WARNING: THESE POSTS POTENTIALLY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR ALL MY BOOKS!

The Write Stuff – Writing Tips To Help You Complete Your Book. Tip #2 – Slowly But Surely

Writing a book is like running a marathon. When the starting gun goes off, or when the miles start to take a toll on your body, if all you think about is the finish line you can easily become overwhelmed. That end point is so far away. Don’t think about how many words you still have left, how many pages remain ahead of you.
Instead, focus on reaching whatever milestone keeps you writing.

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I’m Not Much Into Health Food Or Why Escape (The Piña Colada Song) Isn’t The Trifling Novelty Tune You Think It Is

Although it’s often written off as a goofy novelty song, Escape is a remarkable piece of writing, succinctly painting a picture of domestic drudgery on par with the driest Woody Allen observational comedy. This fable about a dying marriage has unexpected depths. Just how alluring is the the text of the personal ad that seduces the narrator? And learn how the titular cocktail was a late addition to the lyrics.

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A Voyage To My Father

I spent years blaming my father for our distant relationship, telling myself that he didn’t ‘know’ me.
But it wasn’t his fault. Dad didn’t know me because I’d never given him the chance. When he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer I decided to change that.

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5 Reasons…All Fictional Characters Have Super Powers

Some fictional characters are dubbed “super heroes” because their abilities outstrip others in their world. But compared to we mere non-fictionals every character in fiction is extra-ordinary. From extreme resilience to harm both physical and emotional to the ability not to poop, read five reasons every fictional character is super.

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Thriller by Michael Jackson LP and cover.

Celebrating…Michael Jackson’s Thriller (40 years old today)

The success of the biggest selling album of all time began three years earlier. Prior to 1979’s Off The Wall, Michael Jackson was most famous for being part of The Jacksons, even though over the course of the 1970s he had released four solo albums and 13 singles, including the US #1 international hit Ben. However, Off The Wall was Jackson’s first “adult” record, the 21-year-old keen to produce something grown up that sounded different from the music he was making with his brothers.

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Harry Potter and the Closet of Secrets or How JK Rowling Failed In Giving The World a Gay Hero

JK Rowling has become a troubling figure for many LGBTQI+ folk. I know Potter fans who have been stuck in a fierce struggle, trying to reconcile their cooling feelings for the author with their connection to a world they loved, to someone they gave rainbow credit for announcing in 2007 that her creation Albus Dumbledore was gay.
I’m not among those struggling. I’ve not read any of Rowling’s books. I’ve never been more than a casual fan of the Potter films. I’ve never idolised their author. And I never thought she should be given any rainbow credit for Dumbledore’s homosexuality because Dumbledore is not gay.

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Transgender flag

Get Your Hands Off The T or Why I Cannot With Rainbow Transphobia

Some of the worst opposition to trans rights comes from within the rainbow, including groups like the LGB Alliance who see themselves under threat from “new ideologies” and have literally dropped the T from the traditional acronym.
Their agenda is just the same old exclusionary message, wrapped up in rainbow-rights drag, the very same things I’ve fought against my whole life. To all trans people: I get it. I’m with you. How can I help?

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