Fi Phillips

One benefit to having a dog is the walks we go on. Since Bailey has been in my life, I've rediscovered the joy of walking for pleasure. I get exercise, I get to meet people and it also presents me with all kind of opportunities to take photographs. I took this shot yesterday on our morning walk. Above this leaf-laden ground are masses of apples and berries, the bounty of the season. I'm sure that most passing people, if they look up, will see the fruit growing on the trees and bushes but very few will notice the fallen fruit at their feet. The image of fallen fruit can mean many things - a fall from grace, something downtrodden, or the bottom rungs of the ladder. What does this image inspire you to write?

My morning has a set ritual: Get up.  Get children up.  Do school run.  Walk the dog.  This happens on every week day since Bailey the pooch arrived at our house. This morning was a glorious day to get out and about, sunny but just chilly enough to need a coat, perfect for a stroll amongst the autumn leaves. On the way back, I met a neighbour walking his two dogs. I was trying to take a photo at the time and he commented that he liked to take photos too. We chatted (while I tried to stop Bailey from jumping up at him to be petted and terrorising his dogs) and it turned out that my neighbour is also a writer, a poet. You can find his website here . What I got most from our chat was how wonderful it is to talk to another writer. We writers are a fractured society. We don't generally gather en masse like many professions. We tend to work alone, only meeting up with like minded souls on occasion. Today was one of those occasions for me. What a grea...

May has brought sunny weather to where I live, which is ideal for getting out and about but not so great for persuading me to knuckle down to some work. After writing around 18,000 words during last month's Camp NaNoWriMo, I now have a clearer idea where my second novel is going. I  enjoyed the freedom of working on a first draft, just writing without worrying about any level of polish. It was definitely a useful exercise and made me look at my storyline with fresh eyes. One of the things that interrupted my writing flow in April was a new arrival in our household. Meet Bailey. While I type, she's having a nap nearby. At this stage, she's needs a lot of attention so my study isn't seeing a much of me at the moment. I'm currently typing at my dining table (using the laptop battery so there are no dangling wires to tempt her). Fingers crossed she settles down and allows me to return to any kind of routine very soon. I suppose I'm therefore adding fuel to t...