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Posts by Gail Aldwin

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  • Gail Aldwin
About Gail Aldwin
Gail Aldwin is a novelist, poet and scriptwriter. Her debut coming-of-age novel The String Games was a finalist in The People's Book Prize and the DLF Writing Prize 2020. Following a stint as a university lecturer, Gail's children's picture book Pandemonium was published. Gail loves to appear at national and international literary and fringe festivals. Prior to Covid-19, she volunteered at Bidibidi in Uganda, the second largest refugee settlement in the world. Her forthcoming contemporary novel This Much Huxley Knows uses a young narrator to show adult experiences in a new light. When she's not gallivanting around the world, Gail writes at her home in Dorset. Twitter: https://twitter.com/gailaldwin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gailaldwinwriter/ Blog: https://gailaldwin.com
Journeys and writing
Posted inPensives

Journeys and writing

I’ve drafted and scheduled this post early as by the time it reaches you, I’ll be on my way home from a two-week holiday in Cambodia, flying from Siem Reap.…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2023-01-16Posted inPensivesTags: travel writing, writing prompts2 Comments
How important is self-belief to a writer?
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom

How important is self-belief to a writer?

This was a question I posed on Twitter recently and the answer came back: crucial. If self-belief is crucial for a writer, how do I get some?
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2022-10-10Posted inBi-weekly WisdomTags: self-belief, strategies to build self-belief1 Comment
Using psychic distance
Posted inPensives

Using psychic distance

Psychic distance is a term coined by John Gardner in his book The Art of Fiction. It relates to the distance the reader feels between themselves and events in the story. He…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2022-07-25Posted inPensivesTags: John Gardner, Psychic Distance, The Art of FictionNo Comments
Walking and Writing
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom

Walking and Writing

I have often extolled the value of running and writing yet of late, I’m more inclined to think that walking and writing are better partners. When I completed two half…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2022-04-25Posted inBi-weekly WisdomTags: inspiration, Novels, running, walking5 Comments
Random words and pasta
Posted inPensives

Random words and pasta

How do you fancy using random words as a writing prompt? The aim is to use each of the five words presented in a piece of short fiction up to…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2022-01-24Posted inPensivesTags: competition, flash fiction, fusili, pasta, random words, writing prompt5 Comments
Writing Residencies
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom

Writing Residencies

I am currently spending time on a writing residency at the wonderful Brisons Veor, close to St Just in Cornwall. This is made possible by the trust which accepts applications from anyone…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2021-11-22Posted inBi-weekly WisdomTags: retreat, time to write, writing residency3 Comments
A Pensive on Writing Place
Posted inPensives

A Pensive on Writing Place

Use the opening passages from these novels to inspire a piece of your own writing. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez starts in a village: Macondo was…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2021-09-06Posted inPensivesTags: novel openings, reading, sense of place, writing prompts6 Comments
When is a piece of writing finished?
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom

When is a piece of writing finished?

Paul Valéry is often cited for suggesting ‘a poem is never completed, only abandoned’­ – I understand W H Auden also used this adage (and credited Valéry). Since its first…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2021-06-21Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom3 Comments
Take a bridge
Posted inPensives

Take a bridge

Bridges are endlessly fascinating. They link banks of a river, countries, offer the scope for escape or to reach a new destination. Their construction is sometimes improbable, giving the idea…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2021-05-17Posted inPensivesTags: bridges, photo prompts, provocations, rivers7 Comments
TA Home Screenshot
Posted inBi-weekly Wisdom

The challenges of writing during a pandemic

What is your experience of writing during lockdown? Do fewer distractions make it easier to focus on your writing or does lack of interaction stunt your imagination and ability to…
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Posted by By Gail Aldwin 2021-02-01Posted inBi-weekly WisdomTags: pandemic, Society of Authors, translation, writing during difficult times, writing links4 Comments

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