...fantasy knows no limits

The beauty of fantasy is that there are no rules. No limitations. And this summarises everything I love about the genre, both to read and to write.

To quote Lucy Maud Montgomery's character, Anne Shirley, "It's delightful when your imaginations come true, isn't it?"

And of course, writing is the way I aim to bring my particular "imaginations" to life, but sometimes when I can see things so clearly in my mind, I get so excited that I have to try and translate what I'm picturing to paper - whether successfully or not!

I keep a red leather notebook that is essentially a collage of pictures and notes dedicated to character and world creation. This is purely for my own benefit as I most assuredly would not inflict notebooks and sketchbooks on potential agents or publishers - (stick to the submission guidelines people!)

But for my own purpose, it felt very important that I accounted for every nook and cranny of my world. That I could walk the roads in my mind as clearly as I could walk through the village I live in.

There are maps and drawings to cover each of my three kingdoms, detailing their various landmarks.

So many pages I wish I could share, but they are too many spoilers splashed amongst them.

Colour is a key component to my story, due to the presence of the fantastical: dragons and phoenix and such. And therefore colour is as important as appearance when I'm trying to transfer my imaginings to paper.

The sun and the moon are characters in their own rights in my book, and they've long since become symbols that I'm minorly obsessed with. Even now that my story is written and complete I find myself painting them often, or buying jewellery that bears one or the other... Okay, perhaps it's a major obsession...

I'd love to know if any other writers out there (published or unpublished) also feel the need for a visual approach when writing!


~Zuzu
until next time, find me on Facebook @zuzuspages

...ode to my desk

This blog started its life as a step by step guide to how I create my perfect writing space, and quickly digressed into an 'ode to my desk'. The heart wants what the heart wants, so forgive my rhapsodising over a space I have become very proud of.

I hate new furniture, so when I stumbled across this sturdy looking timber thing in the corner of Strand Quay Antiques in Rye last January, I knew I needed it. (My book was complete at this point, and I was about to undertake some serious editing with no real space to do so.) I hesitated to buy it owing to its enormity, coupled with my small car.
I walked away, experienced sinking regret, and later phoned the shop to say I was coming back with cash and a van!

It now has pride of place in what I fondly call my 'writing nook'. There's a long window beside it that overlooks the river in my village. The glass is thin and I bake when its hot and shiver when its cold, and wouldn't change my 'writing nook' for the world.

My busy yet functional desk -

complete with enormous pile of 'to-read' books

The 'writing nook'

I strongly believe, if you get the desk right, the writing will follow. And so:

First things first.
Ornamentation. This in addition to stationery, and a heap of notebooks. I like to be surrounded by inspiring things when I write. I keep my favourite book trilogy by my desk as a reminder of what I'm aspiring to. Sometimes there's a plant if I can manage to keep it alive. On the wall beside it there's a noticeboard covered in pictures, maps and sketches that make up the fantastical world of my creation and give me something visual to write about. I need visual stimulus, which is why my desk is also scattered with funny little trinkets: a silver pocket watch not dissimilar to that owned by one of my characters (no, he is not a white rabbit), two spherical crystals that resemble the sun and the moon - very pertinent to my story (and yes, I know I am irritatingly cryptic), and a wax seal in the shape of a dragon, with some blood-red wax.
Quirkiness is key!

The plant that I am currently managing to keep alive. His name is Ivan - wish him luck!

Second things second.
Essentials. I try to keep essential things on my desk in anticipation of a long writing session, therefore eliminating the need to move for hours on end. This includes, but is probably not limited to: coffee, water, coasters (don't want to ruin the vintage desk), water, tissues, glasses, lip balm and hand cream.

Some essentials, mixed with stationery and ornamentation.

It's amazing that there is any space left to work in.

Third things third.
Keep it cosy. There's always a candle on my desk because I can't write without one being lit and hearing its cosy crackling. I try to use soy and natural candles so I'm not breathing in any toxins or unnatural scents for hours on end. For general interest, my favourite brands are the Sevenoaks Candle Company or PureWix.
There are also snuggly slippers and a plug in radiator under my desk because cold feet are intolerable!

'Warm Cranberry' from the Sevenoaks Candle Company
- I wish they did this all year round, not just at Christmas!

Fourth things fourth.
Set the tone. I find writing in silence so difficult, so I usually have some music playing softly. I like any of Miriam Stockley's albums, or sometimes instrumental music from soundtracks because they're ridiculously dramatic, (perhaps its the performer in me that requires mood music!)
But more recently I've been relying on a white noise machine. It was a rather unorthodox birthday present from my parents, and it's brilliant!

Last things last.
Messy space, messy mind. I can't focus if the space around my desk is messy. Since my office is also in my bedroom, the bed has to be made, the floor must be clear, and the excessive clutter on the desk needs to resemble something akin to order.

So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my desk tour.

Happy writing!
~ Zuzu

find me on Facebook @zuzuspages

...once upon a time

National Storytelling Week was Feb 1st - Feb 8th.
And it made me think about how stories come to us from all directions, not just from between the pages of books. Although I'm constantly reading, I wanted to share some of the best stories I've seen and experienced over the past few months, not just read.

There's an age old debate over whether a book or movie is better. Frankly, I don't think you have to choose.

When an actor conveys a story, it's like seeing a book brought to life. Which is exactly how I felt when watching Little Women in December. There are so many adaptions of Louisa May Alcott's book, and I've seen them all, but there is something uniquely special about this one. It felt like I was experiencing the story anew through the eyes of each individual character, and emoting with them all! An amazing feat on behalf of the actors, and the director, Greta Gerwig, (with whom I am now obsessed!)

If you've ever walked out of a cinema feeling strangely bewildered to find that you are still in our own realm and time, because a film just transported you so thoroughly into a world that had until now only existed on paper and in your imagination - then you'll understand how I felt after watching Little Women!

This is one of my favourite classic novels, and to see such a convincing recreation made my heart swell.

It left me waiting with bated breath to see another of my favourite books brought to life in April this year, The Secret Garden originally written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I'm in love with the 1993 adaption. It's nostalgic; made the year I was born, and re-watched every spring when I get the itch for being out in nature and hoping I might stumble upon a secret door behind some ivy.

Ballet is another form of story telling that I love. Having come from a theatre background myself, I'm intrigued by dancers' ability to tell stories without words. In September last year, I saw Matthew Bourne's Romeo + Juliet at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury. Set in a mental institution, it's told from a fresh and fantastic new perspective. I was unable to look away.

Another adaption I enjoyed at the end of last year was a BBC series, His Dark Materials.
I appreciated the extra details that a tv series over a film allowed for. My family watched this together over the festive period, and we've all read the books by Phillip Pullman, so there was much discussion about how it measured up. Admittedly, small indescrepencies irked me, but overall the series was magical and detailed. I recommend watching if you have not done so already - especially to those who have read the books.

If there's a story out there that you want to read, watch or experience, but that doesn't yet exist, I suggest writing it. The dependable pen and paper are the original tools of story telling (unless we count cave drawings). Without new authors and voices, no new stories would be contributed to the world. So please, read, write, listen and pass stories on.

The End...

~ Zuzu
find me on Facebook @zuzuspages

...(book review) the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse by charlie mackesy

The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse are four friends who share a deep, unshakable bond. Through a series of brief, but profound conversations, Mackesy teases universal truths and rich wisdoms from the mouths of his characters, celebrating warmth and empathy in all its myriad forms.

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy

Published: 2019

Genre: Fiction

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When considering starting a blog, I'd always known that I wanted to write some book reviews on here, especially since I've challenged myself to reading 50 books this year, and therefore am going to have a fair few pass through my fingers.

This wasn't the first book that I read this year, but it is one that I absorbed in the space of an evening. THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE by Charlie Mackesy.

This book embraces you with warm and loving arms from the very first page. I believe I described it to my family as 'Winnie The Pooh' for adults, and I hope I cause no offense to the author by that comparison. It's the beautiful innocence of the characters and the worldly wisdom they somehow possess at the same time.

The author himself writes that he'd "like it to be one you can dip into anywhere, anytime" and I love that concept; the idea that you could pick this book up and flip to any page and feel the comfort of its words without needing to have read the rest of the story. It means that this is a book I can see myself coming back to over and over again throughout the year. Already it's beginning to look a little worn and dog-eared (which is exactly the way a well-loved book should look, by the way.)

There is something so honest and touching about it that I found myself crying over numerous pages and illustrations. They're simply beautiful, and now I want one framed by my desk.

I think there's something so clever about this author and illustrator. He's created a work that represents people of all ages. You could hand it to a child, or an adult of any age, and be confident that they would be able to relate to something within its pages.

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet because I don't wish to spoil anything in the book's contents for future readers - but be assured, I thoroughly recommend.

~ Zuzu

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