I think we would all agree that the Internet has brought with it a plethora of benefits for both the consumer and the producer of products, music, books and art. As a musician, I can record a song in my garage and 5 minutes later I can have it online ready to be enjoyed by…
Tag: amwriting
O is for On My Own – Why we all need time alone
As Greta Garbo once famously said, “I want to be alone!” Cue sharp intake of breath from those around you as they stare in stunned silence like you’ve just told them Lassie is dead. Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but why is wanting a little quality time for yourself seen as being just a little…
N is for Night Time of The Soul
Ever have that ‘wake up in the middle of the night, searching-the-soul’ type moment? I’m sure you have – it’s part of the human condition. There’s just something about the dark and the quiet that can do that to a person. It was during one such moment, when staying in London as part of my…
M is for Maybe I Don’t Need To Know (inspired by Dreams of a Life)
Another song written with George Odom, ‘Maybe I Don’t Need to Know’ was inspired by the haunting and desperately sad documentary, ‘Dreams of a Life’. You can listen to the song here. If you are unfamiliar with ‘Dreams of a Life’, it deals with the discovery of the body of young woman, Joyce Vincent, in…
L is for Lies. Go Home and Tell Some Lies (song)
The video clip is myself and fellow songwriter, George Odom, playing a song we wrote a couple of years ago called ‘Go Home and Tell Some Lies’. The song began life as nothing more than a title which popped in to my head one day on the way to work. Suitably inspired, George came up…
K is for Keep Moving – Write or Die!
Today’s writing metaphor comes courtesy of the shark. In case you’re not entirely au fait with animal biology, many sharks need to swim constantly to stay alive. It’s all to do with passing oxygen-rich water through their gills, but the only reason I mention it, is because as writers we too need to constantly move…
J is for Jokes – Being funny is no laughing matter
“From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Some day I intend reading it.” Groucho Marx Just one example of the genius of Groucho Marx, a master of the one-liner. Like all good comedians and comic writers, he made humour look effortless. Indeed, great…
I is for Imitation – the sincerest form of flattery. Honest!
I have a problem. It has been with me for as long as I can remember and over the years it has been the cause of both embarrassment and harassment. Many people would (and have) argued that it only requires some self-control and discipline to prevent it occurring, but I genuinely do feel powerless to…
H is for History – Don’t forget the ‘STORY’ part!
Why is History often taught so badly? Firstly I must say that this is not a statement designed to alienate any teachers that may be reading this post – merely an observation based on my experiences as a child. I should also say that I have heard tell of some inspirational History teachers, who have…
F is for Films! How thinking cinematically can improve your writing.
I recently heard two different authors mention writing in the context of cinema and came to the realisation that the conventions and style of modern cinema influence my writing too. The first of these comments was from historical fiction writer, Hilary Mantel. Whilst I am yet to read any of Hilary’s work, Wolf Hall, in…