Read this on galpod.com. A couple of years ago (feels like forever but it’s mostly the pandemic), when I started writing fiction seriously, I wanted to find out how and so, of course, I looked online. I found a host of online Writers Groups that were very useful for me back then. The forums online gave me a crash course in writers’ lingo in a low-stakes environment where it was ok to ask stupid questions because no one knows your name on the internet*. I’m an introvert and ta

Read this on galpod.com. I’ve been experiencing recently another hit of heightened anxiety. The kiddos went back to school, and today they started walking to school on their own. They are walking together, and it’s a 10-minute walk, and my son has done it through much of last year, and most of the way is packed with other students and their parents. Still, anxiety was high this morning until the awaited text message arrived. But it’s not just that, of course. On top of the pa

Read this on galpod.com. A couple of weeks ago, we received our "Indefinite Leave to Remain" (in the UK) visa. We had a lawyer helping us with the application, and we know we are the kind of immigrants countries want (White, educated, wealthy). Still, when we got the cards delivered, when I saw our appalling, unsmiling pictures on them, I felt a low-level tension dissipate, like when you turn off the fan and you realise it's much quieter now. Being an immigrant means always w

Read this on galpod.com. TL;DR: read this book. Like, right now. I usually try to do a review without spoilers, but I think the great thing about this book is that it’s too rich for me to discuss the early parts alone. So if you haven’t read it, just go and read it. Because it’s probably the best thing I’ve read all year. Now, I’ll create some scrolling space for anyone who DOESN’T want spoilers. THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW THE PICTURE. This book is ostensibly about a pair of tw

Read this on galpod.com. In art, it's always about fear. If you're comfortable with what you're writing, you're probably not digging deep enough. I've been editing my first novel, Labour Pains (it's a working title, I'm still debating). I've been editing it for a good two years now, on and off. I took a course in winter 2019 that was supposed to get me through the editing process, and it certainly improved the manuscript, but it wasn't enough. I even asked my creative writing

Read this on galpod.com. Yes, yes, art is in the eyes of the beholder, we need all kinds of art, what speaks to me doesn't necessarily speak to other people, and people need their voices heard. BUT. We watched John Wick the other night. Yes, we're a bit behind on pop culture. And, don't get me wrong, 20 years ago I would have loved this movie. I loved action movies as a teen, and I still enjoy things blowing up on the screen from time to time. And I get that this is an action

Read this on galpod.com. Racism is a hot topic right now. What's happening over in the US about it gives me hope, but it's been a long journey. I wanted to write a little about the journey I've been through, from being entirely oblivious to the issue, to making #BLM signs to put up in the windows with my kids. If you know nothing about racism in the US and around the world, start with Chenjerai Kumanyika and Salma El-Wardany, they'll show you the way. First, a little backgro

Read this on galpod.com. It's hard to write about creativity as if nothing is happening. Between the actual pandemic we still have to deal with, and the pandemic racism in the US, to which we all look to as the leader of the Western world (albeit with dwindling conviction), it feels callous to think about anything else. But I have no new perspective about Black Lives Matter (because it's friggin 2020 and it's about time we talked about racism), so if you do want to read some

Read this on galpod.com. May is generally a good month for me. I usually have lots of energy as I'm sort of coming out of winter hibernation. This May was no different. I find that incredible, given everything that's happening in the world right now. I set small goals on purpose at the beginning of the month, mostly focusing on establishing a writing and jogging routine. Here's a run-through of my writing goals and how I did on them. Finish a synopsis for LP: done. Make a lis

Read this on galpod.com. Yesterday was the LitSalon's last meeting of a 7-week study of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. It's about racial relations and finding your identity within a racist society in America of the 1940 or thereabout. It's fascinating if at points a bit heavy-handed. What resonated with me most is Ellison's ideas about social responsibility. In the introduction, which he wrote 30 years after the book was pub

Read this on galpod.com. Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in quarantine. Or at least, that's what the memes on the internet will tell you. On social media, all people are baking, dieting, exercising, writing, or being otherwise super-productive. Now, I've been actually quite productive in the second half of the lockdown (so far). And I get it, truly, that we want to brag about how we're keeping calm and carrying on. But let's pause for a minute to talk about productivity. Ge

Read this on galpod.com. April certainly has been a long month. The days blend like a long dream, and you can't tell what day it is or how long it's been since anything of note happened. Not having goals this month didn't help this sense of meandering. I did manage to establish a routine of writing for two hours every weekday morning. It doesn't sound like a lot but to be honest if I'm sitting down and writing for those two hours I miraculously get more done than I was before

Read this on galpod.com. When I was about eight or nine, I remember hiking with my dad. The sun was strong that day. The desert felt breathless, the colours of the trees and the sky muted by the dust. We met no animals on the hike, which was odd as we usually saw at least a spiny-tailed lizard slipping by, or a couple of ibex up on the ridge. That day was strangely devoid of life, which made me think we should probably head back. Hiking was a time for stories. That day, my da

Read this on galpod.com. When the world around us changes overnight, what do we do? I've been observing people online. Writers, this a perfect time now to do your research online because everyone is now online. Just saying. There are several strategies we can use to deal with a sudden change. We can "just keep swimming". It works for some people, but I'm a firm believer in dealing with stuff, even the difficult ones. We can "find the silver lining", which is, for me, a variat

Read this on galpod.com. March was an interesting decade. I mean, month. In terms of excuses, I have plenty. There's a pandemic, and the kids are home, and the world had gone completely bananas. I've been trying to find ways to write despite the excuses. I still haven't written the King Lear equivalent, but I made sure to write every day as much as I can. With all due respect, I'm pretty sure Shakespeare wasn't homeschooling his children while he was on quarantine. One thing

Read this on galpod.com. Schools are closing afternoon on Friday, which means we're homeschooling from next week. It feels like the end of the world out there, but I'm bored talking about panic buying and how anxious I am. And besides, Chuck Wendig, as always, had written it so much better than I ever could. Here's what I plan to do starting Monday. Homeschool I've actually always wanted to try out homeschooling but didn't want to be the weirdo mom who takes the kids out of s

Read this on galpod.com. Last week on our amazing writers' group, we talked about our inner editor. I've shared this exercise that changed my relationship with my inner editor. The idea is to make a character out of your inner editor, to get to know her. My inner editor's name is Rebecca. She has long blonde hair tied in a bun, and black-rimmed glasses perching on her beak-like nose, hiding her piercing deep brown eyes. She always wears a skirt suit, high heels, and perfect m

Read this on galpod.com. I just read a book in Hebrew called "Always on Time" (rough translation). It's not a fantastic book, it's rather tedious at times, although the author writes pain so delicately it breaks my heart. The story is about Netta, an Israeli who lives and loves a man in Japan in the 1990s. We get to read her point of view as well as that of her mother, and also letters from her grandfather (on her mother's side). This book got me thinking about families and t

Read this on galpod.com. Well, as I wrote in the last post, I haven't been "on it" this month. Not in the slightest. This lapse is reflected in my goals-achievement, which is a total of two. I did finish reading the book we were studying at the Lit Salon because we had the last meeting the day my grandmother died, which means I had to finish the book beforehand. I somehow managed to run twice every week. I think it's because I feel so much better after I run, I just need that

Read this on galpod.com. I kind of took three weeks off. I didn't plan it. My grandmother passed away, and I went to spend time with my family, and that took all week. Then it was half term, and my fantastic in-laws were here taking care of the kids, but I still was kind of off. I wrote a little, but I wasn't "on it", and I didn't push because I just lost my grandmother. Then, this week I was studying for the "Life in the UK" test (a whole saga which I will update you on hope