It’s October so we’re now officially into the Halloween Build-up! Each Monday I’m going to post horror related content, and this week we’re looking at classic horror movies! There are various arguments about what year ‘modern horror’ begins, which will be another post for another time, but for this post I’m going with the 1968 cut off point. […]
How do you cope with rejection as a writer?
There are few things guaranteed in life, but if you’re a writer, then at some point or other, you’re sure to encounter rejection. No matter what you’re submitting, sooner or later, you’ll get some form of reply saying “Thanks, but no thanks.” It’s hard, I know, but it’s something every writer goes through. Picture the scene. You’ve […]
Ghost Signs: Social history on a wall near you!
While walking around your nearest urban centre, try looking up. Can you see the remains of any old advertisements, painted right there on the brick? If so, you’re looking at ghost signs. I love ghost signs! We used to have a brilliant one for Jack Daniel’s in Newcastle until someone installed a brand new billboard over […]
Why have a blog anyway?
I was tagged by Bronagh of Bronagh’s Beauty and Books to take part in the Blogger Interview Tag and as I haven’t done many of these on this blog, I figured I’d do one over here at the Cabinet, instead of on one of my other blogs. After all, why have a blog if you’re not […]
How Do You Restart Your Stuck Novel?
The ‘stuck novel’ comes to all of us at various times. You know what it’s like – you get an idea for a story and, full of the excitement of new plots, you feverishly start writing. For a few days, even weeks, it all seems great. You’re enjoying the story, it’s fun, and everything’s going […]
Write What You Know, But What If You Don’t Know Enough?
It was the 145th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens this year, and while much has been written about his life and work, we can still learn a lot from his methods. His depiction of a supposedly-fictional London was so realistic – he clearly drew a lot from how people lived in worked in Victorian […]
