WRITER'S DREAM; 2014 - My Coming of Age Year!

This year marks my career's 18th Birthday and my Coming of Age as a Writer.

It is something I fully intend to celebrate 

18 years in the business and still publishing...worth celebrating!

 2014 is a significant year for me because it marks my coming of age as a writer...it is exactly 18 years ago this spring that I had my very first piece of work published.  At the time I didn't get paid for it; I didn't even get a by-line initially; that came later; but it was a break through nonetheless. I was published and people I'd never met in life would be able to read and enjoy my work.

That small step led onto far bigger things.  I went from publishing poetry...to writing home-study courses for a leading esoteric distance learning school...to writing the odd magazine article...to being an author of M,B,S books...to a regular columnist in national magazines...to guest writing sleeve notes and poetry for a New Age record label... to writing and singing my own original pagan songs as a recording artist with another record label...and so it continues to this day.

I often wonder where I might be if I had been too proud to write free, funny poems for a pub guide in my early 20's.  If I had turned down that initial opportunity, or given up on it due to the stick I took from friends for doing it, would the publishing industry have remained closed to me forever?  Maybe.

I do believe that a large part of my success is down to grasping every available chance in the early years. Once you have established yourself in your chosen field, you can be more selective, but to start with you just need to show up and be happy to be there. No-one owes you a dream come true.

If I was given £1.00 for every occasion I've heard the dismissive phrase "Marie's been very lucky" I wouldn't need to write at all. But it isn't down to luck, or even just hard work and a positive attitude.  Of course those things do help but talent, ability, productivity, reliability and professionalism must all be present to manifest success.

I also believe that my resilience is a key factor in my longevity as a writer.  Being published also means dealing with rejection and I've had my fair share of that too, yet it didn't stop me turning up at my desk every day and writing, working away at projects with no promise of publication or financial remuneration.

I think it is sometimes easier for people to tell themselves that I have just been lucky, rather than admit that while my peers drifted along, I set my goal at a young age and I worked steadily towards it, making sacrifices along the way. It's just easier for those individuals with a deep sense of entitlement to dismiss my success as a stroke of good fortune.

Lucky chances are fleeting and soon pass.
I have been consistently published for 18 years - that's not down to luck.
When people ask "Who is your publisher?" I respond with "Which one? Books, magazines or music?" That's not down to luck either.

I do feel very fortunate and I don't take my published status for granted. It isn't something I feel entitled to, it's something I am privileged to be. But I didn't just 'get lucky'. I have worked hard for years, in a low paid and sometimes non-paid industry and I deserve to be where I am today.  I am excited by the thought of where the next 18 years will take me and my work. I am proud of all that I've published so far. I have achieved almost every personal writing goal that I set.

Almost... I still have one or two goals up my sleeve and plots to be hatched!

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Stepping Stones

I have always viewed life as a series of stepping stones - not every stone will get me where I want to be, so I have to choose carefully which route I am going to take.  Sometimes I need to go the long way round, veering off course for a short time, before coming back a little closer to the ultimate goal.  This is when I can get disheartened and when my enthusiasm begins to wane a little bit, as I temporarily loose sight of my goal. I have to keep telling myself that even the smallest of steps will take me closer to the desired result.

Having passed my college course last autumn, last week I started night classes again, at a higher level.  There was a mix up with the course fees and every student has had to pay an extra £150.  This has knocked much of the enthusiasm right out of us, as the course was expensive enough to begin with, and to add insult to injury, we were not informed of the mix up until 24 hours before the first class!  At that point I seriously considered telling them to stick it where light can't travel!

However, I paid up and attended the first class last week. I enjoy learning something new and it's good for me to leave my desk every now and then. There is a lot to do to achieve accreditation, but I'm trying not to think too far ahead or allow myself to become overwhelmed.  Because it's an academic course there is all the usual pretension - the way each course requirement is presented as a matter of life and death, when in fact, it's just an essay or a presentation.  If you've attended Uni you will know what I mean. 

On this particular course I dislike the way basic common-sense is repackaged in psychobabble and presented to students as 'a very subtle skill which can't really be explained' - so I've paid £500 to learn something that cannot be explained? What exactly is the tutor being paid for then?  Honestly, it makes my eyes roll and roll again. I'm hoping the course content really steps up over the next few weeks so that I feel like I am actually learning a new skill and that my intelligence is being stretched somewhat. 

At the moment I feel like I am expected to accept the smoke and mirrors gig as value for money and not ask too many questions regarding the course structure and content, or the profession it represents - but that's not my style.  I question everything. I am always going to look behind the curtain to see what's really going on. I pride myself on the fact that I am never afraid to ask the difficult questions...it's one of the things that makes me a successful writer.

On the other hand, it's nice that I'm finding the course work involved so easy. I'm staying positive and taking it as a compliment, rather than an insult, to my intelligence.  I am keeping my main goal in mind as I track along the stepping stones to get there, class by class and lecture by lecture.  I don't really think beyond what I need to do for this current week - that way I can concentrate only on what needs to be done, rather than getting anxious about future course requirements, clinical hours etc. For the moment, all I need do is turn up, pay attention and put the work in on time.

I haven't found returning to an academic course difficult or even particularly challenging, so if it is something you have been considering doing yourself, then I'd say go for it.  Starting anything new or returning to education after a long break is always a little nerve-wracking, but the new year is the perfect time to make a fresh start.  A positive action is certainly stronger than a half-hearted resolution. What stepping stones will you take this year?

BOOK NOOK; Wicked Kisses by Arantza

Immerse yourself in the stunning art of Arantza 

"I do not want the man with the tender eyes, the sweet look, the intense fire. No, that is not it...what I want is only in your kisses...

It is not the man of the shadows, or the true friend, or the savage beast, or the fairytale prince.

What I want, my love, I can only find in your kisses..."

Happy New Year everyone!  I hope you all had fun.  One of the best things about the festive season for any bibliophile and art lover is finding a beautiful new art book beneath the tree. This lovely book was under my tree this year and I have spent happy hours perusing the stunning artwork within its pages.

Wicked Kisses by Arantza is a picture book, being a collection of artwork and pencil sketches and if you like the work of Victoria Frances then you will certainly enjoy this too. The blurb states that the artist intends to 'show us the thin delicate line separating love, pain and grief through the desolate stories of her delicate protagonists'.   There are 25 glossy full colour images, plus a further 15 matte pencil sketches, all finely detailed and brilliantly executed.

Arantza has also written some evocative poetry to accompany each image, such as the quotation at the top of this post which is taken from the book.  It really is a beautiful combination of modern Gothic art and poetry and I was completely captivated from cover to cover.  The book depicts solitary maidens in various states of love, rapture and repose.  Reading Wicked Kisses is like walking through a dream, as each girl tells her tale of lost love and heart ache. I was reminded of the work of John William Waterhouse - Wicked Kisses has that same dreamy sort of feel to it.

From warrior princesses and lonely spirit maids haunting cemeteries to winged sylphs and mermaids, Arantza has compiled a book which celebrates womanhood in all Her darker moods - strong and resilient, yet at the same time delicate, fragile, tormented.   Arantza's heroines are often sorrowful and solitary; sometimes traumatized by battle; or they are fragile wisps of forgotten love...but they are no less beautiful for all that... they are the pure essence of womanly sorrow.  

I wish I could put together a book of poetry and art like this, but alas, I can't paint - I can only write.I highly recommend this book if you like studying collections of art, or if you enjoy reading the modern Gothic and dark romance genres, or if you just want to throw yourself into another world for a short time. 

Wicked Kisses by Arantza is available on Amazon UK.

POET'S CORNER; The Forgotten Rose

Rose Angel by www.annestokes.com

The Forgotten Rose

A maiden of the mists, in ceaseless wandering

I am haunted by the ghost of my own happiness

Captivated by Time long past, my mind ricochets

From vision to vision and back again

As I slowly stitch together the puzzle of Memory

Piece by painful piece, building an image of torment

Forgotten, you say?

Forgotten? I say nay

For my eyes sought only you

Peering blindly through the fog of dis-remembrance

And my lips warmed only to the dream of your kiss

While the void that held my heart still awaits your presence

That same heart which once I gave to you

 Wounded and broken, now lies bleeding in your hands

Forgotten, you say?

Forgotten? I say nay

For I see your face in every sweet rose that blooms

And the shell of my heart remembers you anew.

By Marie Bruce

BOOK NOOK; Picture Books

"How am I to sing your praise,

Happy chimney-corner days,

Sitting safe in nursery nooks

Reading picture story books?"

Quotation taken from the poem 'Picture Books in Winter' by Robert Louis Stevenson

This is my favourite image by the artist Briar.

I have never out-grown picture books, though as I grew from child to woman my taste in picture books changed.  These days I prefer to look at an artist's collection of work, rather than the traditional picture books Robert Louis Stevenson was referring to in his poem.  With digital art being so advanced there is a whole new surge of modern picture books available for adult readers who want to enjoy the work of a favourite artist.  Some of these books are published under the term 'graphic novel' but they have nothing to do with superheroes!  Others faithfully reproduce paintings, presenting a complete exhibition of work in the more accessible form of a book.  A quick search on Amazon will throw up a slew of modern picture books that showcase the work of today's finest fantasy, visionary artists.  Below are some of my favourite ones;

Stone Tears; Set Me Free; Frozen Light - the Favole Trilogy by Victoria Frances.

This is a stunning trilogy of Gothic art, inspired by the artist's love of traditional Gothic literature such as Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe.  It tells the tale of a young woman, Favole, who falls in love with a vampire and is then damned because of this forbidden liaison.  Torn apart, the dark lovers must find a way to come to together in salvation and love eternal.

Each book contains three shorter stories, which interlink and move the main plot of the trilogy forward.  It is a clever concept, the text is poetically written and it contains all the key themes of a Gothic romance.  The main point of the trilogy however, is to show-case Victoria's beautiful artwork which is presented to great effect.

Gothic Fantasies, the paintings of Anne Sudworth

I love this collection and I met the artist once while I was out walking on the cliffs at Whitby, where she sat at an easel, painting the view. I was also lucky enough to see an exhibition of her paintings, also held at Whitby in North Yorkshire and I enjoy seeing her take on some of the familiar places from my home county such as Whitby Abbey and Tangle Woods. At first glance Anne's work is a series of pretty landscapes, but if you take the time to look deeper you will find a secret spirit-scape hidden within the brush strokes.  Anne paints green men and goblins hidden in the leaves and trees, bats in the clouds and dryads in the tree trunks, but rather like the old magic-eye pictures, you have to look to find them.  

I find this book is best viewed by candlelight as it draws out the hidden spirits of the paintings.

SHE, The Book of the Goddess by Linda & Roger Garland and Nigel Suckling

This was one of the first books I bought that show-cased the art of Linda Garland  and I immediately fell in love with her work.  SHE is a fantastic book which brings together masses of information about the various concepts of the divine feminine, the Goddess, from various cultures around the world.

It is very informative, particularly if you are interested in knowing more about paganism and goddess centered spirituality. The book is divided into sections named for each of the elements, heavens and rights of passage. The illustrations are stunning but my two favourites are Frost and Waiting for the Tide.  

I never grow tired of looking at these books and studying the artwork.  It might be because I have no talent for sketching and painting myself, so I am fascinated and full of admiration for those who can create such imaginative images for others to enjoy.   If you thought that picture books were just for children, please think again and consider exploring the books of art that are available.  Light the candles, flip through the pages slowly and allow yourself to be absorbed in the whimsical world of the visionary artist. 

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Festive Preparations

This Yule card by the artist Briar was sent to me and sits on the mantelpiece.

How  are all your festive preparations going?  This week has been pretty busy for me so far; I spent Monday getting out all the decorations and putting up the tree.  It always takes longer than I think it will; there is always a big mess to clean up afterwards and boxes to tidy away but I look forward to that moment when it's all finished and I can sit in my oak-leaf rocking-chair with a glass of cream sherry and admire the twinkling lights on the tree and around the fireplace.

Last year I got a new artificial Christmas tree and this year I have new Poinsettia lights around the mantelpiece.  I can't have real Poinsettia plants, as much as I love them, because they are poisonous to felines, so these lights are a nice option and they won't harm Pyewackett.  They make the fireplace look very festive.  Last year I was sent one of Briar's Yule cards (above); I don't generally keep old cards but I am a fan of the artist's work and I like the Pagan elements of this festive image with the sickle, mistletoe and broomstick, so I've put it on the mantelpiece and I think I want to get a little gilt frame for it and bring it out every year. Because it's too small to hang on the wall, I've just propped it up on the mantel with the lights and it looks pretty, but it really does need to be in a frame to finish it off properly.

If you've read my book How to Create a Magical Home you will know that I have a couple of large pewter trees and a three-fold screen, all designed to look like winter trees.  These are pretty all year round as they are all meant to hold candles and tea-lights, but at Yuletide I put fairy lights on them too and they really do sparkle.  They featured in the photo-shoot I did for Spirit&Destiny earlier this month, so you might spot them in the magazine next year.  I love the way the house looks especially warm and inviting at Yuletide.

'Tis the season to be frazzled so yesterday I braved the supermarket and did the grocery run.  It was packed with shoppers, all equally stressed, but it's just one of those things that has to be done.  I think mums deserve a meddle for putting Christmas together for their families!  It looks like such a hard slog in the weeks leading up to the celebration. I did treat myself to Britney Spears new album Britney Jean, as an early present to myself and a little reward to make the supermarket trip worth the hassle and I've been listening to that today as I clean the house.

Tomorrow it's the final trip to the post office for cards and parcels, a last lot of present wrapping to do and then I think mum and I are having the Yuletide baking day at some stage over the weekend. And we have tickets for an Aurora Illuminations Winter Walk at one of the country parks in the next county...so it's all go.

As soon as I've finished this blog post I'm going to settle down with a cup of creamy white hot chocolate with festive sprinkles on top and read some of the seasonal short stories I downloaded onto my Kindle earlier.  Some of them are free or cost less than £1, so if you have a Kindle or similar, take a look on Amazon for free festive stories, curl up and enjoy some down-time. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas so you might as well enjoy it!

ONCE UPON A DREAM; Highland Marie

The beautiful Isle of Mull and the view from my hotel bedroom window.

Last month I turned 40!!  I knew that I wanted to be in Scotland for my birthday so I went off to the Highlands...to the stunning town of Oban, on the west coast.  I had never been to that part of the Highlands before and I quickly fell in love with the place.  Oban in November is on the far side of chilly...it was bloody freezing to be honest, but I had the great joy of waking up to snow on my first morning and seeing the mountains covered, snowy white and blending seamlessly into the snow laden sky above.  Of course, I felt like I was in Narnia and as I have never seen Scotland in snow before, I couldn't have wished for a more perfect birthday gift...a visit from the Cailleach, just for me.

The snow melted swiftly and the rest of the week was bright blue winter skies, the odd rain shower and gusty coastal winds.  I loved it.  I walked by the sea each day, made friends with 3 dogs, 2 swans and a whole flock of sea gulls, and spent time dreaming and meandering around.  Sadly, the weather was so rough that the ferries were cancelled so I couldn't take a trip out to Mull or any of the islands, but Oban itself was a pretty place and the locals were friendly.  I also visited Fort William, Inverary and Gretna Green.

"As strong as you were...brave as you go...I'm watching you breathing for the last time and I'll carry you home" Lyrics by James Blunt and the song that breaks my heart every time I hear it.
There is a Bruce named upon this War Memorial, Oban.

  

Flower decked Soul Anchor in Oban Memorial Gardens...the sea is behind me as I took this photo.

Because Oban is a sea port there is a very peaceful Memorial Garden that looks out over Oban Bay. There is both a soldier's war monument and also a Soul Anchor - that is, a monument to those who left Oban Bay and were lost at sea.  Soul Anchors are often seen in coastal towns and they are said to anchor lost souls to the coastline, between land and sea, thereby giving them a place of rest. They are the maritime equivalent to The Unknown Soldier monuments.

Dunolly Castle stands guard at the Gateway to the Islands.

Oban was a very romantic place with rough seas and the endless cries of the gulls creating a mournful soundscape.  The colours are at times vibrant, sometimes water-colour but always beautiful and there is a peace and solitude to the area that greatly appealed to me.  I found myself wondering what it must have been like to live in this castle, right on the coast, with the Islanders as neighbours and the mountains standing sentry.  It was a marvelous way to turn 40 and I am so glad I chose to visit a part of the Highlands that is totally fresh and new to me...it was the breath of fresh air I needed and I will certainly go back there again.

In the meantime, my Bruce progress around Scotland will continue with a visit to another part of the country I've not yet seen.  I am considering Aberdeen, Dundee or perhaps a stay on one of the Islands.  I haven't quite decided yet, so I need to ponder on it some more...