I never wanted to be average and I hate the word “routine”. I used to get itchy and uncomfortable whenever I felt life was becoming ‘ordinary’. I’m a little less concerned by the words themselves now. I’m living the life that makes me happy. It’s likely that no two lives look the same, so what […]
I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have an idea for a story and then translate this to the page. I remember the painstaking effort it takes to formulate the right words to characterise the story itself, the rush of excitement when it starts to come together and the exhilaration when a draft is done. But […]
For my birthday a friend gifted me a little book called ‘Good Things are Happening – A Journal for Tiny Moments of Joy’. I have to admit, it’s been the one constant thing I have managed this year – every single day I’ve written in this journal at bedtime, recording those little moments of joy in […]
I’m not really one for reading the classics. I once read Wuthering Heights just so I could declare a dislike for it – having given up on the novel previously because of the hatred I had for Heathcliffe, despair with Catherine, and impatience with the narration by the housekeeper. Still, I make an effort on […]
When I moved into my first apartment with my other half I waited three years before getting a dog. I can’t believe I went dog-less for so long: it would be impossible now. But then, I was working too hard and trying to do so much; eventually it led to my illness (more on that […]
Having a dog is one of the most significant aspects of my persona. Without one, I don’t feel whole; walking without a faithful (misbehaving) pooch never feels quite right. I’ve had a dog in my life since I was twelve years old and my parents and I bought a border collie pup from a farmer […]
Today is a day for sitting out in the sunshine and enjoying the day. This is the first year I’ve been able to sit in my own garden, having rented an apartment for the previous ten years. But now I have a huge patch of grass and trees to call my own, and I even […]
I kill people. I just can’t help it. There’s a running joke made by those who read my work that in pretty much every story I write somebody ends up dead. Or if not dead, dying – or dealing with death. Something deep inside me is hardwired to connect life with death, which may not […]
Here’s why I’m planning to publish a blog post each day in May 2018.
