I love Paris in the fall...

A few days away from routine are always good for rest, relaxation and sparking creativity. While Paris may not be the most restful of locations, we found plenty of creative inspiration in the city of light on our recent break.

As well as taking in the main sights, we stumbled across commemorative plaques, statues and artists practising their craft.

I was thrilled to find the famous bookstore 'Shakespeare and Company' while we were exploring the left bank. I was spoilt for choice in this Aladdin's cave crammed with books. It was good to see some of our own local writers' work stocked in the shop.

Finally I made a choice I'm not regretting, complete with the famous bookstore stamp.

While I didn't get any free time to write while there,  writing was never far from my mind. Rejection emails still arrive no matter where you are in the world. Undeterred, I stocked up on a new notebook.

And as I prepared to get back into my routine, it was a real pleasure to be seated beside a lovely local writer on our flight home and chat. No matter how marvellous a trip, returning home is always good, and this was especially true this time, as I found one of my short stories has been longlisted in a competition 😀

Coney Calling

We might only be into November a couple of days, but already it feels dull, dark and dreich most of the time. Yesterday a dull day was brightened considerably by being back at Coney. 

We caught up on each other's news - it seemed much longer than a month since we'd all been together. We talked about memorable characters, shared our 'homework' - (yes - sometimes we get homework  - and sometimes we even remember to do it!) and then completed some writing exercises thinking about our characters and how they might clash with others in our stories. The results kept us entertained.

Over seasonal apple and cinnamon muffins, biscuits and coffee, we shared some of our work and made plans. I also thought about what makes a story work. The previous evening I'd been to see 'The Vanishing Elephant' at Belfast's Grand Opera House. It was an amazing performance  - brilliant acting, music and puppetry, but at the core was good storytelling.

That's what's most important  - having a good story. So later, while I waited for inspiration to strike, the muffins were finished off as I delved into the latest issue of my writing magazine.