Writer / Woodcarver / Tree-whisperer
I recently had the opportunity to interview Mandy Haggith. Wikipedia says, āMandy Haggith is an author, poet, and environmental activist.ā Mandy says, āI am a writer based in Assynt, in the north-west highlands of Scotland. My work includes poetry, fiction and non-fiction. My writing is mostly concerned with trees, bears and the sea, and I… Continue reading Interview With Mandy Haggith
Do We Need Escapist Fiction? You donāt have to be a Houdini-type to escape reality. In the 21st century, we are inundated with distractions and entertainment to divert us from and numb us to the harsher realities of global capitalism and its consequences. Most are inconsequential fripperies quickly forgotten once āconsumedā. What about Escapist Fiction?
Or "What Have Euphemisms Ever Done For Us?" (Euphemism: āThe substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensive, harsh, or blunt.ā Dictionary.com) I love the English language and the multitude of ways it can be used creatively to communicate, entertain and enrich our lives. Thereās no denying I can… Continue reading Tell it How it is?
The familiar adage āthe pen is mightier than the swordā is often quoted to suggest that the written word is more effective than violence in achieving political or social progress. But what of the power of vocabulary? The choice of which individual words to use can change the implied meaning, emotional impact and influence peopleās… Continue reading What’s in a Word?
Art: āThe expression or application of creative skill and imagination [...] producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.ā Oxford English Dictionary Creative people enrich our lives in so many ways, through their writing, music, paintings, sculptures, crafts, performance, fashion and films. Could you imagine life without them? Government funding notwithstanding,… Continue reading Do you want there to be art in the world?
For many years I viewed non-fiction books as boring. They contained no stories! At school and during my first time as an undergraduate, teachers and lecturers used textbooks in an attempt to force facts past my disinclined young mind. After dropping out of university I freed myself from the shackles of textbook ownership, apart from… Continue reading Discovering Non-Fiction Books
Everybodyās busy. Everyone I meet says they are. With so much to do in our Western, post-industrial lives, it is easy to resent being made to wait. It can seem like a waste of time, during which we are prevented from engaging in the many activities that fill the rest of our existence. Overstimulated, short… Continue reading Waiting is…
āThe road to hell is paved with works-in-progress.ā ā Philip Roth Often I have too many ideas about what to write and donāt know what to do with them. Scribbled thoughts abound in multiple notebooks, of which I have at least one per jacket or coat plus some spares to make sure thereās always one… Continue reading Works in Progress
In 1830, at the northeastern tip of the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands, on the shore of the picturesque village of Cromarty, Hugh Miller discovered imprints of life sandwiched between layers of rock 400 million years old. Last week, embraced by walls fashioned from the same sandstone, thirteen undergraduates gathered to marinate in time… Continue reading Creative in Crom-Arty
Firstly, I need to request that if you identify as an āaspiring writerā, you drop that term immediately. If you write, you are a writer. If you donāt feel confident with that label, and you must seek an alternative, might I suggest āimproving writerā? I recognise that most writers could fit into this category, but… Continue reading Book Recommendations for Improving Writers
Geoff King 