Join me from the Jotter by Nikki Bywater

Where does it all begin?… With, Once upon a time?… Where will it go?… From my dreams to the reality of the pages of a book? Or will it stay trapped within my minds hold forever? I have to let the words out… If I don't my words will explode in the depth of my mind, where they cannot seek light from the dark that is withheld within. So I keep them moving and a flowing. A steady stream of thoughts and ideas. I pretend I have a plan, that I know which direction I am headed, but the words carry me, they spiral into a mindset of their own. Pulling me in for the ride. Taking me with them every step of the way, guiding me from the darkness into the light. I hear nothing, I see only through a writer's eye. I hear the voices of characters calling me and telling me their tale. I sense nothing, but feel everything. I am their emotions and I create. I create a world in which they breathe. I bring them to life. I feel their pain and see their happiness. I know and predict where they are heading. I have the inside knowledge of what will become. I see the future. I can bring the words to life and see them flow and now the words are a flowing and I know which way we are going. To see them spoken and brought to life, by an actor so precise. To see them change before my eyes into a character they may despise. To feel their heart beating as we set the scene and we take our mark. To bring the words to life and turn the pages into conversation spoken out for real and we are running, time is filled as we go again and again, until we get it right and from all angles throughout the night. To lose ourselves in the role until we stop and think…

Spontaneous and Unscripted by Nikki Bywater

On a good day...

Well today was one of those lucky days… You know those beautiful, amazing and fantastic days when you write and write and write? Those days when you work through lunch and dinner and lose yourself entirely in your work. That you escape and find yourself deep in the depths of your imagination. Living in the land of make believe and finding answers and solutions to every possibility, to create a masterpiece of grouping the right words and only dropping the occasional typo for artistic affect.

When you find yourself at the crossroad between fact and fiction and think to yourself this is going remarkably well and my editor will be pleased. I am going to hit that deadline after all. You whiz through the cravings for coffee and the need to bathe and dress. Yes last nights washing up needs doing and the washer needs loading, but no, we cannot stop can we? We are addicts just a few thousand more words before bed…

Next thing you know it's 3am and you are still going fast… Now you are thinking of the reviews. How many can we collect? Will they be good? And we have not even thought of the ending and the re-writes. For today my writers nothing will stop us… We are an unstoppable writing machine…

On a bad day…

12pm and we are still not at our desks… Just one more cup of coffee should do it…. Then we are at our desks staring at our screens… When not looking out of the window or getting distracted by day time television and chatting with the neighbours on social media... Playing with our storyboarding and looking busy. Sharpening pencils, that do not need any more attention…. Scribbling on our notepads. Swinging on our chairs… Calling friends… Avoiding taking important writing telephone calls… Fretting about our deadlines… Eating cheese on toast and spaghetti hoops. Banging our heads on our keyboards… Looking holding out for that inspiration and for the words to rain down on us from a great height and fill our heads and move our fingers from tapping our keyboards in frustration, to banging words out with our keys…

Next thing you know it's 3 am and you have fallen asleep in a pool of dribble on your keyboard and all that is on your screen is iwwdhowjdwpjdddddddwdoqdwoiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii fffffffffffksoksororoeoroeokfckckkkkkkkkkkkkko from where your head hit the keys. You pick your self up and dust yourself down… Who knows what tomorrow may bring. 

Out of the Darkness by Katy Hogan

Three strangers, Jess, Alex and Hannah each facing their own life challenges and difficulties, find a strong connection and friendship together with a little help from the other side and a little love and light that will change their lives forever.

This is a nice and easy read that does not focus and become too heavy on the paranormal. It is a gentle and touchingly told story about fate, destiny and a determination for the three leading characters to take a huge leap of faith into the unknown, to find the answers they are seeking. It is very sensibly written and researched by author Katy Hogan. This is one of those wonderful page-turners of a book, that you will not be able to put down. I look forward to reading more books by Katy Hogan.

Woman Master by Mehrnaz Stars

At times this is quite a chilling and a moving story about different generations of Persian women from one family. Headed by Pari, who marries a man who already has one wife. Pari's husband is head of a village, so Pari becomes the Zan-Arbab, the Women Master who everybody goes to if they need help and advice. The story moves through Pari's lifetime and the changes she goes through. It is about tradition and the ways that women have to do what is expected of them. There are some scenes towards the end of the book that the reader may find disturbing and uncomfortable. The author does present the story well and it is beautifully written. I would read more books by this author in the future.

Reflections by Eleanor Smythe

This is another great read from author Eleanor Smythe. I really enjoyed the storyline, which is about a stolen painting which had been replaced by a forgery and the main characters Roland and Sally meet and work together to solve the mystery of how and what happened to the original painting. It also touches on family dynamics and relationships.

The Memoirs of 'I' by Yolanda De Iuliis

This is a yearly self-reflection of a diary style book, which the author decided to record her deepest thoughts and insights into her life. So that twelve months later she can look back and reflect on how much she changed through the year as a person and the reaction to her own life experiences.

I have to admit this is not what I was expecting from the book and I have never read a book like it. There is a philosophical side to the book and it does make you think and there are some very intriguing thoughts and ideas that really make you think. There is also a sense of sadness and loss about the author. That she is coming to terms with a personal loss in her life.

Some may find the book a little self-indulgent and not agree with the opinions and views of the author, the author does invite the reader to answer questions and to make there own minds up too.

This book is a deep and powerful journey into an unknown mind. It is like travelling through a forest of thoughts. It is a fascinating read and there are some very wise words of wisdom and some will find it a very helpful insight.