Flaming Nora

I've a short story called Tina the Taxi Driver which is published in The People's Friend magazine today.  Also in the magazine is another instalment of my weekly soap opera Riverside. The People's Friend are currently offering writing workshops, one in Dundee and one in York. If you're at all interested in writing for the magazine and learning the craft of writing short stories, I highly recommend this. I attended the workshop in York in 2016 and it was a truly wonderful day - like being back at school having my favourite lesson - all day long. Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image below : I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

This week I had a holiday, a few days break to my favourite Yorkshire sea-side place and to visit my mum-in-law in Yorkshire too. I also had a birthday so it's been a great week.  It also meant I had a break from writing for a few days.  That doesn't  mean I had a break from thinking and planning and talking to my characters though. No. That all still went on. But what did happen is that I started dreaming again. I love dreaming and I do it a lot. I have vivid dreams, in colour, that I tend to remember well the next day. But when I'm writing, I stop dreaming. Now I'm not Freud (as you know) and I don't know Fancy Brain Stuff (as you may also know) but it seems to me there's a clear link between creativity during the day time and not dreaming at night. Or at least for me there is. Anyway, I dreamed. I had a great week's holiday and I ate ice-cream. Today I'm back to writing again with two chapters to complete before a deadline next week. Find o...

Many years ago I studied my journalism degree as a mature student. It's one of the best things I ever did, life-changing in every way. As part of my course and because I was (and still am) a huge Coronation Street fan, I set up a Corrie fan site dedicated to one particular character. I won't say who it was because the site has long gone. But while it existed, it was huge and even got a mention on the Graham Norton show. One day on my University course, I opened an email from a tabloid journalist who told me that my fan website had been hacked by pornographers and asked if I had any comment to make. I checked the website. No hack. No porn. I ignored the email. He sent another, demanding a comment. I ignored it again. He printed a lie of a story about the website being hacked.  That was over 20 years ago. Today I've just read a critical tabloid article online about a Coronation Street cast member. It was published by a different tabloid, but it's the same journal...

This week has been busy and I've now completed four chapters in total. I've settled into a writing routine, things are going well and my mind's in overdrive. In fact, it's been so much in overdrive that I had to take part of one day to look again at planning as I was in danger of speeding and going off track. Having a plan for each chapter has been crucial for me. Lists, planning - that's how my brain works. And then around the constructed loom of each chapter plan I weave and embroider my tale. This is when I find out my plan either holds up brilliantly or doesn't work at all. If it's the latter then tweaks are made, changes happen and the plan shifts and morphs to fit the new characters and situations which have crawled out of my brain. I also had tea with the vicar this week who shared tales from the parish at the time in which my novel is set. Creative inspiration works in mysterious ways. Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image bel...

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update  has just gone live here . This week in Corrie, the Cabbie's Code of Confidentiality strikes again Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image below : I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

I've a short story called Mum's Perfect Day Ou t in this week's edition of My Weekly magazine. It's a story inspired by true events and features two sisters who take their mum on a very special day out. In fact, it's the one day out that their mum has always wanted to take. But she isn't there to enjoy it with them... I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image below : I'm on twitter @flaming_nora

It's been announced today that Alison King is returning to Coronation Street in the role of Carla Connor. Perfect timing then to relive all of Carla's storylines from her very first appearance to her very last via my book I wrote and published last year. The book is available in paperback as an ebook from Amazon. BUY IT HERE Find out more about me and my books. Click on the image below : I'm on twitter @flaming_nora