Unleash the Book Within

    Looking through some old photographs I retrieved from the attic the other day, the words, "we've all got a book in us," popped into my head. I don't know how often I've heard, or read these words and I'm not even sure if they were used as words of encouragement.

    However, I'm going to use them as encouragement to all budding writers, because we all have ideas floating around in our heads and I want to tell you that putting pen to paper isn't the hard part. It's about having the confidence to start, form the plot, the characters, choosing location and era. It's important to develop the skills to create something we can be proud of and is an ongoing process.

    This for me is where the old photographs come in handy. Each of the pictures have a story to tell, even if I wasn't there, or wasn't the photographer. The people, the places, the buildings I use as prompts to write 50 word,  fictional pieces. Exercise my mind.

    Yes, I know we don't all have old photo albums, but there will be an aunt, grandmother, or neighbour who isn't into the digital age and is eager to share what's hidden away in a drawer. Not knowing the stories behind the people or, places adds to potential creativity.

    Go on see if you can unleash that book you have inside you. (I would also like to add that I wasn't around when these photographs were taken.)

   
 
 

Clearing the Clutter

 

    A number of years ago I discovered meditation and I use it as a tool to help me focus when writing. In particular when my creativity has decided to take a holiday without me.

 
    I don't do the sitting cross-legged on the floor reciting a mantra and if you do I'm certainly not knocking that. It's just not my thing and we have to do what works for us as individuals.

    For me, sitting in a comfy chair is much better than the floor, of course that maybe because once I get down on the floor I find it near impossible to get up. Back to me sitting on the comfy chair; I then close my eyes and envisage places that I've visited in the past that have brought me pleasure.

    I find that really does the trick and if you haven't tried meditation I highly recommend it for clearing writers block. I've included a few places that I like to revisit in my minds-eye when I want to clear out the clutter in my mind.



   

Ready to Rock 'n' Roll

   This week I've been making preparations to start a new novel. The idea isn't one that I've had floating around in my head for too long, probably only 3-4 weeks.

    However, everything about the plot and characters just feels right, so I'm going for it. A rough synopsis and outline I've written by hand  in a favourite notebook of mine, as this is something I like to do initially. Now all I have to do is a little more research and I'll be ready to rock 'n' roll.

   Wish me luck!!

P.S. No blog Monday as I will be winging my way back to Scotland.

Amongst Other Things

    Someone recently asked me why the content of my blog posts aren't about devil slaying and other fantastical beings all of the time. I explained that this is my official author site and it's my book that features the devil slaying part.

      There are occasions when I'm not sure if, you, my blog reader will find what I've written in my posts, interesting, amusing, or they may just bore you silly. However,  you will know if you drop by on a regular basis, that I write a fairly mixed bag and that's because  I want you, to know the author, Christina Rowell. Of course I want you to read my book, but not all blog readers read books and I'm also aware that not everyone is turned on by devil slaying.

    Therefore, that's where the , amongst other things, comes in. So if you're reading this I hope you enjoy the posts as much as I like writing them, because I just love to write.

   

   

   

All Saints Eve

The doorbell rings.

Is it a trick, or is it a treat?

Open the door.

A cloud of flour I might meet.

Costumes worn, lanterns lit.

There's no need to be frightened,

 no need to be scared.

Because it's time to remember our dead.

On this Eve of All Saints Day.

Fateful Meetings

     I don't particularly like travelling alone and if the flight is delayed, hanging around in the departure lounge on your own can be a real pain in the butt.

    So last week with Hurricane Gonzalez approaching the UK, it was inevitable that my flight to Tenerife would be just that.

    Fortunately it was only for a couple of hours, but nevertheless my plans on arrival in the Canaries had been disrupted. I was no longer going to be picked up at the airport and I was now unable to meet up with friends as anticipated, I was feeling slightly disgruntled to say the least.

    When I finally boarded flight I decided to get into a more positive frame of mind, after all I was now at least on the plane. I had been allocated an aisle seat and it wasn't too long before my two travel companions, for the next five hours anyway,  arrived to take their seats beside me.

    Once up in the air it wasn't long before we got chatting and for one reason, or another we were all three females travelling on our own. As we chatted we found we had many things in common and the hours just disappearedand in fact I was kind of sorry to say goodbye.

    I very much believe that chance meetings like this are fate and although I'm not sure why we were meant to meet, I'm very glad we did.

   

Truly, Madly, Deeply

 

    Everyone I know has married for love, even if it turned out to be a temporary state.   Therefore it's very difficult for me to comprehend that there still are women today being married to men only because of a generous dowry that her family are promising the grooms.

    The word, dowry, makes me think of the film, Quiet Man, starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, where the refusal of the bride's brother to give a dowry causes an angry reaction from the bride, because she believes it's her entitlement. The film itself is what I would call today, a Romcom, the plot is light-hearted and demonstrates why the custom belongs in the past.

    However, this antiquated practise does still exist in the UK amongst certain communities, as I know it does in other parts of the world and it has been highlighted recently that women are being subjected to violence and even death at the hand of their, husbands and in-laws, because the money promise has not come to fruition.

    Is that all  life is worth? A bag full of money and a couple of silver candlesticks. What about just being truly, madly, deeply In love?