Ray's Blog: September 2008

It’s a strange paradox that at a time when so many people profess not to believe in God, religion appears to be a subject enjoyed by the masses in almost all forms of multi-media. To mention but a few examples, we’ve had the stage-shows Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell; the book The God...

Posted at 19:12pm on 29th September 2008

6 Comments

This is the last Post in this Series. Over the past few weeks you’ve been learning how to Plot your Story. Complete the process of writing your book by subscribing FREE to the next series.

SUBSCRIBE NOW *FREE* TO THE NEXT SERIES: CREATIVE WRITING – CRAFTING THE STORY. Your contact details will be kept secure at...

Posted at 17:49pm on 26th September 2008

Watching the UK’s Channel 4 TV programme Dispatches on the human cost of the credit crunch was heartbreaking. First there was the man (Jamaican, I think) who’d worked all his life on the buses. Masking his...

Posted at 08:23am on 24th September 2008

At what point do you decide if you’re going to like the book you’ve picked up to read? Almost certainly, it will be by the time you’ve reached the bottom of the first page. If the narrative hasn’t hooked you by...

Posted at 18:36pm on 20th September 2008

What do you think of when you read of mothers raising children without fathers? Does it incite you to indignation? Rage? And if so, against whom? The mothers who so ruthlessly exploit the benefits system with serial offspring by...

Posted at 22:45pm on 17th September 2008

The article that follows was written more than a year ago, when the true story of global recession was only beginning to unfold. Now, nearly fifteen months later, governments of all nationalities face unprecedented levels of indebtedness. And levels of unemployment, we’re told, are still set to rise. If you are one...

Posted at 17:56pm on 15th September 2008

I thought that in memory of all who lost their lives, and those who lost loved ones, I would reproduce the comment I left on The New York Times online.

I expect, like me, you've been thinking about the terrible events of seven years ago. But can you remember...

Posted at 22:52pm on 11th September 2008

I’m sorry I’m rather late with this week’s How-to of Creative Writing. I’ve been developing my website in the hope that it will make it easier for visitors to navigate. Also, I wanted to make sure that my readers – you! – understand what it’s all about. I hope you’ll take a look around and...

Posted at 17:35pm on 10th September 2008

Hi Mel,
I’ve just finished your book and I’m most impressed! Quite seriously, you made the point in the interview at the end that one of your aims was to get people to identify with incidents or people or attitudes in the book. May I say that there were two points of this kind...

Posted at 09:40am on 9th September 2008

Okay – so you don’t want to be the first. I understand that! BUT IT'S NOW DAY 5 OF THE COMPETITION, WITH ONLY 23 DAYS LEFT TO GO!

This is a bit like having a primary school birthday party when all the other children are too shy to come in. Remember that? When your guests...

Posted at 08:53am on 7th September 2008

The recent death of Dave Freeman aged 47, author of 100 Things To Do Before You Die, has prompted a flurry of posts on various sites.

Come on everyone! Today is Day 3 of the COMPETITION I launched on Wednesday.

Post your comments showing the top 5 Things You Want To Do Before You Die and...

Posted at 15:48pm on 5th September 2008

Child pornography may not be everyone’s ideal Sunday evening viewing (UK - BBC1 – Fiona’s Story), but it is, sadly, a topical subject. The problem, to my mind, is the way it was dramatised. Am I the only one to feel that it was all very unsatisfactory? Both...

Posted at 10:21am on 2nd September 2008