The rejections for my latest novel The Shining Ones are starting to roll in. The first came from Gollancz and I wasn’t that surprised, so the title of this post is a bit misleading. As writers we’re supposed to be cut up by rejections, but I couldn’t muster the energy to care. Perhaps I’ve got… Continue reading Slush Pile Woes: the first rejection cuts the deepest
Here’s some of my favourite quotes from the totally insane but brilliant TV show Monkey. Silly jokes and Buddhist philosophy – you can’t go wrong… “Just because you’re a Dragon it doesn’t make you better than me.” – Monkey “There is one, it is infinite. Yet what is called Buddha fills it. The one takes… Continue reading Favourite Monkey Quotes
This week I’m reading The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts – a classic and essential reading in the Age of Anxiety. This was the first of Alan Watts’ books that I read so it has a special place on my bookshelves. I’ve returned to it many times and always find it illuminating and entertaining –… Continue reading Review: The Wisdom of Insecurity
To celebrate Chinese New Year and the Year of the Monkey, I thought it would be fun to explore the background to one of my favourite TV shows: Monkey. It’s a cult classic and was on TV during my formative years in the 70s. We would rush home from ballet class (don’t ask) because I… Continue reading Monkey Magic! or How Buddhism came to China
Ideas for novels often spring from unexpected places. The seed that became the sprout that grew into my latest novel arrived in the form of a disappointingly bad writing exercise. The exercise itself wasn’t the problem. You just had to take the opening line of a novel and then continue to write for half an… Continue reading How a bad writing exercise seeded The Shining Ones
Here’s a randomly generated short story I created using Plot Generator – a site that lets you input various details and then creates a random story with your settings. You can use it to get inspiration or just to mess about and have a laugh. The results are proof that creative writing involves a little… Continue reading Proof that robots will never be authors
This week I’m reading Feeding Your Demons by Tsultrim Allione which offers a powerful technique for liberating yourself from negativity and fear. The book guides you through the five step process of feeding your demons which is based on the ancient practice of Chöd from Tibet. Your demons are your fears and blind spots, negative… Continue reading Review: Feeding Your Demons
On the night of creation, I was awake Busy at work while everyone slept. I was there to see the first wink and hear the first tale told. I was the first one caught in the hair of the great imposter. Whirling around the still point of ecstasy, I spun like the wheel of heaven.… Continue reading Beyond Words: a commentary on Rumi by Andrew Harvey
Last week we successfully avoided doing any work by looking at the eight styles of procrastination. But no matter what your style, you can’t keep putting things off forever. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to get stuff done. But first you need to figure out why you’re procrastinating. So here’s another thing you… Continue reading How to Stop Procrastinating – Now!
I’ve been meaning to write this for ages. It’s been on my list of possible posts for over a year, but I kept putting it off in favour of other stuff. Then around came the new year and it gave me the perfect excuse to stop making excuses and get it done. Everybody procrastinates some… Continue reading What kind of Procrastinator are you?
Ouseburn was recently named in a list of the top ten Coolest Neighbourhoods in the UK by The Culture Trip. This wasn’t news to me – I live here. This is what they had to say: “Formerly a hive of activity during Newcastle’s industrial heyday, Ouseburn gradually fell into decline and as recently as 30… Continue reading Ouseburn is Cool – apparently
Congratulations on surviving the holidays! Now it’s time to kid yourself that you’ll make spectacular changes to your life for the New Year. Lose weight! Get fit! Learn Chinese! Write a novel! Yeah, right… In this post we’ll have a look at where we go wrong and how we can choose resolutions that’ll stick. It’s… Continue reading How to make your New Year Resolutions Stick
Jessica Davidson 