The Jam D I Hughes

A musical interlude: English Rose

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The Jam are one of the UK’s greatest musical exports.

In just five years, this furious three-piece went from playing working men’s clubs, pubs and various dives in Woking, Surrey (their home town) and London to becoming one of the most defining band’s in music history.

Many of Paul Weller’s lyrics possess a kind of aggressive urgency, yet each and everyone of them are as astute as they are poetic.

If you’re tired and stressed, take a load off and listen to English Rose. Kick back and let the haunting simplicity of these romantic words wash over you – you’ll feel better for it… Continue reading →

freelancing D I Hughes

The potholes of freelancing

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The alarm goes off and you put it on snooze 10 times before watching a little breakfast TV and answering a few emails from the comfort of your bed. This spills into lunchtime and after you’ve watched your second instalment of Jeremy Kyle (a great self-esteem booster) you think you’re ready to log on and churn out some serious work. Continue reading →

Tobias Wolff

A literary interlude: Tobias Wolff

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This week’s literary interlude comes from the one and only Tobias Wolff.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama on 19th June 1945, this prolific writer of classic American prose is best known for his distinctive short stories and memoirs, most notably This Boy’s Life – an autobiographical tale of a gifted young man and his extraordinary existence. Continue reading →

compelling characters

5 quick fire ways to create a compelling character

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It’s a Monday morning (or afternoon) and your mind is muddled from the weekend’s events.

You’re on your third coffee and you’ve been staring at that same page of text for the past two hours wondering how to bring the characters in your story to life.

Never fear, here are five quick fire ways to create a compelling character for your reading pleasure… Continue reading →

Flash Fiction

On My Way

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Rejection is a funny thing. It’s not so much laugh out loud funny as it is grinning through gritted teeth funny, but I suppose by now I’m immune to it really.

People from all walks of life try to mask it as constructive criticism, and some even try to console you by letting you know that there are others out there who’ll want you, that you’ll be the perfect fit – now that makes me laugh; really makes my sides split in two. Continue reading →

George Orwell

A literary interlude: Down and Out in Paris and London

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Famous for literary classics including Animal Farm and the dystopian thriller 1984, George Orwell is arguably one the world’s finest ever word smiths.

The first ever novel Orwell wrote was called Down and Out in Paris in London, for which he exchanged his upper-class roots and tweed jacket for the impoverished life of a bottom feeder in two of Europe’s most cut-throat cities. Continue reading →

flash fiction

Flash Corner: Eternal Scribblings

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Jim pushed his paperwork around the table like a child does their peas around the plate. He recounted the phrase in his head, over and over again like clockwork. The syllables clasped his brain as he studied the sentence inside his head; words of wisdom served to him from beyond the grave.

‘You’re never too old to learn something new and never too young to teach’ was the phrase that had changed his life in ways he couldn’t quite explain, ways which were far less tangible; they were floating in the air around him. Continue reading →

Brain foods

4 brain foods to help boost your creativity

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Although the stereotype of the starving artist is something we’ve all heard of, in order to produce work of any significant value (of course, there are exceptions), our brain needs fuel for the engine. In fact, brain cells rely on more food energy than any other cells in the body in order to function at its fullest.

If you’re in a creative slump and in need of a boost, here are four brain foods that will  lend a helping hand… Continue reading →