#WritersCoffeeClub 6 March: Is there a local writing community near you? Do you participate in it?
I suppose there must be, but I admit I never took the time to try to find one. However, now that it’s my primary occupation, I guess I should make that time… some time… soon-ish?
#Spring has arrived.
Books featured: Child of the Moon, Beyond Black, Bloody on Her Tongue, Zorro X Sherlock, Rhodinya, The Colour of Magic, You Like It Darker, The Obelisk Gate, Mary Poppins
#mrsCleyton wishes you a #HappyWorldBookday 😘😘
#WritersCoffeeClub 5 March: How do you make sure you don’t leave plot holes?
Who says I don’t leave plot holes? 😉
Hey #writingcommunity and #booksky, I really need your help to get my 90s thriller/horror novel out into the world. I’m almost at 2/3 of the pre-order goal needed for Inkshares to publish the book! Read a preview, pre-order if you can, and please repost! #art #writing #amwriting
lastbeaconbook.com
#Today is my birthday and it is my wish that you spend it in joy and go ahead and buy a few books that resonate with you ❤️
#mrsCleyton ❤️ #WritingCommunity & #ReadingCommunity
#WritersCoffeeClub 4 March: Share a recent experience where something just “clicked”.
When I found a second editor to do the proofreading for #mrsCleyton, I felt everything was falling into the right place. Her suggestions made sense at a grammatical, stylistic, *and* emotional level.
#WritersCoffeeClub 3 March: What are you unwilling to compromise on?
The characters.
I provide a setting, even a setup, and yes, I imagine an ending too. But every time it’s the characters that write the real ending. I can only let them.
#WritersCoffeeClub 2 Mar: Does your overall goal differ from project to project?
I’d say it evolves, yes. But I wouldn’t read too much into it. By the time a project is finished the goal may already have evolved yet again.
#WritersCoffeeClub 1 Mar. What is the fundamental goal you seek to achieve with your current WIP?
I hadn’t given much thought to what I want to achieve with the next one… maybe to move people?
That’s probably gonna backfire on me in some way, but then again, that’s the story of my life 😅
#WritersCoffeeClub 28 Feb: How well did this short month go for you, in terms of writing?
Made an actual start with my next WIP -- only a few pages -- which I'm happy with, given that I am still fully occupied with swimming lessons for learning how to market #mrsCleyton ...
I know, right 😂
Ignore them long enough and they’ll try if you’re up for a voluntary donation instead 😅
This is a tongue in cheek dark comedy thriller that will keep you smiling and cringing in equal measures until it reaches its climax.
Lola is a serial killer on a murder spree who takes advantage of Ernie, a hapless loser with questionable morals.
amzn.eu/d/80FvkjH
The goldfinch knows, as everyone should This day is mine, thank you, my Lord A mother knows, as everyone should A child is a joy, don’t take him from me Everyone fears, no nobody should That time will pass, please don’t be near
#WritingCommunity 🤍 #poetry
Why does the website suggest I need to order 3 if I want to become a super reader?
Hey #writingcommunity and #booksky, indie author here who could really use your help to get my 90s mystery/horror novel published. I’m at 60% of the pre-order goal needed for Inkshares to publish it. Read a preview, pre-order if you can, and please share! #art #writing #amwriting
lastbeaconbook.com
#WritersCoffeeClub 27 Feb: Do you edit while you write? What are the pros and cons?
For me, it was a necessity, because it helped me to get back into the flow when writing next to my day job.
Full answer: indieauthors.social/@aronsilver/...
At the International Film Festival in Berlin, jury president Wim Wenders sparked controversy, stating that art and artists are “the counterweight to politics, we are the opposite of politics.” He said, artists “have to do the work of people, not the work of politicians.” Any thoughts on this? — RAINER, POTSDAM, GERMANY Dear Rainer, I have known Wim for over forty years, and his response to the question at the Berlinale moved me deeply. It reaffirmed my understanding of him as a passionately principled, thoughtful, and courageous man — a person who cares profoundly about film and the state of the creative world. His words were a caring, gentle, and protective gesture, directed not only at the artistic community but at humanity itself, and despite the predictable pile-on, I suspect that many artists, maybe most, will genuinely appreciate his words. Of course, I can’t speak for Wim, but perhaps, like me, he laments the state of art as it has unfolded into this present moment. Perhaps, as the president of the Berlinale Jury, he despairs over the fate that has befallen other film and literary events. The furore around the Adelaide Writers’ Week was happening while I was on tour in Australia. In an almost cosmic display of stupidity, that entire event was vaporised in a mushroom cloud of cowardice, performative
at all, as Australia’s longest running literary festival collapsed under a mass walkout. Perhaps Wim is trying to save the Berlinale from succumbing to the fate of those festivals that have become little more than a narrowing of the cultural imagination, where the concept of an arts festival as a space for free-ranging and diverse ideas, a place of vitality and originality that encourages disagreement and good faith debate, is being sucked down the sinkhole of a single monolithic ideology — one voice, one cause, one dissent. I do not imagine for a moment that Wim thinks art should ignore the great and persistent injustices of the world. He seems to believe, as I do, that using art to raise awareness of these injustices can be extremely effective, but perhaps he also believes that art is more than the sum of its utility; it is more than a tool or a weapon. Maybe he believes, as I do, that at its core, great art exists purely for its own sake — and that at its most transformative it reveals itself subtly, ambiguously, and curiously; that it is something we approach with awe and wonder, that humbles us whilst also enlarging our hearts, that works its way into our souls and spirits, guiding us towards what is good, beautiful, and true. Art captivates us and imparts a sense of what it means to be human, broadening our understanding of the world and our own place within it — that we have the right to love, laugh, cry, and be thrilled by the world. This is art’s largesse — to remind us that life is worth living.
our souls and spirits, guiding us towards what is good, beautiful, and true. Art captivates us and imparts a sense of what it means to be human, broadening our understanding of the world and our own place within it — that we have the right to love, laugh, cry, and be thrilled by the world. This is art’s largesse — to remind us that life is worth living. I think Wim’s words moved me because they might serve to usher in a fresh appraisal of the cultural space before us, where art reclaims its dynamic nature. Perhaps his words will encourage artists to feel confident expressing how they truly see themselves, in all their radical complexity and diversity, to say, ‘This is what I am. This is how I feel.’ But perhaps Wim meant none of these things. I don’t know. But, whatever his intention, I sensed the concern, gentleness, and care in his response, and its lovely openness alone filled me with a kind of relief, a sense of freedom and sudden potential. I expect, beyond the clamour, many felt the same. Love, Nick
The full collage. Note that a small part about cancellation was unintentionally cut… such is art 🤷♂️
This week, #NickCave ‘s Red Hand Files entry touched me more deeply than usual, so I decided to make a collage out of it, which I hung on the wall in my study.
Here comes…
#WritingCommunity #Art
#WritersCoffeeClub 26 Feb: Does your WIP have an antagonist? Why or why not?
There’s no antagonist in my next WIP, although the protagonist does see a lot of them around her. And she’s kinda cunning in deciding which ones she goes up against.
#WritersCoffeeClub 25 Feb: What’s a unique habit you have while writing?
I write at a standing desk (too much sitting makes Jack a dull boy), and I like to turn on the music while I write. Every now and then I step away from the desk and let the music flow through me and dance and find my groove.
Hey #writingcommunity and #booksky, I need your help spreading the word that my ‘90s thriller/horror novel is currently funding on Inkshares and at 50% of the goal needed to get it published. Read a preview, pre-order if you can, and please repost! #art #writing #amwriting
lastbeaconbook.com
#WritersCoffeeClub 24 Feb — What’s your greatest challenge in fleshing out your setting?
It’s when the flesh starts to feel like fluff. I don’t like unnecessary padding.
a phoenix reborn behind the chittering glass terror and scorn for those who will pass look at the fire consuming your soul look at the fool behind the chittering glass
#WritingCommunity 🤍 #poetry
#WritersCoffeeClub 23 Feb: What techniques help you write a difficult second act?
In Child of the Moon there is a Part II.
There is an advance in the timeline, intermezzos are merged into the main storyline, and the tension also picks up pace.
#WritersCoffeeClub 22 Feb: Are there types of settings you avoid writing? Why?
I generally try to avoid writing characters and settings based on real-life experiences / people I know. It seems common sense, yet also impossible to avoid entirely.
Child of the Moon was published over 5 years ago 😅
Mrs. Cleyton is ready. She’s being prepared for her release on 2 April.
#WritersCoffeeClub 21 Feb: Share an unexpected critique you received. Why did it surprise?
For my debut #childOfTheMoon — a horror mystery — I received a critique from a beta reader saying he felt it belonged in the YA section. I felt slightly insulted, because I was 35 and aiming a little higher 😅
Icarus wings burned by desire. Jesus was nailed, onto the sword. Damocles raged, into the fire. Balance the way. Pray find the Lord.
#WritingCommunity 🤍 #poetry
The Taliban is evil. these women are brave and defianr. books will give them something to believe in - hopefully at some point things will change www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
#WritersCoffeeClub 19 Feb: What’s your biggest challenge when crafting a satisfying ending?
Finding new ways to cry.
