My Life as a writer - When I'm not scribbling

It's officially Summer time, though the weather hasn't quite caught on yet, jumpers still a cupboard staple.  But saying that it's time for a raft of new shows to start appearing on schedules.  With lock down in force it's definitely more of a netflix and chill than my usual cinema escapes.  So these are the upcoming Korean Show's staring now and coming soon I'm most looking forward to: 1. King the Eternal Monarch Lee Min-ho leads the cast as Emperor Lee Gon,  in this fantasy drama where characters cross between two parallel worlds, one based on modern day Korea (The Republic of Korea) and the other the Kingdom of Korea where the royal family rule as per many other European countries only this one still has magic.  When the door between the two worlds is opened Lee Gon and detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) have to work to close it. Available now on Netflix 2. Flower of Evil Lee Joon-gi, plays a metal craftsman, living happily with his wife a ...

When you've binged watched on a little too much thriller and you're watching over your shoulder every time the door creaks its definitely  time to lighten the mood.  Romantic comedies are a light way to warm the heart with stories focusing on true love overcoming obstacles, with a chuckle or two along the way.  Who doesn't like falling in love, and romantic comedies give us that feeling, be it the levels of oxytocin rising as we connect on a deeper level with the characters or whether we're looking for that connection ourselves or maybe we just thrive on the feel good factor. 1. What's Wrong With Secretary Kim  After nine years of working with her narcissistic boss, Secretary Kim Mi-soo (Park Min-young) decides to resign from making him look good as the Vice President of his family owned company. Having paid for her elder sisters education and her father's debts its time to move forward with her life and look for a husband.   Under threat of loosi...

I'm a huge drama fan be it movies, theatre or TV I love drama as a viewer and as a writer, I love immersing myself in other lives.  George RR Martin said 'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only once."  For me as a writer I get to live a thousand lives, as a reader a thousand more and as a drama lover who knows.  I always get excited when the autumn season of drama is due to start in the UK, there's always been something to look forward to building up to some great dramas in the winter months to curl up and become absorbed in.  But the dramas this past year were lacking for me and I needed something new to fill the void of lives I was missing out on. Netflix is always a great place for me to find something different, it replaced my love of the video store when that became a thing of the past.  Browsing the shelves and peaking at the inserts deciding which film I would spend my evening with.  I even worked in a ...

As someone who has word make-up her whole life for multiple reasons I'm always hunting for the perfect base as the first step in my daily makeup routine. Like most, my skin is far from perfect with a few freckles, imperfections and I'm English pale but not the rosey glow kind so I need to attempt to create that flawless fin ish everyone is looking for be it matt, dewy or natural. There are now so many types of primer on the market it can be daunting, do you need BB or CC Cream, a mattifying primer or a tinted one?   As usual I always go to the experts for advice and try the products together which should work together. In any review there's always and best and worst, so I'm starting here with the worst and building up to the grand finale:  The Not So Good  Clarins SOS Primer -in Universal Light  & Ever Lasting Youth Fluid Foundation in 107 Beige  Clarins has always been a go to line when my skin has been most sensitive. ...

Usually January is a slow movie month, with the build up to awards season and the post Christmas blockbuster lull there can be a lack of quality movies to make me venture in to the cold night air and loose myself in the darkness of the cinema for a few hours.  However this January has been a little different, there have been a few screenings and a couple of post Christmas surprises. The Gentlemen - Released 1 January 2020 Guy Ritchie returns to the formula that made him popular with Lock Stock, Snatch and Rock n Rolla, this is the type of movie he does well.  It's a bit of a mickey take on society and what people do when they feel they've been snubbed. Over a lot of Whiskey and some BBQ wagyu steak, Raymond, right hand of criminal top boss Mickey Pearson, played by Charlie Hunnan who shows he hasn't lost the Geordie twang receives an offer from  Fletcher, the private investigator,  brilliantly played by a rather camp and weirdly accented Hugh Grant. Fletche...

I use Vision boards or dream boards a lot, in fact probably daily.  The aim of a vision board for me is focusing the mind on what I am dreaming, planning, looking for inspiration for and most importantly leading me towards turning what's in my imagination in to something tangible. Using Vision boards for writing is part of my process, it helps me plan out the movie that plays in my head so I can translate to words on the page.  I can use these boards on platforms such as Pinterest to collaborate with readers, giving them a behind the scenes look at the book. Example Book Vision Board Vision boards also help me in my day to day life, I use them to plan out what I want to achieve personally, or to plan a project.  For example, I have several home design projects this year, I use vision boards to plot out how I want things to look. Vision board for home improvements  I'm planning on redesigning my garden this spring/summer so I'm building a vision boa...

There's something about a New Year that makes you feel like you're starting over, things can be fresh and new again.  You feel adventurous, confident and full of the promise a clean slate brings.  I always make a list of intentions for my new year, things I hope to achieve. One of my focuses this year is to improve my overall health and wellbeing, starting with my skin care. With the impact of the winter climate, changes in my skin's sensitivity and changes in my lifestyle it's time to try something new. Having stuck predominately to a traditional cleanse, tone and moisturise routine most of my life, I've decided it's time to try a new routine. Sometimes it's good to break out of a cycle it challenges you to try new things and in that you can make interesting and productive discoveries.   There's been a lot of talk and interest building over the last few years around Korean lifestyle, food, clothes, music, drama and of course skin care...