Fi Phillips

Image courtesy of Comfreak on pixabay.com The purpose of this month's writing exercise is to become more familiar with your protagonist and antagonist. Here goes. If your protagonist and antagonist were in each other's shoes, how would they act differently? Would they act differently? What does this tell you about each of these characters? Let's look at an example - how about Harry Potter and Voldemort? If Voldemort/Tom Riddle had been orphaned and brought up by cruel relatives, would he had become a well-loved friend, hero and inspiration to others? If Harry had experienced Voldemort/Tom Riddle's upbringing, would he have followed a power-hungry path of evil? Are your character's actions based on their upbringing and background, or do they have the choice to carve their own paths? What would they do if they swapped lives?

Image via Wikipedia When I was a child, my family would often holiday in Scotland and particularly in the town where my father was brought up. I remember very little of the town itself but there are certain things that remain with me. Firstly, outside a large cafe was a statue of a golden retriever. It was life size and probably made of some kind of resin as it was coloured like the dog it was meant to represent. Over the years, it was 'borrowed' by local drunks on a regular basis, even ending up in the loch now and then. Secondly, our landlady Mrs Mackay would always serve massive breakfasts (fried sausage slices, tatty scones, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, fried bread) and finish it off with toast and jam. As part of the table setting, there was a ceramic jam pot shaped like a beehive with a bee handle and a matching slender spoon. I can remember taking great pleasure in helping myself to the contents and being told not to play with the lid by my mother. Thirdly, my fathe...

Today J K Rowling has announced ' Pottermore '. I could explain but I think the author herself can do that much better than me. Interested? It's good to see an author going beyond the usual reader-writer exchange and offering a more rounded experience. The site itself isn't fully functional until October although if you visit on 31st July, you may be able to get an early peak at what is to come. In the meantime, here are some images of what Pottermore will look like. The Gateway Hogwarts Express The Chessboard Chamber Christmas at Hogwarts