I’ve been a member of Pens Around the World since the very beginning over five years ago. We are a peer group of creative writers working in English who live (or have lived) in far-flung places. I qualify for membership having travelled overland and lived in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Spain and more recently Uganda. You can read about some of my experiences here. We help each other with critiques and encouragement, writing exercises and suggestions for publishing opportunities. Each week one of our members posts a blog and we’re thrilled that a selection of these pieces now feature in our anthology. It includes stories of travel, memory, creativity, friendship and self-discovery and reflects on the experiences that connect us, wherever we call home.
Please join us for the launch of the anthology on Sunday 4 October at 1pm BST/2pm CEST. We’re delighted that some of our guest contributors including Marsali Taylor, author of the Shetland sailing mysteries; Jimena Ferraris and RaissaClaire R. Falgui will also be present. All you have to do is click the link below on the day:
The absolute highlight of my summer was joining an acting summer school at The City Lit. I’d been looking for a learning project that would be intensive (a full week from 10–4:30pm) and out of my comfort zone. I was delighted to find an acting improvers course and I enrolled alongside seven other students. Juliet Prague and James Jarrett were the tutors who put us through lots of drama exercises to sharpen our ability to respond in performance and develop skills as a company of actors. Theory input involved studying the art of movement as described by Rudolf Laban (1879–1958) who produced the following grid which refers to eight different forms of movement (or efforts) and the elements within them.
The eight efforts are punch, slash, dab, flick, press, wring, glide and float. The four elements are direction, speed, weight and flow.
EFFORT
DIRECTION
SPEED
WEIGHT
FLOW
PUNCH
direct
quick
heavy
bound
SLASH
indirect
quick
heavy
free
DAB
direct
quick
light
bound
FLICK
indirect
quick
light
free
PRESS
direct
sustained
heavy
bound
WRING
indirect
sustained
heavy
bound
GLIDE
direct
sustained
light
free
FLOAT
indirect
sustained
light
free
One exercise involved finding the image of a character and ascribing to that character the behaviours of an animal. I chose to act as an urban fox. All self-consciousness was abandoned as I trotted, loped and galloped around the performance space. We were then asked to incorporate Laban’s efforts and elements into the movement which extended my thoughts on the character considerably.
On Wednesday afternoon we were given scripts to study in pairs. With my partner, I worked on a scene from Roadby Jim Cartwright. The play is set in a derelict area of Lancashire during Thatcher’s 1980s government, and it gives insight into the desperation of the residents. I played Brenda, an alcoholic mother who tries to extract money from her daughter in order to buy another drink and feed her addiction. It was a challenging script to attempt – completely different from the roles I play in everyday life – but I managed to learn the lines over the next 48 hours and delivered a performance which included use of a regional accent. Laban’s efforts influenced the way I delivered the lines and how I choreographed movements across the set. Others in the group worked on different scripts and we showcased our work in the John Lyon’s theatre at the end of our course.
I continue to think about Laban’s efforts and what I can take from these as a writer. Certainly, the efforts can be used to inform the description of body language in fiction. It’s also possible finesse lines of dialogue with reference to Laban’s efforts.
Is the table of Laban’s efforts any use in your creative endeavours?
I’m moving away from my identity as a published author. It took such a lot of time and energy to get my writing to a publishable standard that stepping away is proving to be a long process. In 2023, my third novel The Secret Life of Carolyn Russell, was published and simultaneous with the launch, my publisher rejected a novel which I believed was my best writing. The initial wobble didn’t stop me from making submissions to other publishers and continuing to work on a new manuscript. Three years later and I’m still on the look out for open submission windows and working on the new manuscript which has yet to reach a full first draft. Over time, I’ve lost the drive to continue a second career as a writer and I’m now embracing new opportunities.
Photo: Unsplash
These days, I think of myself as a retired person with creative pursuits. The novel rumbles on and I attend Writers Hour whenever it fits into my schedule. I still enjoy writing and there’s nothing quite as satisfying as completing a perfect sentence or paragraph. I’m still involved with the writing community through membership of Pens Around the World and volunteering on Bluesky with Women Writers Network. I’m also active in a number of writing groups and hope they don’t chuck me out for lack of writing output. However, new opportunities are available and this summer I returned to the Groves Community Choir and sang in their end of year concert. A video of the event appears here. I also joined First Act run by the Lantern Arts Centre and performed in the opening scenes from Our Town by Thornton Wilder as Julia Gibbs. I may not be doing much writing at the moment, but I want to stay creative. I think these endeavours will feed back into my writing when the time comes to pick up my pen again. Perhaps I’m not stepping away from writing at all, just giving myself the space to choose if and when I return.
At present, staying fit has become a new priority. I’ve been a runner for over 10 years and now complete three 5km runs each week. When I don’t run, I enjoy pilates practice developed from online providers. On Sundays, I like to go for a walk. Several good friends and my sister all died in their sixties, so I want to make sure I remain fit and active for a good long time.
Photo: Unsplash
In other news, my grandson turned two in May and we continue to look after him on alternate Fridays. It’s fascinating to watch his development and enjoy the new language he acquires. His latest phrase is Jude don’t like it. We continue to holiday let our Dorchester home and will do this for one more year. In the autumn of 2027 we anticipate a big new project… building a home for ourselves in the garden. Watch this space for other creative endeavours.
It’s that time of year again, when The Scripts the Thing put out a call for submissions as part of the annual festival held in Dorchester. It’s a celebration of all types of scripts for performance and gives the opportunity to test the water with new work. In previous years Maria Pruden, Sarah Scally and I (collectively known as 3-She) have written and acted in our short plays. This year we’re working on a piece based on confusion that is caused when technical language is used. I don’t want to give too much away as the script is still in development. We need to get the whole draft polished by the deadline on 6 July.
I love this time of year, especially when the sun shines yet there’s a nip in the air. It builds my sense of anticipation for the warmer summer days that are yet to arrive.
On my twice weekly run around the suburban streets of New Malden, I look out for laburnum trees and wisteria coming into bloom. Richmond Park’s Isabella Plantation is a 40-minute walk from the flat where I enjoy seeing the lipstick pinks and reds of rhododendrons and azaleas. This colourful spring combined with the early morning light, makes it easier to get out of bed and do some exercise before spending time writing
Laburnum photo from Bryan White, UnsplashWisteria photo from Owen Yin, UnsplashStill Pond, Isabella Plantation
I’m still working my way through a redraft of a novel with the working title Conversation Classes. It’s set at a remote hotel in northern Italy where professionals are sent for a week’s immersion in language learning to improve their use of business English. It’s based upon my experience of volunteering at Vaughan Town, which you can read about here. It’s interesting when drawing on life experiences in novel writing, to notice where reality and fiction intersect. In this example, the characters and incidents that drive the narrative are imagined but the daily structure of activities is similar to the timetable I followed.
Let’s see if I can now work some colour into the novel from my regular dose of spring blooms.
My calendar is populated with trips this year. I’ve just come back from Portugal where David and I completed the second half of the Fishermen’s Trail in a week. It was an arduous walk – more like a hike – as we followed the single track alongside the coast on top of honey-coloured cliffs. Many of the coves and beaches can only be reached by foot or by sea, so that made it very special. The challenges included lugging a backpack, steep inclines, walking on sand and 42mph winds. Towards the end of the trail around Lagos, the cliffs become more weathered to produce spikes in the sea, arches and sink holes. The Algarve is amazingly beautiful.
Sri Lanka, the teardrop-shaped island in the Indian Ocean is a remarkable destination. I spent a fortnight there with my Australian friend, Cathie. We’d been plotting a trip for a very long time – the Rough Guide I’d bought to inform an itinerary was purchase in 2008. Armed with an updated version, we followed a route planned by Cathie’s travel agent who had also appointed a car and a driver. (The original reason we’d delayed our plans was due to the difficulty in getting around by public transport on a time-limited visit.) Of course, the car and driver were a luxury but also a necessity due to the suspension of rail services caused by cyclone Ditwah which ripped up sections of the track.
To recover from jet lag (a direct flight from London takes 11 hours), we stayed at the beach resort of Negombo on the West Coast. Afterwards, we headed inland to the impressive rock fortress of Sigiriya. The 200 metre ascent starts by entering the mouth of a carved lion and culminates with the ruins of King Kasyapa’s palace (477–495 AD). The climb is a challenge including walking along a ledge to see the mirror wall (once coated in reflective white plaster) and now covered in ancient graffiti in praise of the wall frescoes known as The Damsels.
Two ancient cities were also on our itinerary, starting with Polonnaruwa. I was amazed by the sleeping Buddha at Gal Vihara in the ancient city. Craftsmen utilised the grain of the granite to carve an image that it was hard to take my eyes off.
photo credit: v. tagariello, wikipedia
This further image shows how the three statues of Buddha were hewn from one single piece of rock.
photo credit: singhalawap, wikipedia
Anuradhapura, the other ancient city, was a different experience. It remains a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists so many of the ancient sites have been restored, giving a real sense of what it must have been like during its long history.
The cave temples are Dambulla are especially beautiful with amazing paintings and statues depicting the life of Buddha. I craned my neck to gawp at the images on the ceiling which unfurled like a magic carpet.
We had a busy time in Kandy with its rich history as a Sinhalese kingdom. There were many temples to visit and time for a cultural show.
A glimpse through locked gate at the Garrison CemeteryBodhi Tree
And some pictures from a morning spent at the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens in Kandy.
In the hill country, we stayed at Nuwara Elia where we visited waterfalls, tea plantations and some of the colonial-era buildings.
Devon FallsSt Clair’s FallsThe Post Office, Nuwara Eliyagolf course, Nuwara EliyaAfternoon tea at the Grand HotelCan you spot the tea pickers?
At Galle Fort, we walked around the rampant at sunset and enjoyed the many Dutch colonial buildings.
And back to Colombo for one night before our return flights home.
The Old Colombo Lighthouse. It was originally a clocktower with a beacon added although this became deactivated when the light was obscured by surrounding buildings.
Have you ever thought about a trip to Sri Lanka? It’s well worth visiting.
A flight from Sydney returned us to the UK on Wednesday 10 December. Although we’re still suffering from jet lag with some very early starts to the day, it’s good to look back on our experiences. You may remember, I used AI to help refine our itinerary and wrote about it here. The first two weeks involved a road trip of the North Island following a figure of eight around Auckland and for the second leg, we joined a cruise. This took us to ports on the North and South Islands plus stops in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney.
Here are the highlights:
Auckland
A day trip to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, just off AucklandSymonds St cemetery, the first in Auckland
Bay of Islands
Whangārei FallsChurch at Russell, a ferry ride from Paihia where we were based for three nightsTrip along Ninety Mile Beach which also acts as a national highway. Cape Reinga where the Pacific and the Tasman Sea collide
We also visited the Waitangi Treaty Grounds where papers were signed in 1840 which form the basis of relationships with Māori people.
Coromandel Peninsula has some lovely beaches including Hot Water Beach where people sit in puddles to feel the warmth.
I received an email from SME News in June this year saying The Writer is a Lonely Hunter had been nominated in the Southern Enterprise Awards 2025 . The nomination was based on my ‘impactful storytelling and dedication to community engagement through writing’. I looked into the organisation and decided to proceed. A couple of months later, I was told that following merit-led research and evaluation my blog had been recognised as the deserving recipient of the Best Literary Writing Blog Award 2025.
My sixteen-month-old grandson has impetigo (an infectious bacterial skin infection) which he caught at nursery but he isn’t allowed to return there until 7–10 days after starting a course of antibiotics. As a result, we’ve covered some of the emergency childcare needs. It’s great to be helpful and looking after our grandson is always a lot of fun. He’s started talking much more and points his index finger when out in his buggy and calls out words like car, truck, bus and dog. We’ve spent a lot of time building towers with plastic cups (which are immediately knocked down) and stirring pretend porridge which is always too hot or too cold.
