Fi Phillips

It's June already. Summer is here and I'm suffering as usual with hayfever. Still, it gives me an excellent excuse to stay at my keyboard and find some excellent writing advice to share. First off is this article from Kathryn Evans on Notes from the Slushpile - Highlighting the Heart of Your Story with Motifs . I found this an incredibly useful way to approach my novel and I've already worked out my motif, its significance and how to include it in my story. Second is this wonderful article from reedsy, What is Chekhov's Gun and How to Use It . Finally, I've been following Rae Elliott's website Barely Hare Books for a while now for its excellent writing advice. Here's Rae herself being interviewed by fellow writer Hannah Heath about her books and her writing process.

It's going to be a busy month with two family birthdays, Father's Day, client articles to write and a murder mystery to finish off for another client. Add to that the fact that we won't be having our normal June getaway because my daughter has exams and I don't think there'll be much of a chance for a breather this month. Having said that, I like busy. Busy pays the bills and keeps away the boredom. All that 'busy'  means that this month, more than most, I'll be planning like crazy. Here's my tick-list for June: Buy presents: For my son that'll probably be Overwatch related. Zenyatta is his current favourite character to play, plus he's now got a bank account and is very keen to earn interest on his money. My husband has had his main present already so we'll be looking for a selection of smaller offerings for his birthday and Father's Day, but nothing gimmicky so I'll be steering the teens away from the comedy socks. ...

One of the dilemmas that many unpublished, or even published, writers fall into is how to cope with differing advice. One agent says this about your manuscript, another says something completely different. One publishing company expresses their slant on what is market-worthy fiction, while a competing publisher disagrees. Even editors and writing coaches don't see eye-to-eye. Who can you listen to? For me, the answer usually lies with other writers, the people who have gone through the grindmill and hammered it into submission. One such writer is Chuck Wendig, novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. For me personally, his website terribleminds is a delight to read and darn-right useful too. A recent offering - A Hot Steaming Sack of Business Advice for Writers is just what I needed at the moment. Have a read. Borrowed from The Writer's Circle Facebook page

Summer arrives this month in the UK, with its warmer days (mostly and not necessarily without rain), vibrant colours and the chance to unwrap from winter woollies (or is that just me?). As a mum, this season is dominated by the summer break and amusing my children. What new adventures and fresh horizons will the long break from school bring this year? For the last couple of months, my life has felt chaotic with new interests and the latest addition to our family, puppy Bailey devouring a large slice of my time. Now she's settled in and I've got my head around the additional activities in my life, it's time to reorganise. Catching Up I've let a lot slide over the past few weeks so June and the summer will be all about catching up with the tasks that I've pushed to the back of my mind and only touched on recently. Along with the housework and my health regime, I desperately need to carve out a daily niche for my writing. I managed last month's writing t...

It's summer in the UK and with it, fun fairs begin to crop up in the most unexpected places. In case, you didn't know, this is a Helter Skelter. You run up the stairs in the tower and slide down the outside on a sack or mat. What do you think about this image? Does it bring back warm childhood memories, or perhaps thoughts of your children? Look a little closer. Stepping  through the open yellow door takes you into darkness. Who waits at the top? Where is this, with it's forest surround? Joyous childhood ride or scary trap for the unsuspecting? What does this inspire you to write?

A couple of days ago, I was putting out the rubbish when I saw this fine fellow. He's a Blue Adonis and apparently rather rare in the UK. In a messy corner, perched on an old grimy tennis ball, it was the vibrant colour of his wings and body that caught my eye. He was a flash of magic among all the jumble. Butterflies have long been the symbol of transformation and new beginnings waiting to unfold. They are often seen as magical, which isn't surprising when you think of the hidden metamorphosis that takes place when a caterpillar changes into a butterfly. So this is my monthly photo inspiration  - a butterfly, a splash of magic, a sign of transformation. What does this image inspire you to write?

This is supposed to be the day when we throw off our winter layers, lash on the sun tan lotion and open our arms to the embrace of summer. What happened? I'm getting wet. My sun tan lotion is being washed away and  the puddle I've found myself standing in is seeping through my flip flops. Still, it isn't so bad, I suppose. I can still celebrate the sun. I'll just do it from the dry safety of my sofa. The summer solstice has always been about one thing for me - balance. It marks the balance between day and night (both the same length on this date before the nights begin to lengthen again). It reminds me to question my own life balance, be that work and home balance, me-time and them-time balance or even my nutritional balance. What about you? Is your life gracefully balanced or teetering on the edge? Happy Summer Solstice, however you spend it. May the sun always shine in your life and the fire remain bright in your hearth.

 

AS (Amateur Stage) Magazine have published an article in their June issue entitled 'Murder, She Wrote!'. Based on a past Murdering The Text blog article, Bums on Seats , this is a more generalised article pointing to a couple of MTT competitors and also gives mention to the lovely Purley Players who kindly supplied a photograph of one of their past MTT productions to accompany the article. Thank you AS Magazine and many thanks to the Purley Players too. I feel like I'm at an awards ceremony. Buy the June issue for an entertaining read.