Theme
If plot is the body of a novel, then the theme is its soul. It is the subtle core, the message which the author wishes to convey. It is probably…
Keep the research factual
I'm now deep in research on medieval cathedrals, wondering whether all this is going to end in the 10th, 11th or 12th century. I've just finished a short book on…
What day was it?
Back in the 90s, I picked up a book called 'Days, Months & Years - a perpetual calendar for the past, present and future' by the extraordinarily named Magdalen Bear.…
Silent Skies
One can't help wondering about the fall out - literal and metaphorical - of the volcano in Iceland. Is this going to be an event of such magnitude that it…
Whether to be at your desk or in the garden
I was blocked this morning, as usual. Today my demon was telling me that I wasn't clever enough to surmount the latest obstacle. It's too much, too big, my brain's…