The Militiverse

Good evening my lovely friends. I hope that you are enjoying the beautiful weather. In the Militiverse, thoughts have turned to holidays. I love city breaks and discovering cobbled streets and hidden bookshops with secrets that make you go ‘Wow…’  This evening in the Scriptorium, I am joined not by Mouse or Lady Cora, both have scarpered because of the two egos who have decided that they haven’t harassed me enough today. LOL.  Please my lovelies, let’s make Emile and Remy feel welcome as they take us on a tour of their Lutetiae. Remy: Bonsoir les amis. It is a pleasure to show you around Paris.  Emile: Bonsoir Chérie. We have lived in Lutetiae a long time. We know it intimately. So, join us on a tour of the dark side. Remy: The dark side? Emile: Oui. Remy: Emile, you don’t want to scare them before they even come to the city. Emile: Mael, who knows the city better, you or me? Remy: Well, you were here before me, but I know the better side of the city- Anna: Gentlemen...

  Good evening my friends. What a day it has been. I finished the first rewrite of the first draft, lol getting complicated I know. What is great when you reach the end of the first draft is the story has finally made itself known and the rawness is on paper. I never write a tidy first draft, in fact the story is full of grammatical errors, omissions and a missing word here and there. I was going through some emails, and DMs when I came across a lovely message from a lady in Manchester. She asked about what a typical day was like for a fantasy writer, how do I plot, plan and begin writing. Well, my friends, sit down and help yourself to a glass of wine and settle into your favourite chair and I’ll tell you what a typical, and not so typical day is like in the Scriptorium.   Coffee, Quiet, and a Blank Page I always have a cup of coffee before I open the PC. But I tell you this, nothing beats that first cup of French roast before the day begins. It’s two years since...

  Good evening my lovelies, hasn’t it been a lovely weekend? I hope that you enjoyed yourself. Here in the Militiverse, it was, shall we say eventful. There is a new addition to the citizens who reside here, an orange-and-white goblin that we affectionately call Mouse. Though I suspect Lady Cora calls her a menace.  Over the weekend I was listening to some favourite music, out on the agora while I was reading some Maupassant. I absolutely adore his writings. The music I chose was Chopin's Spring Waltz. It's atmospheric, with just the right amount of melancholy, don't you think?  So, my friends, grab a seat, get comfortable and let’s discuss music, and music that suits gothic literature.   The Sound of the Gothic When you think of something gothic, you imagine dark castles, draughty rooms, and a dying fire in the hearth. Have you ever really thought about the sounds that enter your imagination when you pick up a book? A melancholic violin perhaps, or a brooding p...

  Good evening my lovely friends, did you have a lovely weekend? I had a very relaxing time, it’s another bank holiday weekend here. The weather in the Scriptorium is like the sirocco wind heavy with memory and longing. On Saturday afternoon, I opened the old photo album and gazed upon the cities that shaped my love of gothic literature. Places I went to that though they were new to me at the time, it seemed that I had already been there. Lady Cora cat has claimed the chaise longue, so do make yourself at home and let’s talk about gothic cities that you already know and love. Prague: The City That Watches You Back On a recent trip to Prague, I was enthralled by the beauty of the architecture, the narrow streets with cobble stones that hold many secrets. Feet walked silently there once, yet their footsteps still seem caught upon the breeze drifting in from the Vltava. Walking along it is easy to get sidetracked by the magnificent buildings, the crowds but for the gothic soul, a twis...

  Good evening my friends. Isn’t May a lovely time of the year? Those bright evenings slowly blend with beautiful salmon coloured silk skies, suddenly deepening into an eerie navy but not quite as unsettling as an October night. Yet, some evenings it’s still chill enough to light the fire in the library because somehow you know, you just know, that sleep will be elusive and when you get that feeling, it’s nice to have something warm to wrap around your shoulders and to curl your toes at. Now, where are my manners? Let me get you a glass of something and get comfy, Lady Cora Cat has decided to join us tonight. She likes the fire, and the chat. The Hour When the World Stops Explaining Itself In that in between time, after I have finished writing a book, and before the polishing begins, I love to sit down with a good book, or sometimes, a good movie.  My reading time usually begins in the hour when the world stops explaining itself.  The library, unlike the Scriptorium, wher...

  Good evening my friends, and a very happy May weekend to you. I say weekend but it is actually Monday and here in the Militiverse it is a public holiday. So, let’s sit out on the agora and continue my confession from last week. Accents: The Original Emotional Clickbait Who doesn’t love an accent? I watched a movie over the weekend with Christophe Lambert, completely in French. The story was interesting, plot, historical drama, but let’s face, I was there for the dialogue. I go weak at the knees for a French accent. There is something about the way the syllables just roll of the tongue. Certain words sound irresistible when spoken with a French accent. What do you think? Let’s not even go there with the Spanish accent. I have limits. Very few, but some. Blond Hair: Why My Brain Thinks This Is a Personality Trait During my late-night ‘research’ on Pinterest, it appeared that my brain made the executive decision that blond hair is a personality. Tall. Blond. Impeccab...

  Good evening my lovely friends. Come in, take the weight off your feet. I have just opened a lovely bottle of Provencal Rose , perfectly chilled. Lady Cora cat may or may not join us later. My research trip to Prague has been very productive, I have enjoyed some of the best jazz and yes, the green fairy was, shall we say mischievous. Now tell me something, do you sleep deeply? Uninterrupted dreams, the required eight hours? You do? Please, tell me your secret. Get comfy my lovelies, I have a confession to make, and please don’t hold it against me. It Started Respectably, I Swear When I started writing as a professional writer, I always knew the importance of research, especially for historical fiction. Dates, events, and characters would have to be accurately portrayed. I would read voraciously on the subject I was writing about. Twenty plus years ago, the internet was a resource that arrived and possibly saved a lot of time, and possibly my sanity. I still have referenc...