I wrote a couple of weeks back about my favourite hooks in fiction, but recently the importance of real-life hooks has come home to me, as triggers for my own story ideas. It’s always the tale part told that fires my imagination – a half heard conversation, a historical story where the full truth has … Continue reading Writing Inspiration – real life hooks, and the benefits of snooping
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A Cambridge Summer – crochet, crowds and angle grinders
Summer has hit Cambridge. It seems like only a week since the city was shrouded in cloud and I was wearing gloves to work. Now the streets are thronging with tourists, the buskers are out in force, and you can’t walk five paces without being invited to hire a chauffeur punt. With the fair weather came … Continue reading A Cambridge Summer – crochet, crowds and angle grinders
Hooks in Fiction – Five of the Best
I had a lovely lazy breakfast on Sunday, reading the latest issue of Mslexia. I’ve blogged about this magazine for women writers before. For a taste of what’s in the latest issue, click here. Inspiration is a regular section, which currently includes a series of articles on basic elements of fiction. The format is a … Continue reading Hooks in Fiction – Five of the Best
Crime Fiction – how important is the puzzle?
I recently followed a link circulating on Twitter to an article by Ian Rankin in The Daily Mail. Rankin was giving ten tips on crime writing, and since he’s one of my favourite authors, I thought they’d be well worth a look. I was interested to learn that Rankin never set out to be a … Continue reading Crime Fiction – how important is the puzzle?
Chocolate Spiked St Clement’s Sponge
I had hoped that by this stage in the year sponge puddings would seem far too wintery to add to the menu. I hoped in vain... Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus waiting time for chocolate to cool)Cooking time: around 1 hour 15 minutesServes: 8 +Ingredients250g self-raising flour250g butter/margarine250g caster sugar3 eggs2 rounded desert spoonfuls of … Continue reading Chocolate Spiked St Clement’s Sponge
Proofreading… Something Gained (and Something Lost)
I have spent a lot of the last week and a half proofreading my work. I’ve got a nasty feeling I’ll still have missed mistakes, but at least with each sweep I weed out a few more clangers. My proofreading has removed some unconscious humour, and since I generally like the odd laugh, I can’t … Continue reading Proofreading… Something Gained (and Something Lost)
A Sense of Place in Fiction: Five of the Best
Following on from last week’s post on creating a sense of place in fiction, I felt the urge to recommend five of my favourite novels that combine evocative descriptions with involving plots: The Sea House by Esther Freud. For me reading this book was like diving under water and immersing myself in another world. … Continue reading A Sense of Place in Fiction: Five of the Best
Settings in Fiction – London and Cambridge
I've been thinking about settings in fiction this week. Two of my favourite locations for novels are London – where I went to University – and Cambridge, where I live and work. At first glance, they appear to be quite different. I love the great, heaving mass of activity that makes up London: the diversity, … Continue reading Settings in Fiction – London and Cambridge
Clean the bath to kick-start Creativity
I recently watched The Creative Brain, an episode of Horizon looking at how moments of inspiration come about. I found it fascinating, and I’m sure one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was that it chimed in with my own experience. It was so nice (and, let's be honest, rare) to find something … Continue reading Clean the bath to kick-start Creativity
Summer fruits, chocolate sauce, crème de cassis… oh, and sponge, obviously.
Clearly, this pudding is healthy, because it has fruit in it. Let no one tell you otherwise. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: around 1 hour (if using ready-prepared Caramel) Serves: 8 Ingredients For the chocolate sauce base: 300g summer fruits 120g dark chocolate 397g tin Caramel (or condensed milk, boiled in its can … Continue reading Summer fruits, chocolate sauce, crème de cassis… oh, and sponge, obviously.
Clare Chase 