Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: You’re Animated
Friday 3rd February 2017: You’re Animated.
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: you are animated.
Make a list of all your favourite animations (or as many as you can remember.)
Pull all the aspects that interest you about each one together into one world and then plonk yourself as an animated character right in the middle of it.
Write about one of the adventures that finds you whilst there.
by 
My Writing Ramblings: The Power of Yes and No.
Hello everyone. I hope you’re all having a wonderful start to February. January was a long old month (it always seems to be for me.)
I’ve attempted to jump into planning my novel over the last few weeks (at times I have been able.) I am discovering the power of yes and no.
I’ve previously not had a good track record when it comes to my writing time. I don’t always protect it. It has been easy for me to say ‘I’ll write some tomorrow.’
I am the queen of procrastination.
I think a lot of this is down to my attitude. I don’t see myself as a writer and so I reason with myself and say it doesn’t matter. Well, guess what… it does matter. It matters a lot.
One big lesson I am trying to take on board this week is the power of yes and no.
YES, I will make time to get to a specified word count so I gradually build my first draft. YES I will keep myself to that promise.
by Book Review: The Girl on the Beach by Morton S. Gray
Death By Choc Lit, January 2017
Who is Harry Dixon?
When Ellie Golden meets Harry Dixon, she can’t help but feel she recognises him from somewhere. But when she finally realises who he is, she can’t believe it – because the man she met on the beach all those years before wasn’t called Harry Dixon. And, what’s more, that man is dead.
For a woman trying to outrun her troubled past and protect her son, Harry’s presence is deeply unsettling – and even more disconcerting than coming face to face with a dead man, is the fact that Harry seems to have no recollection of ever having met Ellie before. At least that’s what he says …
But perhaps Harry isn’t the person Ellie should be worried about. Because there’s a far more dangerous figure from the past lurking just outside of the new life she has built for herself, biding his time, just waiting to strike.
Recently, I’ve had the privilege of reading some novels before their published date; my thanks to those who’ve been so generous to allow me to do so, you know who you are. Around two weeks ago, I was accorded the honour of being sent a copy of the author Morton S Gray’s debut novel ‘The Girl on the Beach’, published by Choclit.
I’ve read a few debuts over the years and obviously some are better than others. If you’re lucky, you’re left doing a passable goldfish impression with your mouth simply repeating, ‘OMG! OMG! OMG! Whilst some honestly leave you wondering how on earth they got published. This novel sits firmly, as in set-in-stone firmly, in the former category. I finished it last night and just sat there enjoying a special feeling…you know the one where you know, you just know that you’ve found a special author and you’re going to be ticking off the days on your calendar until their next release!
Those who read my reviews will know that I don’t tend to give much away about the plot, it spoils the twists and turns – and there are plenty here – that a good author will sprinkle around their work. Ms Gray’s story is as much ‘Suspense’ as ‘Romance’ and considering the subject matter, this is just as well. Because of this, I have to explain what I mean and tell you a little more of the story than I normally would. I prefer to concentrate on how the writer…um, writes.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Writing To Your Various Selves.
Wednesday 2nd February 2017: writing to your various selves.
Write a letter to you future self. What would you say? Once you’ve done that, write a letter to your sixteen year old self?
Try and make the letters at least one complete side of A4.
Is there anything different between the two letters? What advice would you give to either self?
If you want, you could then repeat this exercise but write from the perspective of one or more of your characters.
by News: Baileys To End Women’s Prize For Fiction Sponsorship
Baileys to stop sponsoring Women’s Prize For Fiction.
Baileys have announced that they will no longer be sponsoring the Woman’s Prize For Fiction. The prize, co-founded by author, Kate Mosse had been sponsored by Baileys since 2014. They took over from Orange who had previously sponsored the prize for seventeen years.
‘We regretfully decided to make way for a new sponsor,’ said a spokesperson for Baileys.
They will remain sponsors of the 2017 prize before they make way for a new sponsor for 2018. This year’s long list is to be announced in March, the shortlist will be unveiled in April and the winner announced in June.
The Women’s prize for fiction is awarded annually to what the judges consider the best novel of the year in English by a female author. The winning author receives £30,000 in prize money. Previous winners include Zadie Smith and Lionel Shriver.
For more information about the prize, visit www.womensprizeforfiction.co.uk/
by Book Club
