Blog: Mel's Muse - Related to Books, Reading & Words
Misery Memoir Genre: Do Grim Novels Dominate Book Market?
Posted: Wednesday, 14th July 2010
As an author I am, naturally, interested in the book market. Consequently, when I was shown a newspaper article a few months ago by a friend, about the continuing proliferation of misery memoir metamorphosing into a novel, I read it, avidly.
MISERY MEMOIR: WHAT IS IT?
The misery memoir genre came to prominence in the late 1990’s, with books like Frank McCourt’s Angela’s Ashes – a literary masterpiece about the author’s grim childhood in Ireland – and the more controversial, A Child Called It by David Pelzer. Describing the abuse suffered at the hand of his alcoholic mother, Pelzer’s account was later refuted by his brothers and grandmother.
Articles on related themes: Creative Writing; Writing & Publishing A Book; Books, Reading & Words
Traditional Book Marketing Campaign v Marketing My Book Through Social Media
Posted: Monday, 3rd May 2010
If you’re selling a product or service, can you conduct your business solely through social media? More to the point, if you’re an author, like me, can you sell books using only the internet? And if you replace the traditional means of marketing your books with internet marketing, are you in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater?
I ask because of a series of events that have occurred, recently.
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH READERS
My husband, Paul, and I have just returned from a weekend visiting friends. We had a great time.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Writing & Publishing A Book; Article Writing & Blogging
Book Promoting & Christian Integrity
Posted: Tuesday, 23rd March 2010
You’ve finished writing your novel, your bestseller, and had it published. So now what? How do you market your book, or promote it?
You understand the need to bring it to the attention of the book buying public – your readers.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
UV READERS' GROUP - Next Meeting 4th March 2010
Posted: Tuesday, 9th February 2010
VENUE
Please note that we are no longer meeting at The Grand because of the cost of the room. Please ring me for details of our current venue.
TIME
Please note, also, that a typo occurred in the last bulletin. We have not met at 7pm for some time - we now meet at 7.30pm
BOOK
Return of the Prodigal by Henri Nouwen. Inspired by Rembrandt's painting, the author describes his own inner journey, and urges readers to do likewise. Copies will be available next week in The Link, or direct from me.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Book Club / Readers Group
The Reluctant Fundamentalist Discussion Questions - MEL'S ONLINE BOOK CLUB
Posted: Thursday, 21st January 2010
Hi! I’m really excited about this new Online Book Club, which is starting today, and hope that you will be, too. The beauty of being a member of a readers’ group is that it encourages you to read books you might not, otherwise, have picked up.
But reading can be a solitary pursuit. Half the pleasure of being a reader is having the opportunity to enthuse, criticize and discuss the books you’ve read. In his book, Aspects of the Novel, E.M.Forster declares that a novel is a story that takes place over a period of time.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group
A Christmas Gift For All Year Round
Posted: Thursday, 24th December 2009
I was reading, this week, a short piece titled: Right People Get It Wrong. The writer cited two extremes in the range of good and evil: those who appear to live selfless, sacrificial lives; and those who are utterly unconcerned about the damage that they do to others. But the gist, the moral, of the article, was that we should, none of us, be too quick to label people as one or other. We can be too swift in ‘filing’ people in categories of good or bad, or even writing them off altogether, said the author.
GOOD AND BAD
I thought, immediately, of my daughter.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Personal Growth; Inspirational
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Chapter 3 Part 2 - The Tug Of Two Loves
Posted: Wednesday, 9th December 2009
Catch up with the story so far in Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week. For a free prompt to follow the story to its conclusion click the Subscribe button on the right.
BANKRUPT – IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE!
Early one winter evening, as I was putting the children to bed, James arrived home with the sort of commotion that announced that he was drunk. There was nothing unusual about his condition; it was only the time of day that surprised me.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Marriage; Inspirational
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Chapter 3 Part 1 - The Tug Of Two Loves
Posted: Sunday, 29th November 2009
Catch up with the story so far in Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week. For a free prompt to follow the story to its conclusion click the Subscribe button on the right.
Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Rom 12:2
BIRTH AND NEW BIRTH
“Well? What d’you think?” James leaned against the French windows from the conservatory, awaiting my reaction.
I surveyed the garden which looked a small park.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Marriage; Inspirational
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Chapter 2 Part 3 Lost And Found
Posted: Wednesday, 25th November 2009
Catch up with the story so far in Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week, with a link from one to the other. For a free prompt to follow the story to its conclusion click the Subscribe button on the right.
SCHISM
During the months that followed my second visit to hear Billy Graham, my faith deepened and widened as I became more aware of God in my life. At the same time, I came to a better understanding of what my commitment meant.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Marriage
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Part 2:2 Lost & Found
Posted: Thursday, 19th November 2009
Arguing a case against Jesus’ claims about eternal life, Megan is brought face to face with the truth that it is her pride which prevents fulfilment of her inner yearning. A second visit to a Billy Graham rally sees her accepting that even a good friend is no substitute for faith. Only a life saving treatment will suffice. But what will it do for the gulf in her marriage.?
Catch up with the story so far in Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Marriage; Relationships; Inspirational
Sexism & Wonderbras: What In The World Of Books Have They In Common?
Posted: Friday, 13th November 2009
"Publishing takes men more seriously than women; female writing is regarded as second tier,” Lionel Shriver says in a Daily Telegraph article on sexism in the world of books.
Ms Shriver, born Margaret Ann Shriver, is an American
journalist, and author of the acclaimed novel, We Need To Talk
About Kevin.
Articles on related themes:
Books, Reading & Words
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Part 2:1 Lost & Found
Posted: Thursday, 12th November 2009
With marriage, babies and moving house having failed to still the inner yearning in Megan’s life, she feels sure that her new friendship with Eileen must be the answer. Especially when Eileen invites her to hear Billy Graham. Eileen has a faith in God which Megan finds enviable. Eileen knows Jesus as her Saviour and Lord. Can Eileen change Megan’s life for the better?
Catch up with the story so far in
Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in
parts, two or three times a week. For a free prompt to
follow the story to its conclusion click the Subscribe button on
the right.
Articles on related themes:
Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Marriage; Inspirational
British Law Undermines Parental Authority: Novel Shows How
Posted: Tuesday, 10th November 2009
I wrote, last week, about the sad story of Kate Walsh who, at the tender age of sixteen, became a heroin addict and died, alone in a dirty squat. Her parents had asked, repeatedly, for help from various authorities and received none. They had, as the Coroner described it at Kate’s Inquest, fallen into a ‘grey area’.
Since it highlights that grey area, I thought it might be
helpful, this week, to reproduce part of the interview at the end
of my book, A Painful Post Mortem.
Articles on related themes:
Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Current Affairs
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Part 1:3 The Inner Yearning
Posted: Monday, 9th November 2009
With two babies only a year apart in age, Meg is as lonely as ever. Will moving house be the answer? For a while it seems a possibility. But as James’ career ambitions take him away from home once more, it seems that only a new friendship might fill that inner yearning.
Catch up with this true story so far in
Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two
or three times a week. You may wish to subscribe (for a
free prompt) to follow the story to its conclusion. Simply click on
the button on the right.
Articles on related themes:
Relationships; Marriage; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Inspirational
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Part 1:2 The Inner Yearning
Posted: Wednesday, 4th November 2009
Less than a year into Megan’s marriage to James, with her baby born and motherhood now a reality, the cracks which were apparent from the outset, are beginning to widen. As the swinging sixties begin to make themselves felt, the over-riding question is: can Megan find, in James, the love she craves?
Catch up with the story so far in Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning. It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week. You may wish to subscribe (for a free prompt) to follow the story to its conclusion. Simply click the button on the right.
MOTHERHOOD
James laid his newspaper down.
Articles on related themes: Relationships; Marriage; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Inspirational
Demise Of A Marriage: A True Story - Part 1:1 The Inner Yearning
Posted: Monday, 2nd November 2009
What follows is a true story, the real life story of a woman named Megan, who was raised in an era when to be married, to be a wife, was the pinnacle of aspiration for a woman. The expectation that you shopped, cooked, cleaned and raised children whilst your husband worked, played and waited to be waited on was rife. But, on the cusp of the hedonistic sixties, the expectation often failed to deliver.
It will be posted, in parts, two or three times a week.
You may wish to subscribe (for a free prompt) to follow the story
to its conclusion.
Articles on related themes:
Marriage; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Relationships; Inspirational
Authors: Tellers Of Tales, Weavers Of Dreams? Tap Into Your Childhood To Reveal And Nourish Hidden Emotional Creativity
Posted: Friday, 23rd October 2009
Why do writers exist? What is it about the human race that makes us want to be authors and readers? Tellers of tales, serialisers of stories, weavers of dreams: what compels us? Scriptwriters, dramatists, actors, theatre-goers, radio broadcasters and listeners? Why? What inner compulsion urges us on – those of us who share our inner selves – to make ourselves vulnerable? And what feeds that well of emotional creativity? What makes for great writing?
WHAT NURTURES & NOURISHES YOUR INNER SELF?
This is a serious question.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Self Help; Inspirational; Writing & Publishing A Book
How To Blog To Sell When Writing And Publishing A Book
Posted: Thursday, 15th October 2009
You’re an author and you have a book to sell. Selling in bookshops is one thing; selling online another. You have a question: which is superior, social media or search engines when it comes to promoting your work?
In my last blog post I concluded that, as a reader or researcher, I prefer the latter. It follows, therefore, that from the other side of the coin, as a book author, this is the method I would choose to use to promote my material.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Content; Writing & Publishing A Book; Blogging
Anti-Social Behaviour: Is It The Result Of Legislation Promoting Children's Rights?
Posted: Wednesday, 30th September 2009
Newspaper reports on the life and death of Fiona Pilkington and her disabled daughter make harrowing reading. Victims of abuse and anti-social behaviour by local youths, the lives of both were made a misery for years. However, despite making no fewer than thirty-three complaints to the police, her plight, and that of her daughter, was ignored. Until, unable to endure the situation any longer, she ended their misery in the only way she knew how: by taking her daughter to a remote place, and setting fire to the car.
I could weep for them both.
TACKLING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR? HOW?
Three points particularly interested me about the story.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
The Basic Rules Of English Grammar
Posted: Monday, 3rd August 2009
I came across the following rules of English grammar and, since no one seems to know where they originated, am reproducing them here for the benefit of writers and aspiring authors.
I’m not sure that I agree with all of them. How about you? Leave a comment at the end if you have anything to add or contradict in the following list.
- It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
- Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
- And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
- Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
- Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
- Avoid clichés like the plague. (They're old hat)
- Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Content
Free Psychometric Profiling Switch On As The Power Of Positive Thinking Is Unplugged
Posted: Wednesday, 22nd July 2009
The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, has electrified society for over half a century as the means of feeling valued and attaining success in life. Now, it appears, to have been unplugged – or at least to have suffered power failure and fizzled out! Despite an epidemic of positive thinking for the last fifty years, we are, says the World Health Organisation, heading for a pandemic of depression in little more than a decade.
Psychologists have discovered from case studies, that
repeating positive thoughts can, actually, be counterproductive
– especially for those who are most in need of a
psychological boost.
Articles on related themes:
Books, Reading & Words; Self Help; Personal Growth
Do False Expectations Of Marriage Cause Stepfamily Problems?
Posted: Wednesday, 8th July 2009
What follows is an excerpt from the soon to be published revised and updated edition of Mel's book, Stepfamilies.
It is a false premise to expect that any marriage can ever answer all of our needs. To think otherwise is a totally unrealistic ideal which is doomed to disappointment. And this, perhaps, is one of the prime reasons for the failure of so many marriages.
Articles on related themes: Relationships; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Stepfamilies
Marriage And Remarriage: When Two Halves Don't Make A Whole
Posted: Friday, 22nd May 2009
Following is an abridged and revised excerpt from Mel’s book Stepfamilies, which the BBC recently asked her to debate on the Richard Bacon show. In previous posts, the inference has been that unless the two people embarking on a second (or subsequent) marriage get it right, there is little chance of tackling other blended family issues, such as step-parenting.
Most marriages don’t add two people together. They
subtract one from the other.
Articles on related themes:
Relationships; Self Help; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Stepfamilies
Live With Less: How To Love Working To Live Rather Than Living To Work
Posted: Monday, 18th May 2009
I began this article a couple of months ago before Parliamentary Expenses took over as the latest UK soap opera escapism from the real story of boom and bust economics. So I wondered, this morning, whether it would still have any relevance; whether, in fact, it would resonate with you, my readers. But thinking about it, I see now that it is all part and parcel of the same malaise: an obsession with economic prosperity which completely masks the real values in life.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
Love And Commitment: The Basis Of A Stable Marriage
Posted: Friday, 15th May 2009
Last week, in my Friday series on Families & Parenting, which is currently focused on stepfamilies, I pointed out that if American author Charles Swindoll equated marriage to a house, then remarriage could be said to be like a conversion. I then went on to show why love, in terms of romance, is not always enough to get you through the grey days, and suggested that commitment – an act of will rather than emotion – was the answer.
Today, I’m going to continue with an outline of what traditional marriage and commitment have to offer.
Articles on related themes: Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Relationships
Stable Stepfamilies: Book Excerpt - Foreword
Posted: Friday, 1st May 2009
AS A SCHOOLGIRL, I loved history. Not the dry dates and wars of my school books, but the vital characters that strode right out of their pages straight into my imagination. People like Henry VIII of England, for instance. His marriages particularly fascinated me.
Articles on related themes: Relationships; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Stepfamilies
Creative Writing As A Means Of Illustrating Compulsive And Obsessive Behaviour
Posted: Wednesday, 15th April 2009
I hope you’re not going to lose patience with me, but I’m so impressed with Friedman’s Fables that, yet again, I’m going to apply one of them to a real-life situation, in what I call a ‘combi-blog’. Because it addresses not only a real life relationship problem but is also of relevance to writing fiction.
DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS FIXATED?
I was speaking with someone recently about the people we all encounter from time to time who seem to become fixated by some destructive notion or action and who, despite all our best efforts – yours and mine – appear to be incapable of changing that mindset.
Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Books, Reading & Words; Personal Growth
What Drives You: Final Instalment Of The Easter Story
Posted: Friday, 10th April 2009
Previous Episodes: What Drives You? Part I & Part II
The rev rave on the cliff top was no longer a happy blare of horns and engines but had taken on an entirely different ambience, bordering on what appeared to be mass hysteria. From where he stood, in the corner of the car park, the nearly-red little car could see it all. The down-turned bumpers; the gnashing radiators and whining engine noise; the water spurting from windscreen washers, only to be dashed away by swiping blades.
And the flowers! Garish displays of red and orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. He rubbed his headlights.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
What Drives You? Part II
Posted: Thursday, 9th April 2009
What Drives You? Part I
Now read on:
The rev-rave on the cliff top was a riot of music and laughter, as engines were tuned and horns were blasted. The little once-white-now-pink car was ecstatic; he’d never seen anything like it before. His little red car – he still thought of her as his, though she was surrounded by an adoring rally of other brightly coloured cars, all shiny and new – turned a loving gaze towards him.
His engine raced. He flipped his sunshine roof back and forth like the other cars, flashed his headlights and pooped his horn with abandon. The scent of high octane stardust was intoxicating.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
Fact, Fiction Or Fable: Is This A Sorry Story Of Fault-Finding?
Posted: Sunday, 15th March 2009
I wrote a few weeks ago about Friedman’s Fables, which my daughter gave me for my birthday. The book is a collection of short stories – very short at times – each of which highlights a specific pattern of human behaviour. Because of events in my family, one of the stories particularly caught my eye.
WHY DOES NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS?
My situation revolves around a decision made ten years ago by my parents and sister which has resulted in the breakdown of family relationships, plus financial consequences which have made my parents bitterly regret that decision.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Self Help; Relationships
Modern Morality: What Is Its Place In Contemporary Fiction?
Posted: Wednesday, 25th February 2009
What do you learn about life, characterisation, plot or theme from what you read, or watch on TV? Do you, in fact, analyse such elements as, say, individual responsibilities or manipulative behaviour? Or do you see drama and literature as merely entertainment?
I ask because my eldest daughter, knowing me well and being of similar mind, has sent me a book for my birthday. Titled Friedman’s Fables (read the Amazon review), it was written by the family therapist and rabbi, Edwin Friedman, who practised in Washington DC for over 35 years until his death in 1996.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Self Help; Assertiveness; Plot; Character; Theme
The Integrity Partnership Between Author And Reader
Posted: Monday, 23rd February 2009
I want to consider, today, something which is relevant to human life, in general; to personal development; and to all the relationships which touch on our lives. It’s an issue, however, which is of particular relevance to writers – whether you’re a novelist, an author of self-help books, a journalist, a biographer, or a blogger.
Take your time. Think it through. Because the question (and it is only one, viewed from two different angles) is profound.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Relationships
Are Biblical Truths Essential To An Author's Understanding Of The Human Mind And Behaviour?
Posted: Friday, 20th February 2009
Andrew Motion, the UK’s Poet Laureate (a person appointed by a government who is, typically, expected to compose poetry for State occasions) has reportedly said that, “Children should be taught the Bible throughout their education because it is an ‘essential piece of cultural luggage’ without which they will struggle to fully understand literature.” (The Guardian 17th February, 2009). He’s right, of course! From Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress to John Milton’s Paradise Lost, English classic literature is riddled with reference to the Bible stories we, once, all knew and loved.
I'd go further and suggest that this is not simply an issue for students of classical literature.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Writing & Publishing A Book
The Book Publishing Process Laid Bare
Posted: Sunday, 8th February 2009
What do you do if you can’t get your novel accepted by an Agent or Publisher? You’ve followed up every lead: the old boy in the Post Office who published a book on pre-war bus timetables via Agatha Christie’s gardener’s aunt.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Writing & Publishing A Book
Golliwog Banned: And TV Presenter Carol Thatcher With Him
Posted: Thursday, 5th February 2009
As a little girl, I owned a much loved golliwog. I have no idea who gave it to me, nor what their motive was in doing so. I can only conclude that it was a toy of its era, and that the gift was intended to please and delight me. And so it did! As did the enamelled golliwog badge I received from a well-known marmalade manufacturer, who, for decades, offered them as a free gift in exchange for tokens collected from the label on the jar.
Years later, one of my parents’ favourite TV shows was The Black and White Minstrel Show.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
Building Sustainable Relationships For Stepfamilies
Posted: Saturday, 24th January 2009
I hope you’ll forgive me! I’m afraid I’m going to take the easy way out today and simply upload part of a chapter from my Stepfamilies book, on the topic of building effective relationships with somebody else’s children. It’s been a difficult week; as I tweeted only today: my mother has fallen and broken her pelvis. To make it worse, she’s on holiday in Spain. Worse still, she is my dad’s Carer: he has dementia. (This is beginning to sound like the plot for a novel!) Lots of obstacles to be overcome.
Articles on related themes: Relationships; Self Help; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Stepfamilies
If You're Writing In The Passive Voice, Consider Revising
Posted: Thursday, 22nd January 2009
I wrote, yesterday, on the need to find your Voice, and illustrated how verbs may be used in the Active and Passive voice. Now I am no expert when it comes to grammar, and if there are those who know better than I, I would ask you to correct me please. However, I do know that persistent use of the passive voice in writing creates a clumsy and confusing narrative, which fails to have any impact on the reader, or to engage them in any way with the thoughts, words or deeds of the character.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Writing & Publishing A Book
What Does Passive Voice Mean In The Creative Writing Process?
Posted: Wednesday, 21st January 2009
I received a piece of work, recently, with a request to look it over and comment on it. It has prompted me to write on the subject of Voice, and the merits (or otherwise) of how it is used. There’s a little bit of grammar instruction necessary here, but I will illustrate my point afterwards with something more creative and interesting. First let me explain the point:
A verb may be active, or inactive (in which case it is called ‘passive’).
WHAT IS A PASSIVE VERB?
Grammar: (yawn!)
The passive voice is formed with a past
participle and the auxiliary verb to be.
Articles on related themes:
Books, Reading & Words; Writing & Publishing A Book
Let This New Year Be Your New Beginning
Posted: Wednesday, 31st December 2008
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I hope that 2009 will bring you good health and happiness. If you’re an aspiring author, let this be the year that you achieve success in publishing terms. And if you’re simply in need of a little love and understanding, may you find it where you least expect it. Read on . . .
DARK DAYS & DASHED HOPES
I was a young woman when, in the early nineteen eighties, I put pen to paper (literally) to form the first draft of what was to become my first book. Those were dark days for me.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff; Personal Growth; Writing & Publishing A Book
Seven Basic Plots: Part 3 - The Quest
Posted: Tuesday, 16th December 2008
I began this study on the seven plot lines that are said to be the basis of all stories, by examining what is meant by the rags to riches story, and that of overcoming the monster. Today I’m going to look at what it means to write about the quest.
THE QUEST
The Quest is the third of the seven plots, and may be described as a mission, an expedition, a hunt or a search for something. This may take the form of a mission to find something lost – perhaps a search for the lost lands of Atlanta, a Will, or buried treasure.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Plot; Writing & Publishing A Book
The Seven Story Plots: Parts 1 & 2
Posted: Sunday, 14th December 2008
It is said that there are only seven basic plots, to which all storylines adhere. Of these seven plot lines perhaps the best known is the rags to riches story. This, after all, is the basis of many of our favourite nursery rhymes and fairy stories. Think Cinderella, and Jack and the Beanstalk. In one the despised and downtrodden youngest sister gets her Prince Charming; in the other, the poverty-stricken Jack and his mother procure the goose that lays the golden egg.
BEST KNOWN: THE RAGS TO RICHES STORY
This rags to riches plot dates back many thousands of years.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Plot; Writing & Publishing A Book
Children In Divorce And Separation: A Christmas Tragedy
Posted: Tuesday, 9th December 2008
Christmas – traditionally the time of good cheer – is also, for many, a time of great sadness. Somehow, the fact that everyone is out to enjoy themselves seems to concentrate the mind when it comes to the tragedies of life. A train derailment or plane crash in the weeks leading up to the festive season appear all the more terrible precisely because it’s Christmas time. People talk about it for years to come.
WHAT HAPPENS TO CHILDREN WHEN PARENTS SEPARATE?
For many years that’s how it was for my family. Because Christmas day was remembered as the day my husband walked out on us all.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Family & Parenting; Relationships
Book Launch Generosity Nets Profits For Charities
Posted: Saturday, 6th December 2008
What a brilliant event the book launch on Friday was! It had been laid on by a couple who had recently ‘downsized’ to a sumptuous apartment, which comprised the whole of the ground floor of a huge Victorian mansion. Professional people, they had invited guests from all walks of life for a wine and cheese evening.
Articles on related themes: Speaking Engagements; Books, Reading & Words
A Painful Post Mortem - Book Launch
Posted: Friday, 5th December 2008
5TH December, 2008
BOOK LAUNCH in Torquay
This is to take the form of a
Wine & Cheese Party
By invitation only
Mel will be speaking about her career as an author
Articles on related themes: Speaking Engagements; Books, Reading & Words
Debate on BBC Radio 5 Live
Posted: Tuesday, 2nd December 2008
I’ve been asked to take part in the Richard Bacon programme on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday 2nd December from midnight until 1 a.m. The debate is: "Can step parents replace real parents?" Because I’ve written a book titled Stepfamilies, I’ve been asked to take the ‘yes’ side. Listen in if you want to put a voice to the name and face. And take a look at the first of a series of posts on the subject of Successful Step Parenting
Articles on related themes: Relationships; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words; Speaking Engagements; Stepfamilies
Healing And Forgiveness
Posted: Thursday, 6th November 2008
An article in The Times, last month, contrasted, without condemning, the reactions of two families who have recently been in the news. First was the story of the two young boys killed by footballer and drink driver Luke McCormick, whose family was unable to forgive him. And second was Carolyn Todd, the widow of Michael, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester who forgave her husband not only his affairs, but also his death on a mountain in Wales. In the same week, the British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, and Cabinet Minister, Peter Mandelson, showed us all (seemingly) how to forgive and forget in political circles.
Articles on related themes: Self Help; Life, Faith & Other Stuff; Books, Reading & Words; Forgiveness
Bloody Cheek - From A Faint Streak Of Humility!
Posted: Monday, 27th October 2008
Reviews of your book are something a writer looks upon with a sort of love-hate relationship. In a sense they’re the life-blood of a book: a good one serves the same purpose as a shot of adrenaline in the arm, or a stiff G&T, a poor one may do what a dose of flu might do; none at all, and rigor mortis will rapidly set in.
GOOD BOOK REVIEWS OUTWEIGH BAD
There are some who say that for every bad review you need seven good ones to counter it. Others declare that all publicity is good publicity.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words
Bereavement Poetry - Death is But a Door
Posted: Friday, 25th September 2009
THIS ARTICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED IN JULY 2008 AND COMMENTS WERE CLOSED IN JANUARY 2009. IT IS REPUBLISHED SO THAT YOU MAY LEAVE COMMENTS IF YOU WISH. IF YOU WISH TO USE THE POEM FOR A FUNERAL OR THANKSGIVING SERVICE, PLEASE SEE THE FREE REPRINT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE.
Because I had an anniversary coming up, I’ve been looking, recently, at websites specialising in grief, loss and bereavement. I lost my daughter some years ago, so I know what it’s like coping with grief. It hits you like a sledge hammer, when you least expect it. One minute you’re fine.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Bereavement
Dealing With Denial, Grief & Anger Following Bereavement
Posted: Saturday, 18th October 2008
I wrote last week about coping with the shock of losing someone you love, and said that numbness is a normal initial response following a bereavement. This is the body’s defence mechanism kicking in, to ensure that the ill-effects of trauma are minimised before they become overwhelming. Gradually, various emotions will then begin to seep into consciousness over a period of time.
However, it is vital that we understand that the process of mourning, following the loss of a loved one, is not the same for everyone. We have a natural tendency to assume that, to be real, grief must adhere to a certain pattern.
Articles on related themes: Bereavement; Books, Reading & Words
Birth Order - Middle Child
Posted: Friday, 17th October 2008
According to the Wikipedia website, one of the first people to suggest that birth order has an effect on personality was an Austrian psychiatrist, Alfred Adler. A contemporary of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, he argued that the way in which each of us tackles the major aspects of life – friendship, love and work – is greatly influenced by our birth order in the family.
Articles on related themes: Life, Faith & Other Stuff; Family & Parenting; Books, Reading & Words
The Initial Shock Of Losing Someone You Love - How To Cope
Posted: Tuesday, 14th October 2008
“Life,” said Lewis Grizzard, the original grumpy old man, “is a sexually transmitted terminal disease.”
It took me a moment or two to take it in when I read that statement. When the penny dropped, I laughed aloud. It’s just such a clever line!
And on a physical level, it says it all. Life – mine and yours – began with a sexual act, and without a shadow of doubt, it will end in death. In the Western world, that thought is something we shy away from.
Articles on related themes: Bereavement; Books, Reading & Words
Is Taking Risks In The Second Half A Good Game Plan For Life?
Posted: Monday, 13th October 2008
OLD AGE? YOU GOTTA LAUGH, BEFORE YOU DIE
Do you ever feel that there are times in your life when your body is trying to convince you that it’s closer to lights out than it is to reveille? You don’t, actually, have to be in your dotage to feel like this. Neither do the symptoms have to be the subject of tragedy. It’s all a matter of perception.
That seems to be the message of David Lodge’s latest novel Deaf Sentence, in which the protagonist, a sixty-something year old, is losing his hearing.
Articles on related themes: Life, Faith & Other Stuff; Books, Reading & Words
COMPETITION - Winner of the Bucket List - 5 Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die
Posted: Saturday, 11th October 2008
For those of you who may be coming to this Post for the first time, here is the competition I set at the beginning of September, asking you to list the Five Things I’d Like To Do Before I Die.
PETULANCE & PRESSURE
It was obviously something that you all find quite daunting, because it was only with a degree of petulance and pressure on my part, that you were eventually persuaded to put your thoughts together.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Fun & Competitions
IS FAITH A LEGITIMATE SUBJECT FOR FOOLISHNESS, FALSEHOOD OR FUN?
Posted: Monday, 29th September 2008
A COMEDY OF CHRISTIANITY
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 Delusion (and counter-argument The Dawkins Delusion ); umpteen TV comedies from All Gas and Gaiters to the inimitable Vicar of Dibley, and the film Life of Brian. Now I hear that we’re to have a new film, Religulous, and that the producers unashamedly want to espouse the same anti-religious zeal which makes for best-selling status.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
Divorce & Family Law - Does It Affect Us All?
Posted: Wednesday, 17th September 2008
Other Posts on Books & Reading: The Isolation of Being Unable to Read
STATISTICS OF SINGLE PARENTS
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 multiple fathers? The feckless fathers who abandon them? Or the systematic onslaught of successive governments who have dismantled the best-known building block for the stability of society: marriage and the family unit?
Whilst we are (rightly) concerned with such matters, we appear to have allowed the other end of the spectrum to have slipped from our sight.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs; Family & Parenting
The Isolation of Being Unable to Read
Posted: Monday, 8th September 2008
Related topics: 59 Million Keywords to PublicationReading Between The Lines
EFFECTS OF ILLITERACY
Have you ever thought what it would be like if you were unable to read or understand a word of this blog? Doubtless you would be feeling the same shame and isolation as the people I wrote about in my post: Reading Between the Lines last month. Tears were aplenty as they shared their stories in the TV series Can’t Read; Can’t Write – and they weren’t solely those of the participants! There we learned that in Britain, alone, over five million adults have a reading age of 12 or less, or are unable to read at all.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs; Family & Parenting
59 Million Keywords to Publication
Posted: Monday, 25th August 2008
Related topics: Reading Between the Lines
59 million keywords to publication!
Now I love words. And I guess anyone who can be bothered to read or write a blog like this one must love’em too.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words
Reading Between The Lines
Posted: Friday, 15th August 2008
Related topics: Books & Reading The Isolation Of Being Unable To Read
CAN’T READ, CAN’T WRITE
Did anybody watch the UK’s Channel 4’s Can’t Read, Can’t Write series? It focused on people from different backgrounds and ages: the young mother who was unable to help with her children’s homework, the labourer who longed to improve his job prospects, the middle-aged woman whose intellect and culture relied solely on audio tapes, and the grandmother whose own mother had spent a lifetime denouncing her as a failure. As the title suggests, what each had in common was an inability to read or write.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs
Reeling in the Royalties - A Dangerous Weakness?
Posted: Wednesday, 13th August 2008
Well, what did you think of that for a piece of audacious publicity? I read it several times, trying to stem a rising tide of envy with a modicum of magnanimity – and still didn’t see beyond the obvious.
I’m referring to the 93 year old lady who has just published her first book. Good on her! She’s beaten British author Mary Wesley (the previous claimant of a first novel in advanced years, and with whom I once shared an agent) by at least a decade. And anyone who can complete a novel, at any age, deserves a medal in my book – if you’ll excuse the pun.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words
Does my bum look big in this? (Or that wretched F-word again)
Posted: Monday, 4th August 2008
A fortnight ago I wrote that legislation against the use of certain words (like Chav) is ludicrous and went on to quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. “It’s not the word that’s at fault,” I said. “What’s needed is a change of attitude. And that, sadly, can’t be dealt with by the law.”
I read this to my husband, and he totally disagreed with me!
“Look at the way attitudes have changed towards homosexuality because of changes in the law,” he said.
CAN THE LAW GAG DISSENTERS?
Yes, he has a point.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs; Family & Parenting
Drugs & Human Rights - the god of the era
Posted: Friday, 1st August 2008
Click for related post: Parent Power = Kids' Confidence
I wonder how this generation of policy-makers will go down in history? Human Rights, it seems, is the god of the era. It certainly takes precedence over any sort of morality. And common sense? Well that’s out of the window.
I refer to the statistics showing that Britain now has an estimated 1% of the population taking illegal drugs, and somewhere in the region of 300,000 children growing up in homes where one or both parents is an addict, in a trade estimated to be worth more than £5.3billion.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Current Affairs; Family & Parenting
Dry mouth and sinking stomach - Photographer v Dentist
Posted: Tuesday, 29th July 2008
Dry mouth and sinking stomach.
‘Without wishing to cast aspersions on your profession,’ I said to the photographer, ‘I should tell you that as far as I’m concerned, having my photograph taken is akin to having teeth pulled.’
Actually, I’ve never had teeth pulled – but the sensations I experienced as my sitting room was invaded by lights and little white umbrellas, was exactly what I imagined my husband must have been through a month ago when he had to have a tooth extracted. He, needless to say, thought my assumption a gross exaggeration.
Articles on related themes: Life, Faith & Other Stuff; Books, Reading & Words; Occasional Silliness
Is The F-word Foul?
Posted: Monday, 21st July 2008
Whatever happened to the old saying, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me'? They can, of course. But only if we let them. Have we become a nation of wimps that we have to talk of legislation to prevent the use of certain words? Words like Chav, for instance.
I say they can hurt, but is that entirely accurate? I once had a debate with a friend, a well-known author, about the use of the F-word. It’s not a word I would use: it would shock my friends and family if I were to do so.
Articles on related themes: Current Affairs; Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
An Inrush of Hissing Air
Posted: Thursday, 10th July 2008
It must be the most expensive single purchase I’ve ever made on my own. Oh, no! There was the house, of course. I bought that at auction, whilst heavily pregnant, and exceeded my husband’s upper limit by several thousand. I could only plead temporary insanity and excessive competitiveness due to hormones. My other half and the beginnings of his beer belly nearly went into labour for me. But I digress. The purchase to which I alluded was made in Tenerife.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Life, Faith & Other Stuff
Mel's News, Views & Muse: February 2010 - Alienation & Rebellion
Posted: Thursday, 1st January 1970
This Newsletter is being sent to you because you have in some way participated in my website, or otherwise indicated that you would like to hear from me. If you wish to unsubscribe, please notify me immediately by e-mailing me at author@melmenzies.co.uk and your contact details will be removed.
No. 6 - February 2010
Dear Friend,
When I began this Newsletter six months ago I did so with no plan in mind; no idea how it might develop. Then I found, by chance, that each month a theme presented itself. Today, I find, quite unintentionally, that I have yet another topic.
Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Book Reviews
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