Double memories

Finding something that you know will give somebody else a great deal of pleasure is a smiley moment. Nothing is the same as watching the other person’s eyes widen. Their look of immediate disbelief dissolves as you hand it to them and they receive it with a huge grin on their face.

I decided to […]

Shorts

I write novels. Sure, I’m waiting for my big publishing deal, but I love the long fiction structure: the opportunity to develop characters at length; to weave sub-plots; to plumb the depths; struggle to the surface; heap mounds of stuff on my protagonist; the false climax; to be a master of the universe.

But short […]

Is it wrong to tweet on Christmas Day?

The immediate reaction is hands raised in horror. How crass, how selfish, how insensitive!

But is it?

I remember as a kid having ‘quiet times’ on Christmas day. We had the ecstasy of early morning present-unwrapping – scarf, pencils, jigsaw, books, new jumper – then breakfast, followed by the first ‘quiet time’ when […]

Book3 and why I’m brutal to my heroine

Stories about the life of a well-off happily married woman with a sexy husband, three adorable, perfectly behaved children and a responsible, challenging, but enormously fulfilling job she adores would be tedious.

Who wants to read about Miss Perfect? Typical reactions would be: know-it-all, snooty cow and bor-ing; feelings would be envy, resentment and can’t-be-arsed […]

So, Fräulein Barnes, vhat can you tell us?

Today’s guest, Denise Barnes, tells us not only about writing and her current novel, but how her year in Germany prompted her to write her hilarious book, from Bad to Wurst.

How did you get started with writing? I’ve written since primary school; I wrote a chapter of a serial once a week and put […]