After a week in which I spent every evening in the black cavernous space behind the scenes in a theatre, and during the preparations for a week in which I will travel across Europe by train, tunnel, train, ferry, train, ferry and train, give a paper at a conference and return by very nearly the …
A post from the rain-forest
The rain-forest is creeping closer to the conservatory where I usually do my writing. However there is nothing tropical about the temperatures around here, and I am still not sure if it's really spring or not. It would be nice if I could spend the whole day sitting here watching the rain on the roof …
Spring or not?
I'm still not entirely sure that it's spring - the heating is still going on every morning, and at least one cat has gone back into hibernation this week. However, the apple blossom is more or less out so that's something. I've now written just over 38,000 words of 'The Coronation Quest' so I must …
It might (as well) be spring
It's a good idea to be cautious about the arrival of spring, as most Scots are only too well aware! But with two lovely bright weekend mornings having happened one after the other, I've definitely got the feeling that it might be time to crawl out of hibernation. That doesn't rule out the possibility that …
Why I wrote ‘Adventure on the Scotch Express’
The first impetus to write my novella ‘Adventure on the Scotch Express’ came from the re-enactment, in 2009, of a suffragette procession that had taken place in Edinburgh in 1909. I took part in the re-enactment myself, adorned with a sash in Women’s Freedom League colours (green, gold and white) in memory of my suffragette …
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Re-focussing
I realised, waking up last night in a panic, that November is now advancing on us very quickly. Unlike some people this doesn't remind me that Christmas is just round the corner, because I prefer not to acknowledge the existence of Christmas until a couple of weeks before it takes place. In my case the …
Lost month or, how can it be August already?
I was bemoaning my lost weekend on another of my blogs* when I suddenly found I had 'lost' a whole month on this one! I'm not sure what happened in July to make it go so fast. We were preparing for an Edinburgh Fringe show, and my full-time job was very busy, and I wrote …
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Motivation and the weather
This weekend I've observed a direct link between the weather and my motivation. It only serves to confirm a vague feeling I got a few years ago when we went to Barcelona on holiday, that I would quite like to retire to Spain if it wasn't for the food and the language barrier, which oddly …
Haunted
This spring I'm being haunted by Mary, Queen of Scots. Having finished the first draft of my latest novel, 'The Queen of Scots Mystery', I've now temporarily moved on to the task of sourcing props for - guess what? - an amateur theatre production of 'Mary Queen of Scots got her head chopped off' by …
Warming up weekend
When I call this 'warming up weekend' I'm certainly not referring to the weather, which is cold and wet with traces of snow. I don't feel encouraged to go out, and the only thing to do seems to be to sit in the conservatory and prepare for April's writing challenge. I did wonder whether to …
Cecilia Peartree - woman of mystery 