's Midnight Garden" by Philippa Pearce,  or step with Neil Gaiman's "Coraline" into the terrifying, chilling parallel world of the Other Mother and the Other Father.

Having written this, I have now convinced myself that the only qualification dream homes need is portals to other worlds.

Interpersonal Relationships in the Hothouse Atmosphere of a New Age Commune

In my psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles" I explore the interpersonal relationships and group dynamics to be found in the hothouse atmosphere of a New Age commune. The group I describe is based in an idyllic farmhouse in the Cotswolds. It is a "closed environment" in the sense that all the people in the group spend a lot of time together, having to deal with all their emotions and feelings about each other, their conflicts, their doubts and fears. I also explore what people in these situations do about their baggage from the past. This particular group teaches its members to let go of their past. But is this, in fact, possible?

Extract No. 1 from " Mystical Circles":

For several moments then, they stood in silence, gazing at the Severn Vale spread out before them.

"Almost as good as the view from Beaumaris," he observed wistfully.

"Looking across the Menai Strait to Snowdonia, you mean?" she said. "Beautiful."

He regarded her warmly, clearly touched by her empathy.

"I might be a Londoner," she said, "but I do appreciate the countryside. And I loveNorth Wales."

"I'm so happy to hear that," said Llewellyn.

A companionable silence fell between them, as they turned their attention back to the landscape. It was broken by the Welshman. "I wish there was more contentment among the others down there in the valley."

"Yes, peace seems in short supply, doesn't it?"

"It's inevitable you've noticed, Juliet. I dread to think what you'll have uncovered by the time you leave."

She chuckled but made no reply.  Her stomach still felt twisted. Craig…  Craig… she thought.

"You probably wonder why I defended the group when we first met," he said, "and I persuaded Don and you to come to Dynamic Meditation. It's because I believe in the principles behind it all."

"Maybe. But do those principles work out in practice? I certainly didn't expect to find this level of frustration, anxiety and anger. I've found it in Oleg, Zoe, Sam…" She would certainly not mention Craig's name.

"I don't deny that," Llewellyn said. "But, for my part, I'm convinced I'm in the right place. OK, we've all brought our hang-ups with us. And that prevents it from being paradise. But would paradise inspire me as much?"

"Surely it would." She liked his grin. "It was good enough for Wordsworth, Keats and Tennyson, wasn't it?"

"No. Poets need this imperfect world. What sort of effect d'you think La Belle Dame Sans Merci had on Keats? Hardly the ideal relationship, was it?"

"No," she admitted. "I'll take your word for it, Llewellyn."

But what she really wanted to know was who wrote that letter to Craig.

Llewellyn didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then he said, "Let's talk instead about your part in this, Juliet."

"Mine?" She was immediately on guard.

"Yes, you, of course, Juliet," he said impatiently. "You've changed everything."

She threw a glance at him, and stumbled over a tree root, which nearly winded her. "How so?" she said, regaining her balance. "I'm only here as a journalist, Llewellyn."

"No, you're not," he said unexpectedly.

"Oh?"

"Last night," he added, "was a step in the right direction."

"A step in what direction?" she asked.

"In the direction of getting to know you better."

"I hope you haven't misunderstood me," she said. "I enjoyed reading and talking about your poems, but…"

"Come on, I want to know what you really feel; not just about the poetry but about many things."

She shook her head. "That's not in my plan, Llewellyn."

Extract No. 2 from "Mystical Circles":

 "The tank? What's that? And what happens in it?" asked Juliet.

Conversation halted. James, Craig and Sam all swivelled their eyes to her face.

"Let me explain, Juliet," said Craig. "I teach my students to seek their answers in the unconscious mind. A tried and tested way of doing this is in the isolation tank."

"How?" she enquired.

Craig wore an enigmatic expression. Opposite, Zoe threw her a sharp glance. "The answers will come," said Craig, "as you float. The tank's filled with a thick, warm saline solution. You climb in, close the lid, and you're in total blackness."

Juliet shuddered. "I should hate that."

Craig gave a tolerant smile. "Many love it. They find bliss there. It all depends on your viewpoint."

"Where is the tank?" she asked.

"In a cabin of its own. The former cart hovel. Halfway between the barn and the goose house."

"Ah yes, I've seen it."

Craig waited a few moments. "Some of my methods may appeal to you more than others."

They regarded each other slowly. "I doubt it," she said.

Extract No. 3 from "Mystical Circles":

Edgar said, "You don't like things getting out of control, do you, Juliet?"

She felt stung. How dare he? But relaxing her professional mask, she laughed. "I admit it's not a nice feeling, Edgar."

He regarded her with a sardonic eye. "You won't continue here for much longer and remain in control."

"But that's exactly what I propose to do." She had no desire for a battle of wills. But if he wanted one, so be it.

However, when he next spoke he used a softer, more conciliatory tone. "I understand how you must feel, Juliet. Desire for self-determination; that's true of each person here. When we first come we all intend to stay in charge of our lives. Look at Llewellyn, for example."

"Llewellyn? What of him?" Juliet felt her jaw tighten.

Edgar now slipped into a more bantering style of speech. "Well, I understand he's thought of little else but you, Juliet, since you both chatted together in his room on the night before last."

She gripped both sides of her laptop. So he was leaping to conclusions about her and Llewellyn. She stayed quiet, but her face burned.

His eyes remained on her. He went smoothly on. "Don't think I haven't noticed. Since you first came, he's quizzed me about you several times. It's plain he's got his eye on you. Go for it. You can't stand back for ever."

Extract No. 3 from "Mystical Circles":

She experienced a pang of wistfulness. The farmhouse looked very peaceful: a visual representation of everything Juliet felt a community like this ought to be. Loving, tranquil, harmonious…

And yet, here she was, being eaten up by all sorts of worries. Zoe, and her infatuation with Theo. The doubts over Theo's background. Then the fact that she still hardly knew who Craig was, and what he was about.

Was he hiding something? What really lay behind his dysfunctional relationship with his father? And was it any business of hers anyway? But the answer to that, she knew, was yes. Because she cared about it – despite all her best intentions, she cared deeply. And she still hadn't resolved the mystery of who wrote that letter to Craig. The writer clearly loved Craig, longed for him to come quickly, had felt guilty about him in the past, but had now been forgiven by Craig. Juliet wanted to know who that person was. She felt she had a right to know. And she wanted to be rid of this terrible feeling in her stomach whenever she saw Craig. Was it yearning? No, impossible! All she knew was that it was tearing her apart.

And then there was the question of Rory and his unpredictable outbursts of aggression. Juliet knew Rory needed to be locked up. But that wasn't going to happen. Not while Craig, for some twisted reason of his own, allowed him to run loose in this community.

A US reviewer's take on "Mystical Circles"

A US reviewer says: "What Juliet finds when she reaches the ranch is an oddly charismatic and dysfunctional group of people…. there are strange things happening in the commune, and when a priest shows up it further traumatizes the group… This loving and freedom-believing cult, while wonderful on the surface is a cauldron of deceit and depravity on the inside… This is not your usual thriller and yet it keeps you in suspense… deals with how relationships are formed and how the smallest of happenings can shatter lives… Skillman is a deft hand at creating characters. If you are interested in people and their foibles, you will enjoy this book." Read the rest of the review on  www.amazon.com.