Peasant food in 18th century France was nothing like our romantic notions today. People ate according to what was available in the region and according to season. There was more variety in the cities as merchants and traders brought different products. The diet of normal people in France consisted of mainly soups, stews, bread and …
What was food really like in 18th century France? Read More »
This week, I have been struggling to get motivated. If any of you are the same, here are some quotes from famous writers on what inspires them and motivates them to sit in that chair day after day. I hope it helps to know that the ones whose names ring out long after their bodies …
Writers should be paid for their work. Here are some Australian writing competitions that authors from Australia and New Zealand can enter. This page is updated often. Please subscribe to stay up to date with these opportunities. Short Story Competitions Eastwood/Hills FAW Literary Competition Open to NZ and Australian writers, open theme Word limit: 3000 …
I’m not one for rulebooks. I’ll listen to advice, cherrypick the best and apply it, but I don’t think there are hard and fast ‘rules’ of writing. For every book that follows them, there is classic literature that breaks them and gets away with it. That said, every writer can do with a few tips. …
Our busy lives leave us time-poor. In between work, school activities, housework and being the perfect mindful parent, we need to make the most of any time we do have. It is essential to focus a distracted mind in order to be productive. When I started writing three years ago, I would search for the …
This is my compiled list of the latest news for writers and readers, from the publishing world. Reading Book Awards The Man Booker Prize Longlist is out. The shortlist comes out on April 4th. I havent actually read any of the longlisted novels yet, but i am keen to get my hands on Han Kang’s …
Latest News for Writers and Readers – April 2018 Read More »
We went to France three years ago craving inspiration. But we didn’t just stay for a month, oh no. We moved there for a year…
“What did Grandma always say?” “Never let them know you’re in a hurry.” It was fourteen minutes until the car park closed with a crash of steel and blanket of darkness. Forty four minutes until he finished work. Maia’s hand was cold in hers. It was past dinner-time but she didn’t complain. Mother would like …
In the 17th century, most doctors thought that babies were made by God blessing a moral union. Even in the 20th century, the popular opinion was that eating fat was bad and smoking was good for you. You get the idea, facts are fluid. Or at least subjective. The philosopher Immanuel Kant ran with this …
With what seemed a single movement she tore off her clothes and flung them disdainfully aside. Her body was white and smooth, but it aroused no desire in him, indeed he barely looked at it. What overwhelmed him in that instant was admiration for the gesture with which she had thrown her clothes aside. With …