Jacinta’s Spring Blossoms
How writing is expanding my horizons plus building my community
I am feeling productive of late — maybe because it’s a growing time of year. Here in the UK, where I live, trees unfurl bright green leaves and many are weighed down with blossoms in shades of white and pink — it’s beautiful (so long as you don’t suffer from hayfever). I spotted these bluebells on one of my daily walks.
I didn’t write so much for Microcosm, only managed one of their March music prompts, I doubt I’ll do better with April’s tricks and deception. I did even worse by Redemption, not crafting anything transgressive last month, although I support them by reading what other people post.
Another of my recipes was recently added to Kitchen Tales and I’ve plans for more cooking reminiscences going forward.
I was practically occupied last month with re-organisation. After joining the fun publication Life After Work I shared one of my pastimes aside from reading & writing — posting about repurposing and up-cycling.
It’s an absolute pleasure to continue writing Courtly Love each week, ready to publish on a Friday. I’ve used Medium’s handy list function so that all episodes are together, but can hardly believe my twelfth chapter went live this week. Traditional folk tales and legends are my inspiration for its story development but a recent foray into the popular game Dungeons and Dragons influences my plot modelling a little. With respect to all dungeon masters for how they roll out the narrative as it’s played, I need peace and quiet and a delete button to successfully weave my intrigue and action!
I’ve recently dusted off a YA serial I wrote a few years ago — it’s being hosted on Fictions. From my early fascination with Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew shows and enjoying watching Goosebumps with my own kids, there’s a vibe I’ve tried to capture.
A teenage boy J dreamwalks, encountering kids who have been terrified by a menace they can’t name. Once he’s awake J discovers that everyone he met in dream form becomes a hollow shell after their encounter, which makes him determined to find the source of their demise. The One You Let In — all chapters so far are here.
More people are following me all the time, for which I’m very grateful. Sometimes I’ll get suckered in by clickbait headings, especially as I want to know how to write better and grow my audience. However, I’m not a follow-for-follow person, preferring to sift through for those who write in the genres/ style I enjoy as a reader.
Today I discovered Fiction Friends — twice! Larissa Capella recommended them and E. Ardincaple invited me to join, and I have to applaud the genius of their idea. Medium is a great place for becoming part of a community but is less geared up for encouraging the consumption of fiction than other types of writing.
Book Recommendations
Last month I read book #5 in the Shadowhunter series by Cassandra Clare, which was just as gloriously strewn with young love, passionate obsession and magical danger as I’d remembered. I followed it with White Trash Warlock — the first in a series by David R Slayton, as I wanted more on the same magical supernatural theme, and it didn’t disappoint.
For a palate cleanser, I immersed myself in Edwardian melodrama with Mrs England by Stacy Halls. I was enthralled by her previous two books, which had equally strong female characters with dark secrets. Where The Familiars implied witchcraft Mrs England uses brooding, toxic relationships to great effect.
Fantasy Fiction with an dark slant …
New Spin on a Traditional Fairytale …
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