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peeps a-scoffin' al fresco pies
It’s sobering to think that while summer is celebrated in some parts of the world with music festivals, sporting tournaments, flower shows, fringe festivals, craft fairs, parties in the park, etc, people in other parts of the world are struggling to put nutritious food in their children’s bellies. And in yet other parts of the world, they are too busy firing missiles at each other. My poem, therefore, is sadly only about modern summer living in some parts of the world.
Falcon Theory
A Medieval Romance, a German Nobel Laureate, and Your Novella
What a medieval Italian falcon can teach you about writing compelling novellas, with a little help from 19th-century German literature.
The Joy of Lit Mags
Adventures in Short Fiction
While my first novel is tentatively making its way towards agents who already have too much to read, I’ve been wondering which other slush-piles might need feeding, and I’ve discovered the wonderful world of literary magazines.
What can a lowly independent writer do?
What can a writer do to promote their work?
Automated Pollination and Unexpected Ecosystem Interactions
When science fiction meets satire: A hypothetical field study on pollination drones and an unexpected complication.
How many can you identify?
Time to put your knowledge to the test! How many of these fifteen novels can you recognise just from their opening lines?
In The Summertime
Aim for two point seven five
An old man's visit to the barber
The Querying, the Phone Call and the Edits
What's it like to get an offer of representation from a literary agent? What can the author-agent relationship look like?
Danger! Danger!
Where the Little Things Rule
What do locals dread most in Borneo's rainforest? Cobras? Nope. Sun bears? Nah. Clouded leopards? Not quite. Reticulated pythons? Think smaller...
A visit to the Isle of Wight
COVID restrictions eased, so we made a dash for freedom.
What does success look like?
What does success look like, and is it even achieveable?
A Daughter's Sacred Sacrifice
A goddess sacrifices herself to become crops after her brother's mischief brings famine. Today, her spirit lives on in festivals across Sabah, reminding us to treasure every grain. #FoodStories #IndigenousWisdom #Borneo
The Stories in the Stars: the stories in us
Katie-Ellen Hazeldine is a professional Tarot practitioner, writer and blogger in the UK, and has been an active member of Litopia since 2014.
Nobody Else’s Girl
She day 'ave enny otha bugga
A hapless man's quest for love through British accents.
When local heros organise to bring medical care to their town, no sacrifice is too great
This is for the litopia social postings-not my own. I dont have any in my own name yet.
When I Think of Blue
Art and Music in All its Blueness
When you think of art and music in all its blueness, do you think of Joni Mitchell? Consider not her 1971 classic album, but 1994's Turbulent Indigo...
Her Beautiful Smile
Her name was Meena
Sad memories of a tragic little girl I met briefly many years ago.
Because everyone deserves to be their own hero
Self-esteem is not something you must strive for: it is something you're born with but have gradually masked. Learning how the mind works can help with that unmasking process, so you can begin to unlock your true sense of self-worth.
Be my, be my Beta.
Eyes on the prize.
Beta readers, the unsung heroes of the writing world, and why they need celebrating.
Great World Stories in the Stars
The Zodiac is a repository, a library of the world's greatest stories Here comes the season of Taurus, the second sign of the Zodiac, the Bull of Venus in all its green and verdant beauty. Taurus tells many a springtime love story, and a lot more besides...
The Long, Medium and Short of It
How can questions drive plot? Here’s a summary of what I’ve learned.
The Untidy Desk
A Villanelle
In an effort to repossess the poet’s soul I sold to Reality thirty years ago, I tackled a form with some constraint. Like a penance for my neglect all these years. So here's a Villanelle, initially as perplexing to me as her namesake in Killing Eve.
Character
Wants, Needs and Imperfections
Character arcs and emotional journeys...does your MC change and develop throughout your novel?
Shoeless garden frolics
Treasured memories of an April day in 2023.
Plotting
What I've Learned
What do bestsellers have in common? Which plot structure is the most popular in western culture? And what exactly ARE the four cornerstones of plot?
Using Perception and Mouth Feel to Increase the Palatability of Plastics
When science fiction meets satire: a flash fiction piece presented as a summary of a scientific study where we "solve" ocean pollution by...convincing people to eat plastic. #FlashFiction #FutureAbstracts
Research
Research: Google, books, experts and jumping out of helicopters...how far do you go as an author when it comes to ensuring authenticity?
???????? Spring Equinox = a cosmic reset! Aries season is here, launching a bold new astrological year. The Ram brings fire, courage & the call to adventure. Writers, take note: every great story begins with I am. #AriesSeason #ZodiacForWriters #SpringVibes
You Don’t Know Me
On The Honest Authors’ podcast, Gillian McAllister once mentioned that she was asked, “Do you really think that?” about something controversial she’d written in one of…
Merlin
A carved wooden statue of Merlin stands in Carmarthen town centre. A mythical Celtic shaman, he was a constant in British folklore between the 5th and…
How to Wait Patiently
Hospital appointments, an altercation in the street, thirty-six hours in A&E, rejections and procrastocleaning - it's not been the best week. But writing makes everything better.
Dates For Your Diary
Litopia’s Book Club, run by @Jason, is an unmissable monthly event. There are – happily – lots of book clubs around. But none like ours. Quite…
We are now in Pisces Season. But what are its stars, what’s the ancient story behind it all, and what does it mean for writers? Time to…
Of the many jobs I’ve juggled, my latest presents a unique challenge. Sabah, in Malaysian North Borneo, is popular with Korean tourists. Five hours south of…
Well, it’s been in discussion for years, but the man behind the curtain X’d (I guess you can’t say tweeted anymore?), that the American penny should…
Bear With Me! Okay, this is probably a weird analogy but this is how my (bird-brained!) mind works. So, in terms of the title question, I’ve…
Bonnie Bethany
Life unfolded
A poem about a childhood memory concerning a friend's family.
Dems the rulez
Once again, I find myself writing about an argument I stumbled upon on X (Can’t they agree on anything over there?) and I just had to…
Murmuration
Blackpool has a long tourist season that runs from Easter to Christmas each year, but the biggest seaside spectacular takes place throughout the winter months when…
Humans vs AI
Okay, I know it’s not a war. Us against the machine. I’m not I-Robot-ing or being all dramatic. Or am I? What I do know is that I'm angry. Like gut-level something-is-very-wrong-here angry.
Astrology for writers? Yes, because it’s the ancient source of all the world's great story Archetypes…
If you want to be traditionally published, the chances are that you’ll need a literary agent. Their job is to sell your book to a publishing…
A book table is not for the TikTok folk, there’s no prestige in it. It’s mostly just for you!
Identity Politics
Pulled pork, whiskey, and a hard lesson in empathy. A chance encounter in Indiana taught me more than I bargained for. Read on for the story I’ll never forget. ???????? #EmpathyMatters
You often hear that books are "fast-paced", "slow burn" or "saggy in the middle"... but what exactly do we mean by "pace" - and why is it important?
Writing As A Job…
For me, getting traditionally published simply isn't worth it anymore
Because Something Is Happening Here, But You Don't Know What It Is Do You, Mister Jones?
The year 2025 is when we will see the “traditional” publishing model start to break down and be reconstructed as something entirely new...
My First Crit
My First Crit... Do you remember your first time? Was it exciting? Were you nervous? Did you just want to get it over with?
An indie author often lives or dies based on their books’ ratings and reviews. Okay, maybe that was a touch dramatic. Often, it’s a case of…
Writers are by definition people of heightened sensitivity. The coming period will not be easy on our minds or souls. So let’s get some self-defence measures in place