World Dracula Day

Me (or my shadow) Overlooking Whibty Abbey's Graveyard

It's #WorldDraculaDay today, so I thought this was a good opportunity to share some of my photographs of Whitby Abbey and its cliff edge graveyard. This Gothic location features strongly in Bram Stoker's Dracula and is certainly up there as one of the most atmospheric places I have visited in the UK.

Berserk! Chapter Six Done 'n' Dusted

Tree Bumblebees in My Garden

For the past couple of years, I have had a tree bumblebee nest in the roof of my garden shed. They are friendly little creatures and did not bother me once when I stuck my audio recorder right in their tiny bumblebee faces. Best to use headphones as you can then hear the bees fly through your head :)

 

My Writing Shed

I did a bit of sorting and tidying in my writing shed today. Hoping to get it operational by the start of Summer :)

Writing Chapter Six

Out in the garden, writing Chapter Six.

Story-boarding Chapter Six

Thankfully, my writer's block cleared last night. I am not too sure if the plot details of Chapter Six came during a dream or whether I worked it out in that strange hinterland of thought that can occur when awakening from one dream and slipping back into another. Anyway, the plot outline for Chapter Six is sorted and I just now need to write it. In the meantime, here is my #IWishICouldDraw storyboard for the chapter:

Enjoying the Sunshine

No writing today. Just going to enjoy the sunshine :)

Berserk! Story-boarding Chapter Six

Writer's Block

Nearly 13k words into my new novel and I am stuck :o/

Gardening Can Be Magickal

Gardening can be just as creative an activity as novel-writing. Magickal worlds can be shaped in flowers and stones as well as ink and paper.

The Purrrrfect Company For Writing

Researching Wolfsbane

My New Writing Desk :)

I have always wanted one of these, ever since I was little - an Edwardian writing bureau. And now I finally possess one. And here it is, in situ, in the writing shed I have been working on creating in my garden since last Summer:

My new Edwardian writing bureau

The writing bureau with writing top lowered

Cubby holes and shelves on the writing desk

Pen draw

My 'special' writing pen, from my childhood days

An old 1970's ornament, now occupying one of the cubby holes

I found the writing bureau on ebay last night and put in an offer, which the seller was more than happy to accept. Luckily, the desk was located just down the road from me and I picked it up this morning. I am feeling very happy this morning with my new purchase and am more enthusiastic about continuing the conversion of my old shed now. I can hardly wait to settle myself at the desk, pen in hand and write as the rain hits the windows and the tin roof. It should be very atmospheric...

P.S. I will do a brief audio recording in the shed the next time it rains heavily to try and share the ambience of the place a little :)

Berserk! Chapter Five

The group are starting to get freaked out in the isolated woodland. No human has walked this land for a thousand years and the dark gods and spirits continue to linger here...

Berserk! 11k Words into Draft 1

Berserk! Story-boarding Chapter Five

The Verry-Volk

Editing my guide to local folklore:

Berserk! Story-boarding Chapter Four

#IWishICouldDraw

Writing with the Pixies

The sun is shining again, so it's time for me to head out into the garden and try and progress Chapter Four a little. I want this chapter put to bed by the weekend...

Writing in the Sunshine

Both the day and the novel I am working on are warming up nicely:

Peace and Harmony in the Garden

I strive hard to make my garden a place of peace and harmony :)

Buddha Smiling

Prayer Flags Flying High Over My Garden

Berserk! Working on Chapter 4.

Berserk! Progressing Chapter Three

I struggled a little with how to close Chapter Three of Beserk! But the chapter has come together nicely for me as I actually put pen to paper to write the thing. Here is my story-board pic of the conclusion of the chapter, if you can interpret my child-like sketch. #IWishICouldDraw

"No, I will not let you write today."

Typing...

Spending the evening typing up my handwritten first draft of Chapter Two of Beserk!

Berserk! Chapter Three

Writing Chapter Three and not sure of how to end it, or what happens in Chapter Four onwards...... This hasn't happened in a long while...

Berserk! Storyboarding Chapter Three

Berserk! Chapter Two Completed

Berserk! 4k+

Signed Michelle Paver Books

I finally received my signed copy of Michelle Paver's Wakenhyrst novel this week. It looks a beast of a novel compared to her earlier ghost stories Dark Matter and Thin Air, which I also have signed copies of :) Her earlier books were excellent reads, their spooky atmosphere knitted meticulously and realistically into the stories. I am a big fan. I have a bit of a backlog of books to read at the moment, so this mighty tome will have to live quietly on my bookshelf with its sisters for the time being. It seems the perfect read to while away the winter months so I may crack its spine this coming Halloween. Seems fitting...

Rain on Shed Door

I just nipped outside to put a few of my delicate plants in the shed before this evening's storm hits and I saw this:

Beautiful :)

Verry-Volk

I have got myself a little Summer project, producing a short book detailing the local faery folklore in my area. Hoping to see it in print sometime early in the autumn...

Berserk! Draft 1. Chapter Two