Writer, Filmmaker, Mother, Grandmother
It was the Equinox. Spring had returned from its confident march beyond the winter horizon, slipping back into its familiar cove. Crisp white snowdrops pressed against the blue expanse, the colours of the saltire blossoming under shards of light that swept triumphantly from a glittering, enthusiastic sun. As sunlight gave way to a pinky dusk… Continue reading Aye Write! The Books That Made Nicola Sturgeon.
It's St Patrick's Day, an event celebrated all over the world in memory of the Patron Saint of Ireland (who incidentally was born in Scotland so there's a very valid excuse to celebrate across the water too!). Whilst celebration, friendship, kinship and a few glasses of Guinness are on the menu for a lot of people… Continue reading A beautiful Irish poem for St Patrick’s Day
Grief is a monster. A parasite as heavy as sin that clings brutally to the emptiness that loss exhumes. It steals your breath, shocking your body at every turn, luring your soul into the slow tide of darkness. A bleak and endless eruption of eerie silence it rises methodically to the surface, piercing any hint of… Continue reading Grief is an emotional amputation.
Hidden in the urban setting, behind the houses across the narrow street from my city home, there's a mud-stained lane that serves as a tiny reminder of my rural life. Along with my dog and cats, I hobble there in the mornings, my joints like steel, my footsteps like fire, my imposter of a body carrying me into… Continue reading If you listen carefully enough you can hear the pain of pro-creation.
This week I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful session at Glasgow Women's Library Story Café. Fellow Thunderpoint author Helen MacKinven was speaking about her fantastic novel Talk of the Toun. Actually, she wasn't just talking about the novel, she spoke passionately about her journey as a writer; her route to publication, and her determination to stay true… Continue reading Staying true to voice, however that may sound.
I had an interesting chat recently about point of view and how writers use different voices in their writing. The Birds That Never Flew regularly switches between first and third person narrative voices. I used this approach because it feels natural to me and the way I write. I enjoy the intensity of the first person narrative; the intimacy of the voice,… Continue reading Finding your voice in fiction. Writing the POV that’s true to you.
It's Hogmanay! Or for those of you reading this outside of Scotland it's New Year's Eve. Traditionally, in oor wee bonnie country, the last day of the year is spent preparing to say goodbye to the year past by welcoming in the next with a variety of cultural nuances that have regional variances but fundamentally deliver on the same… Continue reading Hogmanay & Handselling. Only in Scotland.
This week, I read an article in the Herald which quoted Scottish publisher Adrian Searle (of Freight) as saying that "Scottish fiction can be really boring". Like many others my first reaction was to be a wee bit miffed at the headline. The quote apparently attacks the fiction that I, and many other excellent Scottish authors, passionately support. A few… Continue reading Scottish fiction isn’t boring, it’s bold and beautiful.
I'm really fortunate that in my work for purpleTV I get to tell stories in a visual format, building narratives using testimony, archive and various other creative mediums. In the course of this work I've met some amazing people and this week was no different. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Irvine… Continue reading Spotting the (Irvine) Welsh man in Chicago.
I'm excited to announce that I will be making a wee appearance at Bloody Scotland; Scotland's International Crime Writing festival. It's a fabulous gathering of incredible writers from all over the globe and I'm really chuffed to be there as part of the Crime in the Spotlight programme. I'll be opening the Dear Mean Place session at 11.45am on Sunday the 13th… Continue reading My Bloody Scotland debut!
Margot McCuaig 