I live in Bristol with my partner and two sons. I work part time for the council to keep the wolf from the door and write for two days a week while the boys are at school. Those days feel like a blessing. I love the silence, the cups of tea and the surprises as the stories unfold.
I'm working on a collection of short stories, to be called Familiars. There are lots of families in it, lots of animals and a bit of magic. I think I'm nearly there. The stories are all down and some are finished, though others need to be shaken out and scrutinized. I'm also working on a novel about bereavement and its repercussions, but haven't settled on a title yet.
I'm a big fan of journalling. I begin my writing day with a scribbly rush of whatever is foremost in my mind. I find it helps to be playful with the experience of getting words on the the page. Much of my journal is nonsense, occasionally figurative and often illegible. Only tiny snippets make it into my stories. But once I've written the silly stuff or the angry stuff or the stuff that makes me cringe I seem to have cleared the way for the more rigorous work of crafting a story.
I'm working on a collection of short stories, to be called Familiars. There are lots of families in it, lots of animals and a bit of magic. I think I'm nearly there. The stories are all down and some are finished, though others need to be shaken out and scrutinized. I'm also working on a novel about bereavement and its repercussions, but haven't settled on a title yet.
I'm a big fan of journalling. I begin my writing day with a scribbly rush of whatever is foremost in my mind. I find it helps to be playful with the experience of getting words on the the page. Much of my journal is nonsense, occasionally figurative and often illegible. Only tiny snippets make it into my stories. But once I've written the silly stuff or the angry stuff or the stuff that makes me cringe I seem to have cleared the way for the more rigorous work of crafting a story.
