Fi Phillips

The word for 2017, so far, has been 'busy', in a good way. I'm not the only one living the busy life either. My email inbox is full of inspirational writing goodies so this month, I've three treats for you. Suzannah Windsor Freeman's blog post, 3 Things Small-Space Living Taught Me about Writing talks about overcoming challenges but also about getting back to the basics of writing. Elizabeth S Craig shares wisdom drawn from her personal experience in 5 Things About Being a Writer. Finally, Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn shares her thoughts and advice on self doubt as a writer. How to deal with self-doubt as a writer The Creative Penn

If January was a gift, then February is a gem waiting to be chipped from a wall of rock. In other words, there's a lot of good stuff ahead but I'm going to have to work hard to get it. I'll be drinking plenty of (decaf) coffee and tea, researching much, putting plans into effect, and generally living with my nose to the grindstone. And I'm loving it! Copywriting I've started on the website for my new copywriting business. I love this stage of any project - the beginning where you bring together all the resources you'll need and plan away. Having said that, I find it all too easy to switch into magpie mode and become distracted by all the shiny things. "Ooh, pretty Wordpress theme. Look at the colourful photos. Should I make a video?"  I'm rather proud of my logo. Have a look. Murdering The Text Although I'm shelving my next murder mystery play until my copywriting business is up and running, the idea pokes at m...

One of the downfalls of working on my novel over such a long period of time is that I can lose track of all the changes that have happened over the numerous drafts. More than that, I can forget to add the knock-on changes and repercussions of altering characters and plot lines. In her article How To Create An Editorial Map , Janice Hardy provides a straightforward and valuable approach to re-drafting and editing your novel. Have a look.

With thanks to BADG Can you see me? I'm in this photo somewhere. I thought I'd have a little fun with this month's photo inspiration and use a moment from the pantomime my daughter and I performed in recently.  What do you think? The night there was a power cut in the theatre? The pantomime characters escape? What does this inspire you to write?

Last month was stupidly busy and productive but as the days passed, it all felt like the tag end to 2016. There were strings to tie off, chores to finish and niggles to appease. This month feels like the real start to the year. My job search has led me to a new path for not only my income but also my writing career. With a new contact in hand, I'm moving into copywriting as another string to my creative bow. Like the door at the end of the alleyway in the image (left), it all looks very promising but until I've stepped over the threshold I won't know exactly where I stand with this new development. At the end of last month and the beginning of this, my daughter and I were involved in a pantomime with the local amateur dramatics group . We enjoyed it immensely, although we were exhausted by the time we helped pack everything away (scenery, props, even a mobility scooter). We made new friends and I rediscovered the buzz of performing. Returning to the stage has also rem...

January seems to have flashed by in the  blink of a watery eye and suddenly February is here with its promise of spring. I feel like I've spent the month in a curious limbo, coming down after my birthday trip to Venice and reeling at the loss of so many icons. First, there was David Bowie, such a wonderfully creative man, the brilliant actor Alan Rickman who I'll always remember as an irreverent angel, Glenn Frey from the Eagles, then finally the velvet tones and kindly ways of Terry Wogan. January seems to have left the world a little less colourful. So February needs to be a new beginning, with fresh colour and creativity, and a renewed intent. That's how I'm treating it. Let's get this year started. Novel(s) Novel 1 is still away with a handful of literary agents so I'm working on the next two novels. After eight rejections that all had much the same feedback (loved reading this, keep sending it out, but it's not for us), I posed the question to...

In the massive miscellany of photographs that my parents left to me are many unidentified faces. I can guess at which side of the family some of them belong to (the smiling man that looks like my Father, the family photographed in a studio in Leeds where my Mother came from) but I have no idea whom the majority of them are. I thought I would use one of these as this month's photo inspiration. I would guess that this family were photographed pre 1920s. What can you tell me about them? Did they all get on? Was the daughter the centre of attention? What did the boys grow up to be?  Tell me a story about these faces.

Image via Wikipedia Today is Imbolc, Pagan festival of early spring. The Christian church celebrates Candlemas at this time of year and I'm sure you won't have failed to notice that tomorrow is the Chinese New Year. This is when the first life begins to appear after the winter chill. For me, January is always attached to the year before. I spend the month getting back into the normal routine, surviving financially (don't we all?), either huddled in the house or wrapped up in winter layers if I step outside. February seems like a better time to start planning for and thinking of the months ahead. Already I can see buds on the bushes in the garden, new beginnings pushing through, and the mornings are lighter. I find myself looking forward to longer days and warm nights. May Imbolc bring you joy and optimism for the future.