Fear in a Handful of Dust

Evening lovely readers 🙂

Here is a guest post by yours truly exploring the concept of fear and phobias. Admittedly I have a few so I could pull from life but everyone should have a go at writing out of their comfort zone. I hope you enjoy and I hope you follow Helena for some great fiction with ooey gooey literary goodness 🙂

Thank you 🙂

What’s Your Panic?

Evening lovely readers 🙂

I’m still hard at work on the edits of my novel. It’s interesting to see how I can improve my work without losing the core of the narrative, but I digress. Let me ask you this, is there anything that terrifies you? Do you have a phobia you just can’t explain? Is it enhanced by any other mental states? My friend and fabulous author Helena Hann-Basquiat has set other writers a challenge: to write a short fiction about a phobia. Thankfully it can be any genre and any word length be it two hundred or two thousand; but where to begin…

Now, I’m going to admit something here that may shock you (well unless you know me in real life lol) in that I myself suffer with one or two phobias. Well, when I say one or two I mean aquaphobia (fear of water), mysophobia (fear of uncleanliness/germs), arachnophobia (I know, I know, who isn’t afraid of arachnids?) and mild claustrophobia (I just can’t take small enclosed spaces sometimes.) I can already hear you running away screaming from the mad woman 🙂 well let me put more speed in your step. These phobia’s are only enhanced by the fact that I’m a paranoid obsessive compulsive too lol. Stop laughing and don’t have me committed just yet as although I suffer with these I believe that even they are part of my creativeness and make me the wacky writer I am today.

So where am I struggling? I hear you ask. Well, for this subject at least I find it hard to write fiction about something I’ve suffered from forever.But wait, shouldn’t writer’s write what they know? Yes and no to be honest. Yes I’ve suffered with these all my life but how do I put into word the complicated and often nonsensical thoughts I have? However, in a sense perhaps it will be easier after all. The thoughts from my phobia’s are nonsensical so I just need a genre that fits that aspect. I could write a fantasy based in an aquatic World or a horror about killer germs. Whatever I decide I know that it will be based on my own experiences and of that I’m not ashamed 🙂 so keep an eye out for my writing to appear. I hope you will not be disappointed.

Oh and for your information, I will be bringing a book review out soon of Helena’s fabulous novel Jessica. A collaborative effort, which includes work from the always wonderful J. S. Collyer, this book seeks to determine who is Jessica. B. Bell. Those familiar with Helena’s work will have heard mention this name before. It’s a literary slice of ooey gooey suspenseful cake that I firmly have my pearly ivory’s in to. I just have to finish it 🙂

Love to you all 🙂

Does Your Taste Have Flavour???

Evening lovely readers 🙂

I don’t know why but when I think of the above title all I can think of is the theme tune of the old Kellogs Fruit and Fibre ad; ‘I, I, I, I, I, I love you veryyyyyy much; I, I, I, I, I, I like your flakesssss; with Kellogg’s Fruit and Fibre I’m an easyyy touch; a glass of ice cold milk is all it takessss….’ Don’t ask me why, I’m pretty sure my brain stopped working twenty nine years and eleven moths ago 🙂 What I actually want to talk about is does your literature taste have different flavours? It can be within one genre or cross genre but do you find yourself taken with certain aspects of your writing over others?

As some will know my first novel is with my editor and I’ve enjoyed a little bit of a literary break, well apart from abusing my kindle terribly. Now I’m back and have the unbearable urge to write again and find I’m actually tasting one story over another. While I wait for my first novel to come back to me I had planned to continue with my second novel idea Tears of Ice. However I really want to convert the flash fiction I posted a couple of weeks ago into my second novel. It’s a story about a half lycan half fae trying to deal with what life throws at her (it is interesting honest lol). I’ve been wondering if what I want to write has been flavoured by what I have been reading. Recently I have been into quite a few shifter/lycan/preternatural fantasies and I have wondered if my brain is subconsciously shouting out for it. Maybe I should start reading about archers to get my other one written…

If it comes to it I think I’ll concentrate on the fan fic anyway. It’s something different and something I’ve not tried before and perhaps that’s the flavour that’s the most predominant with me. Maybe I just want that ooey gooey taste of the unfamiliar, velvety caramel  fantasy that comes with trying something brand new… or maybe this is just mad rambling 🙂 Anyhoo, what do you think? Do you find the same happening or when it comes to your own writing do you have a will of iron?

Thank you 🙂

Writing Out Of Your Comfort Zone

In writing, creating any sort of World from nothing can be difficult. You have to wait for your Ping Moment and even when it comes you could struggle to find the fire to go on creating. You must be blessed with an idea so imaginative that the characters talk to you, helping you to define the story along the way. Now what do you do when you’re writing out of your comfort zone?

I don’t like to think I am set in my ways but I am a born and bred fantasy writer. Oh I will try to create in the genre of poetry but I will always come back to my fantasy writing. There’s just something about creating a World full of sorcery and excitement that I can’t seem to resist. You have so many options before you; you could create fantasy tinged with reality such as my novel I Cast Magic Into The Darkness, or blatantly seductive fantasy laden with the mythological such as my second concept for a novel Frozen.

Just recently however I decided to see if I am able to branch out on my writing skills and I decided to submit a short story to the wonderful Dagda Publishers for their next anthology of stories. The hurdle for me is that they require the story to be of the science fiction genre. I have nothing against this genre and I find it as stimulating as all the others. My hurdle is that I am not very versed in it. I find it stimulating that it takes just as much creativity as fantasy but with subtle differences. I must swap sorcery for science, magic for technology and bows for pistols. I will not be daunted however. I am excited at the prospect of trying something new and relish the opportunity.

I highly recommend people try the same.

Also if anyone is looking for an inspirational writer to help them with their science fiction skills I recommend a good friend of mine J Collyer. Unlike myself she is very versed in this genre and has the ability to come up with ideas bordering on sensational. Her blog is full of hints and tips that will get your story soaring, just as mine has done.