I'm over there!

This blog has now been combined with the Womagwriter one.  It's all a bit experimental at the moment.

My plan is that I'll include free to enter writing competitions, Wednesday word of the week, Insecure Writers' Support Group, information about writing for women's magazines, my own writing news, guest posts, other random stuff I think writers and readers may find interesting or useful and lots of photos. I'll use the number of comments to gauge which of those elements to continue with, and which to drop.

If you'd like to, as well as visiting the blog, you could follow me on Twitter, or Facebook, sign up for my newsletter (you'll get a free story if you do) or take a look at my website. You could even buy my books!

Art imitating art?

 Art is both human creative skill, and the results of that skill. The arts are different branches of creative activity. (Painting is an art, a painting is a piece of art, painting is one of the arts.)

The word can also be used to describe a skill or talent which doesn't produce a tangible result. For example the art of not being around when there's work to be done.

It's the first Wednesday of the month, so time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group post. You can sign up here if you're a an insecure writer, and/or would like to support those who are.

February's optional question is – Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

No – not a single one, but many. My grandma was a good amateur artist and my husband is a professional photographer, so naturally I have an interest in these two arts.

In my novel Paint Me A Picture, the main character learns to paint – which saves her life. She and I were both inspired by a trip to the National Gallery. (The cover artwork is by my husband.)

I've attended two writing workshops with a connection to modern art and sold the stories I started at each of them. One of my few historical works centres around a (fictitious) painting, several of my contemporary short stories involve paintings and painters.

I also use photos for, and in, my work. Leave Nothing But Footprints is a romance novel about photographers, and photographers appear in quite a few of my short stories. I also take photos when researching, to remind me of facts, views and feelings.

Ligneous

Ligneous means made of wood, or resembling wood, or just downright woody.

Trees are ligneous, as are some ladders and signposts, pencils, old ships, logs, doors, floors, church pews, garden fences, park benches and traditional Dutch shoes.

 What's your favourite ligneous thing?

Way

The word way has a lot of meanings. Way more than I want to try squeezing into this post. It can mean a path or track, a physical or metaphorical route somewhere, a plan or course of action. How we behave is our way of life. A ship makes way through the water.

An object may be split three ways, as might our attention. The way we feel is important, as can be the way we make our way in the world. Way might mean the normal course of events, or a specified state (which you'll soon get the way of). We enter buildings through the doorway, then later look for the way out. 

People can be in the way (or the family way) get out the way, or . We can even have it both ways.

For a long time I've liked to think I have a way with words – and now I can prove it's true! My latest short story collection is currently available at the introductory price of 99p (99c).

Can you think of more meanings of, and uses for, way?

Refulgent

Today's Wednesday word of the week comes from the wonderfully talented** Gary Davies*, of Maritime Photgraphic. He described this ferry as looking refulgent in her new livery.

Refulgent means 'shining brightly' or 'gloriously bright'. Do you think it's apt in this case?

*My husband.

**No, I'm not after anything ... this time!