A MUSE ME?

I've done quite a few interviews over the last couple of months and one of the most frequently asked questions is 'Where did you get your inspiration for The Forest of Adventures?' I've always answered this quite easily; I talk about my love of the Pre-Raphaelites, of reading Mallory's Morte de Arthur, of the brilliant YA books I have read in the last couple of years etc. But in the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about this question on a slightly different level.

The notion of a Muse has been talked about in several blogs, tweets and interviews with fellow authors. I also watched the brilliant TED lecture with Elizabeth Gilbert where she talked with passion and humour about our Genius / Muse - so I asked myself 'Is The Knight Trilogy' the result of a Muse? If so what 'is' my Muse?'

Now to be honest, I always thought my Muse was a good bottle of Malbec but since making the bold decision to write 'properly', I write a lot of my material early in the morning - which kind of makes the Malbec a little socially unacceptable. (And strangely without it, my ideas are clearer, more focused more tame-able into an actual story.)

With me, the Muse kind of banally ambushed me rather than revealed herself in a glowing white ethereal light.

It all started so ordinarily; pushing my three month old daughter down New Malden High Street after we'd met her daddy at the office for lunch. I walked into WHSmiths and picked up a notebook. I had no idea what I was going to write in it; maybe a journal of my new motherhood. It started raining, Roo had just dropped off to sleep and so I knew I had at least an hour of stillness and Costa Coffee just happened to be the next doorstep I came to.

I hated the whole 'mothers who coffee shopped scene' - I'd tried it once and felt completely alienated and out of it. I couldn't bear the total absorption with everything *baby*. I loved my new born daughter, she was (still is) a miracle and we understood each other from the moment we first looked at each other - we didn't need anybody else. So it was with great relief I could pull out my notebook and apologise for having to do some 'work' when kindly invited to join a group of new and super keen mummies.

Now whether at that moment my Muse came in, grabbed a latte and sat opposite me and told me this story, I can't say, but all I do know is my pen started to write and I recognised that what it was writing as a story that had been with me for years - not in story form, certainly not structured, more like a whole collection of scenes; like a photos stuffed in a memory box.

Within the space of three months (of almost crazed obsessive writing) the scenes came together and I had a sketch of a novel which I then set about researching. I've always been a complete geek and I'd finished my Masters Degree the year before making me very used to 'studying'. So amongst the nappies and bottles and hundred other things needed in the nappy bag, would be my notebook and books on Medieval life, Holy Grail conspiracies, Arthurian Legends and antiquarian books on British folklore.

What I wasn't prepared for was characters, as in how characters become real in your mind; holding conversations with you, moving around scenes, communicating with one another when you've got your back turned but that is a whole different blog post.

And so back to the question of a Muse - if I have one, she is part of my essential spirit. She is my past, present and future: my eyes, my heart - everything I have ever felt or will feel. Now I'm still not certain as to whether she exists (even in my imagination ) but what I am certain of is 'There a more things in heaven and Earth Horatio / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

BTW : Do click on the link to Elizabeth's amazing lecture: it may just change the way you think about your writing life.

Snow White: The Apple Bites

Poison wrapped in sweetness,
Firm flesh, dressed in red.
And all the time,
Under the surface,
A maggot worming to the core.

The fruit-full heart,
Seed pitted with hate
Despising Spring’s blossom
For her youth, her hope.

Autumn holds no promise
Other than the bitterness of Winter.
The aging time.
The time of forgetfulness.

Let me hold myself out to you,
In the palm of my crone’s hand.
Let me watch you smile
Before you sleep. Eternity is

love that ever lasts.
No prison-time or
bleak purgatory promised to
a reflected soul.

When your lips kiss my skin
I will smile with the knowledge
Of everything good and evil.

And you will sleep.

Gone on tour

This week I am guest posting at

Kindle Obsessed.

catch my blog post on...

The Importance of Landscapes.

click the image to go!

or

http://www.kindleobsessed.com/uncategorized/guest-reviews/the-importance-of-landscapes-guest-blog-by-k-john/

#flashfiction 'Damage'

You see the issue with reality is, it doesn't obey a plot structure. Perhaps that is why we so often refer to 'losing the plot'; incidents just flare up and then fade, flare then fade and so on; this is how this story goes. There is no ending. Madness doesn't end. Sometimes, the story terminates temporarily in a dramatic whirl of blue flashing ambulance lights and failed ressucitation, but once the morning comes, the funeral done, like a creeping stealthy beast, Madness moves on to his next vicitim.

When Jimmy was fifteen years old, he walked in on the blade of a serrated kitchen knife holding his father hostage. The blade danced wildly before his father's eyes or maybe his father's eyes danced wildly before the blade; it was hard to tell where the glinting, flashing movement truly ended. Jimmy processed the image in the same way he watched a TV drama series; from behind the glass wall of suspended disbelief.

Even now Jimmy remembers the weight of his school books pulling at the straps of his bag; how the strap pulled the skin so painfully with tightness it cut into his flesh. Strange he should remember this detail when in front of him his father was stabbing the space between them with a knife.

"Get away! Get away! Don't let them take me. I won't go!"

Walking through a thick layer of reality, Jimmy walked towards the blade, strangely curious about the potential harm it might offer. He spoke to his father; a gentle, calming voice; the voice he might use with an injured animal or a harmed child. His father's head snapped round in a violent straining movement and with eyes, seemingly impossibly large his father glared at him, "Don't let it take me!".

His father slashed the knife, severing the bond between them, freeing Jimmy from the paternal umbilical chord. It was in this moment he knew he was truly alone.

Interview & Giveaway with Artist Leon Ridyard

Today it is my absolute pleasure to host an interview the lovely Mr. Leon Ridyard; brilliant artist, funny, charming and a great Twitter follow @DonaldFlake. Leon is embarking on a brand new way of life and within weeks of giving up the day job to follow his art and passion, he has been commissioned to paint a series of paintings for an esteemed European restaurant and is excited about some recent commissions from writers to do illustrative work.

Tell us a little bit about yourself?
I listen more than talk but I wouldn't consider myself as quiet or shy. I also like to work hard to achieve things and have a very warm and loving partner who gives me lots of support.

When did you start painting seriously? What's your favourite medium to work in?

started to paint landscapes when I moved to London. My early paintings provided an escape to all the dull temping jobs Iwas doing to bring money in. They took on a surreal quality, often mixing interiors of a house with exterior views. I started with Acrylic paint and recently discovered Windsor and Newton watercolours. I can't get enough because they retain a good quality colour whether you apply them in thin or thick layers. You can actually feel the difference in quality they have in comparison to cheaper paints.


What is your favourite subject to paint?

Landscapes has always been my main interest. I was brought up in a suburban town with lots of green areas near to the countryside. As a child i was always trundling around parks on my bike, often spending hours travelling to fields or woodland. Places where you could use your imagination to battle aliens or somewhere to look at insects and climb trees.

Who was your early influence? Whose work now inspires you?

I'll never forget the reproductions of paintings hung on the walls at my parent's home. I connect areas in the house where the pictures were hung. 'The hunters in the snow' by Pieter Bruegel. This was opposite the dining table. I saw it when I ate food with my family. People coming home after a days work, children playing. I love the trees with no leaves and crows. 'L'hiver' and 'Printemps' by Alphonse Mucha, paintings that gave me thoughts of safety and warm sunny days in the morning. 'Portrait of a boy (Rembrandt's son?)' by Rembrandt Van Rijn. This was a large reproduction surrounded by a traditional gold frame. For many years I actually believed it was an old painting and not a copy.
I'm currently inspired by painters Emma Haworth and George Shaw. I love the locations and atmospheres in their paintings. I also keep returning to the Tate Britain gallery to see the Romantic painters. I like studying the difference in leaves between Constable and Gainsborough's trees.

You've recently started working with author's on illustrations and book covers - how does this differ from your 'gallery' work and what do you enjoy about this type of project?

I've always though my paintings were easily transferable into print. I also have many other ideas which don't relate to landscapes and are purely illustrative. I have a lively imagination and am extremely romantic (in an artistic sense). I get excited when I open a book I've been reading for a while as if I'm embarking on a fantastic voyage to somewhere enchanted, even if its a dictionary. When creating illustrations I have to consider the reader and select an image that will reflect and enhance the environment and mood within a story. I'd love to work with more authors because I enjoy collaborating with others and welcome the challenge of adapting ideas to help enrich a preset narrative.

Describe your work space? Do you have any funny little rituals?

I work mostly in the kitchen on a table. I dream of having a studio. I have a ritual of putting the paint palette on my right hand side, being left handed I've often knocked it off the table or put my elbow into the paints in the past. I sometimes work with music but its not essential.

Favourite secret activity?

Dreaming. I have very odd dreams and I remember a lot of the details. Sometimes I remember one part and trigger a 'rewind made' where i remember the rest of dream.

Favourite film?

Most recently it was 'Norwegian Ninja'. It came out last year and is a mixture of Mighty Boosh and Wes Anderson.

Silliest thing you've done this month?

As I walked out of Costa coffee the other week I wandered what the people in the queue were laughing at. I got outside and realised I'd put my cycle helmet on backwards. It looks completely ridiculous if you wear it backwards.

Dinner party guests - you can have 4 dead or alive.
Rick Stien could be the cook, Vincent Van Gogh can bring the furniture, Mitch Hedberg for entertainment and Nina Simone for conversation/songs.

Giveaway - Leon is giving away 2 signed prints of his art work. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

Website http://4secondart.com/

An Open Letter of Love

(A letter from Sir Blake Beldevier to Mina Singer)


Dear Mina,

I remember the first time I saw you. I don’t think you noticed me. It was the first day of term and my first day at college. Vivien had sent me; she told me I would find the answer to the Holy Grail there. She laughed; a private joke.

You were reading Tennyson, your green eyes moving over the page like it was prey, your auburn curls pinned back with a small butterfly clip. I remember thinking, in the whole of The Realm, I had never seen anything as beautiful as you.

When I returned homethat evening to Vivien, she looked at me and she knew. Cupid’s arrow had struck so deep it caused a fever. For days I didn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. It was as if somehow on our first meeting, I had left myself by your side and what returned to Meadowlake was merely my shadow.

I longed to be the words beneath your eyes, your hand sweeping the wild curls from your face.

You will never know how much I blame myself for the events that happened; how much I believe my love for you upset the delicate balance of the divine universe. Time is not meant to bend to the hearts of man, history not rewritten on one mans wish.

But there is one thing that I need you to know and that is, I wouldn’t change a thing. No matter where my duty calls me, what demons and monsters I am charged to slay, which foreign worlds I travel, you will be with me because you are my heart.

Ever your humble servant

Blake Beldevier x


You can find out more about Blake and Mina's story at at http://www.theknighttrilogy.com/
or buy your copy at Amazon for JUST $0.99

The Forest of Adventures. 5* at Amazon.co.uk 4.5* at Amazon.com
4 consecutive weeks in 3 top bestelling 100 categories.

Review of 'Six Moon Summer' by S.M.Reine

Synopis:

Deep in the woods something has bitten.

Rylie is a teenager going through transition but it isn't quite the kind of change she had been expecting. Experiencing the angst of teenage isolation and social lack of acceptance, Riley discovers that being different isn't easy.

With a race against the clock to find a cure that will prevent her monstrous transformation, Rileys sets about a journey of self discovery, questioning every idea she has about herself.

Review:

What a refreshing change to the werewolf story / trope. This story explores the whole idea of identity and acceptance in adolescence. I Loved the idea of such a strong female protagonist and even though she is a complex character who challenges us to like her - this is a testement to this writer's ability to construct a fully developed character who is completely believable. A well executed book which is very competently written and publlished. Although familiar in it's setting and scenarios, Reine really twists our expectations and creates a great sense of tension and pace.

I think this writer has a brilliant future and I look forward to reading more in the series.

4.5/5.00 (Go out and support this writer because she is brilliant and the story is fab!)

You can get your copy at

The 'pleaseable' trope

Does your main character have to pleasingly sit within a certain trope'? Be believable?

This notion of 'believability' crops up in reviews of many writer's works and it is interesting. Readers (I am one of those too!) demand of a writer, the ability to construct believable characters with which we can relate, identify or at least understand and fathom - fit nicely into a recognised trope. Writer's want to write 'believable' characters; so you might think that this would be a happy marriage but ... notions of believability are highly subjective and a good writer will stretch and test the portrayal of characters in quest of reaching a truth, a unique voice.

Human beings (and therfore characters) are complex, multi faceted creatures with a whole pick and mix bag of traits, feelings, emotions and passions and faults. Now how faulted you find another human /character will depend on your own corrolative perspective; your own outlook on life. One man's selfishness is another man's execution of autonomy etc. etc.

I'm writing this after reflecting on comments that have ressonated across a couple of reviews; they've got me thinking quite deeply about the whole notion of characterisation and what readers demand from their characters.

This is particularly complex when writing YA fiction; afterall, even the loveliest teenager can display some highly irritating and annoying behaviours and not conform to our desired expectations. (I know; I spend all day everyday in the classroom with them. BTW and don't tell them - I kind of like them!)

When I set about writing 'The Knight Trilogy', I wanted to try and evoke a very true and real sense of being a teenager - a certain B side 'type' of teenager; my protagonist is a seventeen year old young woman; intelligent, complex, only child, prone to mood swings, impulsive changes of heart (Hmmm -doesn't ring a bell). She isn't your 'typically' portrayed teenage protagonist - to some readers, parts of her are unlikeable or seem cold - does this in turn distance the reader?

To an extent; yes. She is not every reader's cup of tea. She doesn't behave how we might want our lead character to behave; Some have read her behaviour as incredibly selfish and fickle, others see through that to see her as a strong independent female character pursuing what she desires rather than what is expected of her.

You see, I took a risk: I had my female character treat a very likeable, sweet, boy next door character badly, maybe even a little bit cruelly: But in defence, I believe it was done honestly. She falls instantly in love / lust with another boy and as some say 'just dumps' her lovely, sweet boyfriend - she's seventeen!! (I don't know about anybody else, but when I read over my 'prolific' journals of those years, I fell deeply, passionately, 'throw myself in front of a a speeding bullet', in love with a different boy once a month; sometimes there was even overlap. *coughs*)

The relationship she has with her mother is complex too and again, this has levied some criticism. You see, Mina's mother comes across to some as 'indifferent' and therefore 'unbelievable'. In reality, having worked with teenagers and their families for ten years, you'd be saddened to know how many parents are just that - indifferent. It's like a silent and invisible abuse.

Characterisation is therefore always going to be one of the writer's biggest challenge because of the whole paradox of art. I have a passionate love of modern art but even I fall into being one of the masses who don't really want to sit with a painting of 'reality' on my living room wall.

I never set out for my works to be purely commercial, I did aspire for them to be something more - a little more 'art' than 'dollar' (although, I have readjusted my hope that one day I might write like Umberto Eco - LOL)

And so, I believe that I have been successful in my intent. Some readers hate my characterisation / don't connect with my character which in my mind = successful characterisation; I have those readers who have instantly found her quirky, passionate, eccentric, independent behaviour utterly endearing and others who have found her cold, distant, erratic and selfish ; just like real life.