‘The holly and the ivy Now both are full well grown, Of all the trees that are in the wood, The holly bears the crown’ (Trad.) Ivy (Hedera helix), clinging and compliant, is associated with[…]
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Magic(al) Realism: the Magic of Myth
Zeus, father of the gods, transformed his love, Io, into a cow for fear of discovery by wife, Hera. She, knowing her husband well, saw through his ruse and begged Zeus for the cow, exclaiming[…]
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Writing Nature: Ecocriticism & Ecolinguistics Uncovered
Ginkgo biloba, Corsham Court, Wiltshire Nature writing, that is, non-fiction or fiction prose or poetry about or inspired by nature, is no new thing. Indeed, as far back as Hippocrates (490-370 BC) people were[…]
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Sign & Communication in the Other-than-Human World: Biosemiotic & Pragmastylistic Concepts in Literary Analysis
All living organisms interpret (make meaning of) and represent (communicate) their world through a series of signs and codes. A plant may sense a change in daylight hours (photoperiodicity) as a sign which it encodes[…]
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Unlocking the Writer-Reader Relationship: tools and theories basics
As a creative writer, I love the use of language and enjoy receiving feedback to suggest my writing has ignited an emotional response. Sometimes, the story may only allow for a brief character sketch, but[…]
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Myths: Function, Recurrence, Character Roles and Archetypes
The World Tree (axis mundi) is a mytheme or archetype which recurs in many cultures. It is a colossal tree linking heaven with earth and the underworld. In Norse mythology it appears as Yggdrasil, the[…]
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Myths: In the beginning … was the archetype
Clytie, the Sunflower Maiden: Clytie the water nymph would emerge from her pool every day to comb her golden hair and bathe in the warmth of the sun. One day, she caught sight of Apollo[…]
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Magic(al) Realism
What it is, what it’s not, its origins, characteristics and exponents Magic Realism is a mode of literature most often associated with Latin American authors, in particular, Isabel Allende and Gabriel García Márquez, and[…]
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Influences
My writing is influenced by mythology, plants and ripping yarns. For me, one of the most positive uses of social media is as a source of paintings, photographs, illustrations that I may not have otherwise[…]
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About Me
Welcome! I write fiction to celebrate plants and nature. My genre is magic realism. As such, you can expect my writing to present the supernatural in a real-world setting. Along the way, it is[…]
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Welcome!
This is a website of writerly things, with a focus on the craft of storytelling. It is updated regularly. I’d love to know what you think. Please drop by again.
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