One Breath at a Time

 Tell Me A Story

Reflection

Some mornings, the world feels like it wakes up before I do — racing ahead while I’m still fumbling for coffee and clarity. 

Today was one of those days. But instead of chasing the pace, I sat by the window and watched the light creep across the wall. 

It struck me how often we rush through the gentle beginnings, eager for momentum. Yet there’s something quietly powerful about easing into the day, letting your mind catch up with your body. 

Not every morning needs to be productive. Some simply need to be lived, one slow breath at a time.

Tell Me a Story - Book Review

Tell Me A Story

This week I read The Comfort Book by Matt Haig — though “read” feels too formal a word. 

I dipped into it, really, like a hand into a bowl of warm water. It isn’t a book you race through; it’s one you keep nearby for those murky, muddled moments when your thoughts feel too loud. 

Haig’s reflections are gentle but firm, like a friend who won’t let you spiral too far before saying, “Come back. Breathe.” 

It’s a reminder that comfort doesn’t always come in grand gestures — sometimes it’s a quiet page, waiting patiently to be opened.

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A Breath of Fresh Air

Yesterday, I went for a walk promising myself “just fifteen minutes of fresh air.” 

You know the kind — when your to-do list is breathing down your neck and stepping outside feels almost rebellious. 

Five minutes in, I passed a little boy walking a dog who was at least four times his size. 

“He thinks he’s in charge,” the boy whispered to me, conspiratorially. The dog glanced back, offended. 

And just like that, I felt lighter. It reminded me that control is often an illusion — and sometimes letting life tug us along leads to the best moments.

 

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Writing Advice

When I’m stuck on a story, I remind myself that perfectionism is just fear wearing a tidy outfit. It whispers that the sentence isn’t right, that the idea’s not ready — but really, it just wants me to stop. 

The trick, I’ve found, is to lower the bar. Write the clunky version first. Let clichés and half-thoughts spill out. 

Once they’re on the page, the real writing begins — shaping, cutting, polishing. 

You can’t edit a blank page, but you can rescue a messy one. Some of my best ideas began as something I almost deleted. Almost.

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I finally read Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, and I can see why everyone’s been talking about it.

Elizabeth Zott is one of those heroines who makes you want to stand a little taller — sharp, stubborn, gloriously out of step with her time. 

I loved how Garmus blended humour with heartbreak, showing the quiet battles women fought just to be taken seriously. 

It’s funny, too, how a book set in the 1960s can still feel like it’s talking to us now. I closed it feeling inspired — and slightly annoyed that I didn’t write it first.

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 Reflection

Lately, I’ve been thinking about how we measure progress. Not the big milestones — book deals, awards, followers — but the quiet ones. 

Like when a scene finally clicks after days of wrestling with it, or when I sit down to write even though I don’t feel like it. 

Those moments don’t make headlines, but they’re the heart of it all. They remind me that persistence is often quieter than passion, and that’s okay. Some days, progress is simply keeping the pen moving — trusting the words will meet me halfway.

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To outline or not, that is the question... 

There are authors, who refuse to outline their work before starting – and are often outspoken about their methods. They claim that if they make a plan, and already know what’s happening, the writing won’t be natural. Instead, they start the story with an incident, and let the whole thing develop.

The method undoubtedly works for some - for experienced writers who’ve trod the long and dusty path and understand the problems. 

The problem is, can YOU recognize a quality conflict that will continue unfurling for the next 80,000 words, or will yours be electrifying to begin with, only to end in a blind alley. It’s too easy to start with a bang and a flourish of bright ideas, only to wither at chapter four.

Tell Me a Story - A Garden Moment

Tell Me A Story


My Garden in Autumn


All writers need a muse of some kind to help the flow of creative juices. I find the peace and tranquility of a garden hard to beat when it comes to inspiration.

Come with me for a walk around my October garden and let me know what you think.

The Pink Bignonia at the back of the kitchen. It's done better this year than ever before. It gave us quite a flowery show - a nice greeting every time we went through the kitchen door.

I have to trim the ivy hedge too often for my liking, but it nicely separates the work area from the garden. I need a work area to store excess building materials, and of course the firewood for the winter.

We almost lost this cycad last winter, but it thankfully recovered and seems to be okay now. Hope it survives because it looked lovely when it was in full spread, especially with the pampas in the background.

One of my favourite spots in the garden. Give me a tall glass of something cold, a laptop, and I'm well away.

The purple ground cover, Tradescantia Pallida, has gone berserk this year - but it is rather stunning, so we let it do it's thing. Right or wrong, it'll be cut back to stumps in a few weeks, but it seems to do it good. We cut it back most years and it appears to be thriving.

The pool is still sitting at 26C because of the cover - but it's a tad on the low side for me. I like it around 30C.... wimp that I am...

SEI GWEI - New Kid on the Block - Horror Genres

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A touch of horror - Sei Gwei.

Over the years, numerous fantasy creations have been used to perform the role of adversaries in horror stories; the creation being the vehicle to be ultimately afraid of, to become the focus of terror.

Although each author will put a unique stamp on their horror creation, in general they can be summarised as follows:

• Werewolves - shape-shifting beasts often associated with abnormal speed, power, and perception. They are found in numerous horror/fantasy stories, shows, and films, and have a long and rich history. 
• Vampires - Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula is probably the archetypal vampire novel and is the basis of the modern vampire legend, still used today. 
• Zombies - The history of the Zombi really stems from Haitian stories involving Voodoo, where they quite often used powerful psychoactive drugs. The Zombi has evolved into its own strange entity no longer needing chemical stimulation to exist.
• Mummies - have featured in fantasy stories from the seventeenth century, but it was during the late Victorian period that Bram Stoker created the first novel with mummies as supernatural adversaries in The Jewel of Seven Stars, with a mummified Egyptian queen. 
• Supernatural - Ghosts in any form always a good fallback and have been used to frighten people of all ages for many years

New adversary-kid on the horror-block is Sei Gwei.

The word, derived from Chinese culture, has a literal meaning of dead ghost, although modern usage sees it applied as a derogatory term for foreigners. 

In the horror story, Sei Gwei Possession, the malignant entities are elevated to a different level and introduced as parasitic wraiths. They are not ghosts, but parasitic entities that live by occupying and controlling, unsuspecting human hosts, forcing them to become cannibals. 

The Ultimate Writers retreat - Emerald Waterways Cruise

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So where do writers go to recharge their batteries......

We tried a Danube river cruise this year and were very impressed. The line we chose was Emerald Waterways - relatively new to the river cruise scene, and wow, are they intending to make their presence felt.

We felt like royalty as were greeted aboard by the assembled staff. Luggage was never touched by our hands, and a personal smiling guide to our cabin, showed all the features it had on offer. 

Small touches were really appreciated, such as slippers, dressing gown, an alarm clock, chocolates on the pillows each night, towels changed twice a day, and the cabin cleaned as soon as we left.

Headphone links for guided tours were provided so that we never missed a thing, and there were cycles available for anyone feeling the need. All staff, including senior staff were always available to offer help, and as a bonus, the food was always great.

Will we go again - certainly. Will we choose Emerald Waterways again - absolutely.