Zena Shapter's Blog, page 37
October 29, 2013
You, Me & A Bit of We – It’s Here!

Yay – I love printed books… especially ones with me in them, he he
Look what I just found in my mailbox!
Having just completed a seriously mega edit, I needed some fresh air – so thought I’d walk to my front gate and check my mailbox. I’m so happy I did… my copy of You, Me & A Bit of We was inside. Yippee!!
You, Me & A Bit of We is a literary anthology published in the UK. Celebrating writing in the first and second person, it includes my first person plural story Our Something Said.
In case you’re interested, here’s a reminder of what ‘first’ and ‘second’ person writing means:
first person writing is: “As I strolled towards the mailbox, I could see something big stuffed inside.”
second person writing is: “You ambled towards your mailbox with your eyes closed and a smile on your face, stretching as if breathing in the scents of spring.”
first person plural writing is: “We wondered why the girl started jumping up and down beside her mailbox, until we saw the book in her hands.”
The effect of each style on a reader can vary according to both their preferences and what they’re used to reading. If you’re interested in reading some different styles to see what you enjoy the most – this anthology is the perfect place to start. I can’t wait to get stuck into it myself, as there’s a great mix of flash fiction and longer fiction in there. Here’s the blurb:
Through a selection of flash fiction and short stories, readers are invited to discover their favourite seat in a story. Is it front row centre, in the midst of a crowd, or from a more personal vantage point? Where second person thrusts the reader into an active role, first person offers experience through the eyes of an individual or group. Although the use of first person is common, second and first person plural perspectives are relatively rare. Written by an international cast of authors, this collection includes a broad range of themes. There are tales of transition, conviction, lost love, grief, conflict, domestic strife, tragedy, second chances, and stories about letting go and moving on. There are worlds where it is rare to be sighted, skin tells a story, past lives haunt, deadly viruses and parasites threaten humanity, and death is personified. From the poignant to the fantastical, dark, witty and uplifting, each story in this anthology is original, thought provoking, and reflective of the versatility of perspective as a literary device.
My story Our Something Said, is one of those rare stories written in first person plural and the editors describe it as:
“Absorbing and unique.”
I’m very proud of this story, which is also one of those rare stories I write about motherhood. Here’s the opening paragraph:
In all our hearts lies the fear that someday our children might be taken from us. For some of us though, it’s more of a knowledge. We live waiting for the day it will happen. We’re not sure how exactly it will happen—after all, our children are only three, four, maybe five—yet they behave so differently from others that the idea of losing them feels inevitable.
What are these mothers talking about and what’s wrong with their children? What could be so bad that they’re convinced their children will be taken away? To find out, just follow this link to grab your copy from the publishers Chuffed Buff Books. Delivery is to the UK, Australia, the States or anywhere else in the world that you desire, and my copy arrived beautifully wrapped and protected and smelling of fresh print. Hmmm… I love that fresh print smell, don’t you?
***
Hey – did you know I teach creative writing?
My next creative writing workshop will be on Saturday 23 November.
If you’re in Sydney – why not pop in?
Do you want to know why aren’t editors accepting your stories? What’s the ‘secret poet’ of your narrative voice? What’s contrived or false suspense? How do you write engaging characters that will draw readers into your story? How do you find your ‘voice’? Join me on my “Writing Safari: The Big Five” workshop to discover essential tips, secret tricks & more! I’ll deconstruct, improve and stimulate the way you write… Book now!
***
October 27, 2013
Zena’s Health Tips for Writers & Readers
Spring is here in Sydney, which means people are starting to think about their health and fitness. Anyone who knows me well will also know I have a personal goal of living until I’m over 100 years old – I want to see it all!
But as a writer and reader, I also lead a fairly unhealthy lifestyle. What’s that, you say, you do too? Well how about we share some tips about how to keep ourselves healthy this spring? Not so much to look good on the outside – more to look after what’s inside us. I’ll start… with a refresher of some basics I do everyday to keep my writing and reading lifestyle as healthy as possible – they can also apply to anyone who works on a computer. I’m not a qualified health-anything, consult with your doctor before commencing any new health regime, etc… I’ll be happy if you get even one idea out of all this….
Talk-Back
Most people who write and read a lot have bad backs. It’s because we sit still so much while writing, typing or reading our stories. The solution? To strengthen your back as much as possible, and move around more. When I’m at the gym (and I just use my free local outdoor gym), I use the lever chest press to strength my back. But if it’s raining or I can’t get to any gym equipment, I simply lie on my tummy, raise my hands by my ears and lift up my rib cage using only my back muscles. Try it! If you concentrate on each of your vertebrae in turn, your back gets a full workout. Woo hoo! There are some other great floor exercises here as well: http://www.wikihow.com/Strengthen-Lower-Back
Alternatively, get a pal to give you a back massage. If you don’t look after your back, it can plague you when it’s time to read or create.
Once you’ve strengthened your back, take a look at where you’re sitting when you read and/or write. Here’s a photo of my desk. Do you see my chair and how its back curves in? That’s what you need to support your back properly if you sit at a desk each day.

My beautiful desk!
When I’m reading, I like to sit here…

No internet to tempt me here!
Do you see those long thin cushions? Again, I use those to support my back. What do you use to support your back? And please don’t say nothing! There’s so much on the market these days – get yourself a standing desk if you want, an Aeron chair, a kneeling chair, or simply move around a bit more. Just take care of that thing – you’ve got it for life.
Twisty-Wristy
The other part of our bodies we writers and readers put under strain is our hands and wrists. Whether we’re holding a book or ereader aloft, or wiggling that mouse around and typing for hours, our hands get put under strain, especially our wrists. So do some wrist and hand stretches! I do wrist circles regularly throughout the day and stretch by placing one hand at a time somewhere behind me and leaning back on it until I feel some tension in the right places. There’s more good wrist-advice here: http://www.wikihow.com/Strengthen-Your-Wrists.
Once you’ve found a stretch that works for you, have a think about improving how you read or write – for your hands. Can you get yourself an ergonomic keyboard or mouse? What about a trackball mouse? Can you rest your book/ereader on a pillow as you read? Prevention is better than cure, right? So don’t forget to take care of your hands!
Hey, if you’re not using the mouse while you read – why even hold it? I rest my hand in my lap instead
Concentration-Station
Okay, so I’m just picking subtitles that rhyme now – there’s no station in this section. Unless you reckon a workstation counts. He he, why not… it’s a play on words and that’s why we’re here, right – because we love words! Now, what was I saying? Oh yes… concentration!
Tell me, what do you do when your concentration wanes? Me, I reach for the chocolate, naughty me! Naughty because once I start it’s hard to stop. Yum for chocolate! Whether the sugar speeds up my brain, or the effects are purely psychological – I start to refocus after a sugary snack. But it’s also naughty because once I get that sugar high, I also get a craving that would have me maintaining that high all day if it could. It’s the same with caffeine. The problem is, the more sugar and caffeine I consume, the harder it is to wind down later at bedtime.
So, from time to time (not always – because us writers need our caffeine and chocolate!), I try different ways of finding my focus. I might:
Go for a walk. It’s free and helps keep sore back supple. Add fresh air into the equation and the extra oxygen helps your brain too.
Sit in the sun for a while. Make sure you’ve got your sunscreen! Sometimes I think I must be part-lizard, because I like to soak up the heat so much

Have a quick shower (if you’re at home). It might sound weird but, gee, it sure wakes me up when I hit a slump.
Have a cup of tea. Avoid the sugar and the simple act of taking a break from your story will help you refocus once you’re back into it.
Close your eyes for five minutes. Not only will this set your mind free but it will help your retinas too. Actually, while we’re on the subject of eyes…
Eye-Spy
Yep, I’m still picking subtitles that rhyme. Sorry! I’m in that kind of mood.
Anyway, whether you’re staring at a computer screen or the print of a book for a while, your eyes are going to experience strain. So I make sure I blink properly – none of those micro-blinks here – and I give my eyes a good rest occasionally. It feels so good! Why not try it? No time like the present! Go on, just stop what you’re doing for a minute and close your eyes. Hmm, your eye muscles relax, your face too. Just listen to your breathing for a minute and when you open your eyes again, not only will you have given them a break, your mind will feel refreshed too.
I also do eye exercises from time to time, to help with focus. These ones are good: http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-Your-Eyes
Sleeping Beauty
Are you a writer and/or reader who doesn’t sleep well? I love my sleep! So I always try not to drink too much in the hour before bedtime, and cut down on caffeine and sugar during the day where I can. Add in some exercise, and I find sleep comes easier.
I keep a notebook and pen beside my bed too. That way, if my active mind wakes me with an idea (an epic one, no doubt), I can note it down without getting out of bed. Staying in bed will mean I’ll get back to sleep more easily once the idea is out of my mind.
Why is sleep important? For creativity and journeying into all those different worlds of course! A good night’s sleep also means I won’t crave those sugar or caffeine highs the next day, which will in turn help me sleep better tomorrow night.
If you’re simply a night owl, that’s cool too – as long as you can sleep in the next morning! Ever heard of sleep deprivation being used as a method of torture? As anyone with kids would know… it definitely is! So sleep tight to keep your writing and reading lifestyle healthy.
Water-World
No, I’m not going to talk about Kevin Costner! This is all about staying hydrated. Yes, you know it. It’s easy to forget, that’s true… Sometimes I lose myself so far in a bookish world that I forget to drink any water in a day. Tsk, tsk. If my body is thirsty, it will distract me from enjoying those worlds to their fullest. Thirst will distract you too – and no one wants that. So drink up. (Though not in that hour before bedtime, see above!) I keep a bottle of water beside my desk and sip on it throughout the day. It’s probably not enough, but at least I try.
Food-Mood
Finally, I try to watch what I’m feeding my body, because sitting still requires a lot less calories than working on a building site. I don’t need as many carbohydrates as I would if I were doing a more active job. So instead I focus on lean iron-rich foods – to give me energy, keep my mind alert and prevent those sugar/caffeine cravings.
Your Turn!
So there’s seven simple health tips to improve your writing and reading lifestyle.
Now it’s your turn – what tips have you got for me?
October 15, 2013
#WABIAB National Open Competition – We Won!!!

Our WABIAD book
As some of you may recall, earlier this year my writers’ group and I decided to raise some money for The Kids’ Cancer Project at Westmead Children’s Hospital – doing what we most love to do… write. We wrote, illustrated and printed a book for 11-16 year olds entitled Scribbles in the Dark – all in a single day. Read more about that experience here.
The Write-a-Book-in-a-Day challenge was a tough but incredibly rewarding experience for us – especially given the group’s close ties to cancer and/or Westmead Children’s Hospital. We all worked and wrote really well together, so we’ve since decided to write another book as a group and are currently doing just that. Watch this space for details!
So it was a wonderful surprise to wake this morning to an email saying our book had won a prize… In the WABIAD national open category, we had won… BEST BOOK!
We had also won… BEST ILLUSTRATIONS.
We had also raised the most sponsorship of any team nationally. So special thanks go to all our generous sponsors who believed in us.
Wow – I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled we all are about this. Our next step is to approach some publishers to see who wants to help us publish Scribbles in the Dark. Given the judge’s comments about it, I’m sure they’ll soon be knocking down our door, he he …
Winner
Scribbles in the Dark by The Northern Beaches Writers’ Group
This is a lovely little book in its own right, and I believe a publishable story that should be widely read and enjoyed. Set in Winton with a token dinosaur, the main characters are foster brothers who are swept away in an adventure that will forever change their lives. The characters, setting and issue are creatively incorporated in a story which includes a good dose of both fantasy and reality. It balances necessary loss with a satisfying and happy ending, providing an emotionally charged yet ultimately hopeful reading experience. This is a book to be treasured, suitable for children in a hospital setting, and a more general reading audience.
If you’re a publisher interested in helping the Northern Beaches Writers’ Group get Scribbles in the Dark to that wider audience, please just contact me.
In the meantime, please see below for the blurb and thanks to my fellow writers and illustrators for your marvellous writing genius and support during this project – Leah Boonthanom, Fiona Howland-Rose, Tracey Jackson, Tony McFadden, Liz Michell, Mijmark, Zoya Nojin, Kristin Prescott & Kirsten Taylor. We wrote an awesome story:
Fourteen year old Callum has long wondered what happened to his father… Callum has lived with his grandparents above their pub in Australia’s outback since his father disappeared, six years ago. Then the rains came. Along with his foster brother Jake, Callum and his dinosaur sculpture are transported to another world, where questions are answered, and lives changed. Why is Jake scared of the scribbly gumtrees? Who is the mysterious girl? Can they ever return home?
September 19, 2013
#WhereWritersWrite… Wrap-Up!
Wow – did you enjoy that blog series, or what??! I love peeking over other writers’ shoulders and seeing where they create.
Judging from all your comments on Twitter and Facebook, it seems you enjoyed the series too. Thank you for all your discussion and involvement. Some of you shared photos of your own writing spaces on Facebook; others wrote blog posts inspired by the series. Here’s one by Justin Woolley on how you can improve your writing by improving where you write: http://justinwoolley.net/blog/2013/9/2/the-write-space-how-you-can-improve-your-writing-by-improving-where-you-write Thanks Justin, I’m glad I inspired you
What about you? Are you happy with where you write? If you’re thinking about improving your own writing space then, whatever you do, don’t look here or here, because they’re the types of writing spaces beyond the dreams of most writers. Still, they’re pretty! There are also photos of a bunch of famous speculative fiction authors in their writing spaces here.
Personally, I feel that the answer to the perfect writing space lies in wherever you can find the time to write – commuting, while the kids are asleep, in the park during your lunch hour, while a cat is crawling up your back and the whole city trembles in earthquake, bombardment, flood and fire, etc. That last reference is to a cartoon strip that you can find and chuckle over here.
So, to wrap up this series, I have just one question for you…
Whose writing space did you enjoy peeking into most?
Here’s a list of all the writing spaces I’ve featured over the last few weeks, and beneath that some of the writing spaces that readers have posted to Facebook…
Zena Shapter (me!)
Ian Irvine
Richard Harland
Rowena Cory Daniells
Tansy Rayner Roberts
Sean Williams
Charlotte Wood
Margo Lanagan
Kirsten Tranter
PM Newton
Bruce Lyman
Greg Barron
Cat Sparks
Angela Slatter
Lisa L Hannett
Trent Jamieson
Alan Baxter
Jo Anderton
Kylie Scott
Nina D’Aleo
Kirsten Krauth
Claire Scobie
Walter Mason
Deb Kalin
Fleur McDonald
Terry Dowling
Michael Pryor
Kate Forsyth
Duncan Lay
MJ Hearle
Nansi Kunze
Aleesah Darlison
Donna Maree Hanson
Nicole Murphy
Graham Storrs
Kirstyn McDermott
Jason Nahrung
Patty Jansen
Jason Fischer
Claire Corbett
Lee Battersby
David Henley
Kaaron Warren
Karen Miller
Felicity Pullman
Kim Falconer
Jennifer Fallon
Trudi Canavan
Marianne de Pierres
Pamela Freeman
Thank you also lovely readers, for posting your own photos to Facebook…

The writing space of David McDonald aka @sircamaris Ditmar-award-winning spec fic author & all-round nice guy…

Spec fic author Leife Shallcross writes here. She says that the presence of her stripey mug is a sure sign of something productive happening!

Here’s where the magic happens for award-winning children’s author @ZoyaNojin. No wonder you come up with such fantastical ideas, Zoya!

What a view from @JennJMcLeod’s writing desk! Jenn’s writing nook is Op shop bought and customised, and sits in her little corner of the country on the Coffs Coast.

Justin Woolley’s writing space comes complete with deflated Spider-man, Yorick the skull and a bright orange contact juggling ball that helps him concentrate!

Adam Collings only just set up his ‘batcave’. He used to write at the kitchen table but his kids wouldn’t leave him alone. This will work out much better, Adam!

Dmetri Kakmi writes and edits here, which seems to be working well as his memoir ‘Mother Land’ was shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and he edited the acclaimed children’s anthology ‘When We Were Young’ here too. Good work, Dmetri!

One of the many writing spaces of Robert Michael Easterbrook: Cafe Fontaine, Canberra Centre, upper floor, south end, looking toward the Theatre and Canberra Museum and Galleries. Nice spot, Rob
So – which is your favourite writing space of the series??! Let me know in the comments below
September 18, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of Pamela Freeman #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Pamela Freeman.
Who writes here?
Pamela Freeman
Who’s that?
Pamela Freeman is the award-winning author of over 20 books, including the fantasy series for adults the Castings Trilogy (Blood Ties, Deep Water and Full Circle) and books for children including Victor’s Challenge, Lollylegs, Princess Betony and the Unicorn, the Floramonde series and the Network Mysteries. Her books have been shortlisted for State Literary Awards and the Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Awards. Her novel Ember and Ash won an Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
http://www.pamelafreemanbooks.com/
Extra Notes:
This is where I’m doing a lot of my writing lately. It looks more writerly than it is – there’s a TV just out of shot! But I have read all the books in the shelves behind. I write mostly in the afternoons and evening. My brain doesn’t seem to get into gear until after lunch.
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
That’s all folks! Tomorrow, a question…
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.
September 17, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of Marianne de Pierres @mdepierres #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Marianne de Pierres.
Who writes here?
Marianne de Pierres
Who’s that?
Marianne de Pierres is the award-winning author of the Parrish Plessis and Sentients of Orion science fiction series (book four of which Transformation Space won an Aurealis award). The Parrish Plessis series has been translated into eight languages and adapted into a game. She’s also the author of a teen dark fantasy series (including The Night Creatures trilogy: Burn Bright, Angel Arias and Shine Light). Marianne also writes Davitt award-winning crime under the pseudonym Marianne Delacourt. Her sci fi, fantasy, western, crime novel Peacemaker will soon be released by Angry Robot. She has been nominated for seven Aurealis awards and a Ditmar award.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
http://www.mariannedepierres.com/
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
Pamela Freeman
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.
September 16, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of @TrudiCanavan #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Trudi Canavan.
Who writes here?
Trudi Canavan
Who’s that?
Trudi Canavan is the author of seven bestselling fantasy novels, including the Black Magician Trilogy, the Traitor Spy Trilogy, and the The Age of the Five trilogy. She has won and been nominated for several Aurealis Awards (including the Best Fantasy Short Story Award for Whispers of the Mist Children, and Best Fantasy Novel Award for The Magician’s Apprentice). The Black Magician Trilogy is now rated by Nielsen BookScan as the most successful debut fantasy series of the last 10 years.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
Extra Notes:
This is my writing desk. It’s a laptop, so I can grab it and go write somewhere else if I need to, which is plugged into an ergonomic keyboard and a big screen – which I love as I can have a plot outline or editing notes open at the same time as the story file. I have pinboards behind and beside it, for inspirational postcards, photos, other images, notes about characters and worlds, etc. Opposite it is my mac desk, where I do the email, accounting, research, blogging, social media, publicity material, and general stuffing around on the internet that makes up probably half of my working time as a writer. I find the separation helps to shift my mind into writing mode and keep it there.
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
Marianne de Pierres
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.
September 15, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of @JenniferFallon #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Jennifer Fallon.
Who writes here?
Jennifer Fallon
Who’s that?
Jennifer Fallon is the author of 15 full-length novels including the Hythrun Chronicles, Second Sons Trilogy, Demon Child Trilogy, The Tide Lords series, and Rift Runners series. She has written both a tie-novel and short fiction for the TV series, Stargate SG1, an official Zorro story, a novella for the Legends of Australian Fantasy Anthology and has her own superhero – The Violet Valet. Her writing has been nominated for three Aurealis Awards, the US Romantic Times Fantasy Fiction Award and the David Gemmel Legends of Fantasy Award. Her novels have been translated into several languages and her worldwide sales are approaching a million books.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
http://www.jenniferfallon.com/
Extra Notes:
My writing space (with cat) is in New Zealand. The cat helps me write quite a bit. She is particularly fond of the letter “f” and often saves me the trouble of typing it myself by typing it over and over for me mid-chapter in case I need them, if I am thoughtful enough to leave the keyboard where she can use it
It’s a vey nice place to be and I wrote the final Australian edition of the Rift Runner’s series here, Reunion, which is out on Oct 1. Actually, I wrote the entire Rift Runner’s series here, which has just been re-released worldwide, thanks to my new published Snapping Turtle Books!
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
Trudi Canavan
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.
September 14, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of @KimFalconer #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Kim Falconer.
Who writes here?
Kim Falconer
Who’s that?
Kim Falconer is the author of speculative fiction and epic science fantasy novels, including the Quantum Enchantment and Quantum Encryption series. Road to the Soul, the second novel in her Quantum Encryption series was shortlisted for the Norma K Hemming Award 2012, for excellence in the exploration of issues of race, gender, sexuality, class and disability. Her latest releases are Tatsania’s Gift and the paranormal romance Supernatural Underground: Vampires Gone Wild. Currently, Kim is working on a new urban fantasy series, Ava Sykes – The Blood in the Beginning, set in an alternate history world.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
Extra Notes:
This image is ‘my’ desk when collaborating on book trailers with my sister Shawn Wilder, director of MonkeMe Films – we have twin iMacs
The notes in the photo relate to a book trailer we did for Book # 1 of Quantum Encryption series, Path of the Stray. Check it out on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0gIUjKagrc. All profits from the sale of Path of the Stray go to the Ian Somerhalder Foundation: http://www.isfoundation.com/campaign/isf-book-club.
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
Jennifer Fallon
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.
September 13, 2013
Peeking into the writing space of @FelicityPulman #WhereWritersWrite

The writing space of Felicity Pulman.
Who writes here?
Felicity Pulman
Who’s that?
Felicity Pulman is the author of 13 books for adults and children, including A Ring Through Time, The Shalott Trilogy, and the medieval crime YA series The Janna Mysteries. Her novel Lilies for Love won the Society of Women Writers biennial book award for junior/teenage fiction, and Willows for Weeping received a Highly Commended. Rosemary for Remembrance was a CBC Notable Book. The Janna Mysteries are on the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge list.
Where can I read more about this fabulous author?
http://www.felicitypulman.com.au/
Extra Notes:
A word of explanation: there seemed little point in sending you a pic of my computer desk when my inspiration lies elsewhere: on my altar and within my collection of reference books. To explain: on my ‘altar’ are objects that I’ve collected over the years: the Arthurian knight was given to me by a dear friend while I was writing the Shalott trilogy; the oak leaves and small figurine of the monk come from my travels in England while researching The Janna Mysteries; the rainbow ribbon reminds me of workshops I gave at the Quest for Life Foundation at Bundanoon – wonderful weeks of discovery and a personal journey for all of us. The carved rabbit reminds me of the carving carried by Tad (and Froggy) in my novel Ghost Boy; there are crystals of inspiration, hope, peace and creativity, as well as shells, rocks and seed pods from our travels around Australia, and I just love the horn! They all rest on a beautiful crocheted cloth made for me by the young African woman who cared for my mother during her declining years. Also important to me is the oil burner I keep on my desk, with multiple fragrances which I use according to my mood.

Felicity’s bookshelves.
This is only one of my bookcases, but it’s the main one in my study. At the top are copies of my books, with the latest books displayed: A Ring Through Time and The Little Penguins of Manly. Beneath are the most relevant of my reference books: medieval history and society, including biographies of Stephen and the Empress Matilda (for the Janna Mysteries), herbs and healing in the middle ages + identification guides, guides to writing + dictionaries and thesauri, books on mythology and also on Arthuriana, which I’m using (again) for the mss I’m currently working on – this time a novel for adults. I hope your readers find this of interest! It was an interesting exercise for me, looking around my study at all the stuff I’ve collected over the years and remembering why I saved it all. Thanks for asking me to be part of your blog series!
Whose writing space can we see tomorrow?
Kim Falconer
Want to share a photo of your own writing space?
Pop it onto my Facebook page for all to see! I’ve enabled external posting of photos on my page just for the duration of this blog series.