Hi. First off, tell me about yourself (and feel free to drop any personal social media links etc that you’d like to share)? Hi Thomas, thank you so much for having me. My name is Jocelyn and I’m a poet who writes under the name J.V. Bates on Instagram. I’m based in the North of … Continue reading Interview with Jocelyn Bates (The Torn Pages Project)
Tag: Creative Writing
Walking by Laura Lodahl
The past is a place I know well, well enough to be myself, to breathe, to sing, to dance, to hold on. It has been walking on my side ever since I was born. Yesterday is close, tangible, complete. When I look back at the beginning, I find pieces of myself which I have left … Continue reading Walking by Laura Lodahl
Poem #7 by Lorenzo Dozier
Love is a feeling that cannot be explained, it gives me butterflies and makes me go insane Love don’t have to call me every second of the hour Love just has to care enough, and give us power In all the times we have fought through the darkest nights, Love has always been the shining … Continue reading Poem #7 by Lorenzo Dozier
The Mask by Victoria Sullivan
You can check out a video of the author reading this poem over on the Unchained Media Scotland Facebook Page by clicking here. I wear a mask, as it protects From germs of those who’re ill I wear a mask, so can’t transmit The virus that can kill I wear a mask - my customs … Continue reading The Mask by Victoria Sullivan
Poem #6 by Lorenzo Dozier
Is this really the land of opportunities or has the government created a system to tear down our communities? Every day someone fears to go outside, takes a bullet to the brain And then you die from the second we are born The world taught us how to self-hate Ever think of a reason why … Continue reading Poem #6 by Lorenzo Dozier
3 am by Laura Lodahl
You know this space, Right there, right between shoulder and ear, Just big enough for you to rest your head at night. This is where you seek shelter, From your nightmares and your demons. You have buried your dreams there and your hopes. It’s where the things left unsaid are waiting for us, Waiting to … Continue reading 3 am by Laura Lodahl
Tips For Self-Editing
I will be the first to admit that editing is the area of the writing process where I could use the most improvement, I’m either too critical in which case I can turn ten pages of my own work into a few scared pieces of punctuation or I’m too forgiving because I like a particular … Continue reading Tips For Self-Editing
How To Finish That First Draft
So if you are like me it can feel like the hardest thing about writing is ironically, actually writing. So we put this list together of helpful tips for finishing that first draft. This list is by no means exhaustive, and if you have any tips feel free to comment on this post. Make a … Continue reading How To Finish That First Draft
5 Character Tropes To Avoid
I’m going to start this post by saying that these tropes have been a part of literature for as long as man has been writing, there are no original ideas, only new ways of utilising old ones so don’t fret too much if you’re novel has a little too much of ‘a hero’s journey’ or … Continue reading 5 Character Tropes To Avoid
Creating An Outline For Your Novel
I was always kind of against this when I was younger, my thought process was that in planning out my novel I was firstly wasting time that I could be writing and secondly robbing the story of creativity by insisting on planning it rather than letting it form naturally. Now I’ll admit there may be … Continue reading Creating An Outline For Your Novel
How To Introduce Setting In A Story
So I think you’ll agree with me that one of the most important things when building a story is the setting, sure you need characters and you need plot, but for those to be believable and have context, you need to have setting. You need to be careful though, you want the setting of your … Continue reading How To Introduce Setting In A Story
Types Of Narration And Which One To Use
Narration is broken down into three classifications, First Person, Second Person and Third Person and to explain more clearly, First Person Narration. This is where the events of the story are told from the point of view of a character in the story, usually referencing events they are or have experienced. This type of narration … Continue reading Types Of Narration And Which One To Use
How To Find Motivation To Write
Personally I think the title is a bit of a misnomer because it implies that if you can’t find the motivation then you shouldn’t write and this attitude is perhaps the most insidious thing about being a writer. There is this idea that because writing is a creative endeavour that you should and can only … Continue reading How To Find Motivation To Write
Getting Over Writer’s Block
I think most, if not all people will have suffered from the creative drought known as Writer’s Block at some point in their life. While this is bad in the short term, it does mean that there is a whole host of remedies for Writer’s Block, tried and tested by you hardworking creative types. So … Continue reading Getting Over Writer’s Block
I Know by Chloe Copland
“Do you love me?” I ask. “Yes.” “Do you want to be with me?” “I don’t know.” “Are you happy?” “No.” I take a step back and look into your aqua eyes, searching for the words you can’t say. You smile sadly at me and my breath catches in my throat. My hand reaches the … Continue reading I Know by Chloe Copland
