Beginning, Middle and End
Read time: 3 mins Stories have been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From ancient myths to modern-day novels, stories have entertained, educated and inspired people across time and place. A key element of a good story is its structure, which typically includes a beginning, a middle and an end. I would argue that for a compelling…
Book Review: ‘The Map of Leaves’ by Yarrow Townsend
Read time: 2 mins At the front of the YA title, A Map of Leaves by Yarrow Townsend (published by Chicken House) is a delightful map, with places like Roaring Weir and Dead Elm Strand. The inclusion of a map often promises an adventurous journey and that is the case here. Plants matter We soon meet twelve-year-old Orla Carson,…
Should My Book Have An Epilogue?
Read time: 2 mins An epilogue – the final section of a story – brings closure and ties in loose ends. It can be an essential part of a narrative, helping to connect different elements of a story and give the reader some sense of resolution. But is an epilogue needed? There are pros and cons of including an…
The Joy of Stories
Read time: 2 mins Stories have been a part of human culture for as long as we can remember. From ancient cave paintings to modern day novels, storytelling has how we have preserved and passed on our cultural traditions, beliefs, and values between one another and from one generation to the next. But why do we find so much…
Book Review: ‘A Saint in Swindon’ by Alice Jolly
Read time: 2 mins How A Saint in Swindon by Alice Jolly, published by Fairlight Books, was written was most unusual and it is an unusual novella. It came from a writing exercise in which the author and the Swindon Artswords Reading Group met, before the book was written, and the book group contributed ideas and suggestions for the…
Book Review: ‘Big Magic’ by Elizabeth Gilbert
Read time: 3 mins Introduction In Big Magic Creative Living Beyond Fear (2015) Bloomsbury, Elizabeth Gilbert details what creative living involves and encourages courage, enchantment, persistence and trust in its pursuit. Courage Gilbert starts Big Magic, by describing a great poet who wrote poetry with a life-long commitment to search for grace and transcendence but he never much cared…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.