Blog: Mel's Muse

14 Ways To Avoid Stress - And The Breakdown Of A Relationship At Christmas

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN PRE-CHRISTMAS 2008, THE FOLLOWING POINTS MAY BE ADAPTED, AND ARE VALID AT ANY TIME OF THE YEAR

The effects on children when parents are separating are immense. They are quick to pick up on the cracks and strains that appear between warring parents, and it is the adults’ responsibility to protect them, as...

Posted at 19:55pm on 12th December 2008

1 Comment

How To Recognise The Signs Of Relationship Breakdown

Boy, did my last post on Children In Divorce & Separation provoke a response! Not in comments, because it’s a painful subject; but in more hits on my website than ever before. There's obviously a lot of hurt out there, especially at this time of year.

That article dealt with the effects of family breakdown...

Posted at 00:00am on 11th December 2008

Children In Divorce And Separation: A Christmas Tragedy

Christmas – traditionally the time of good cheer – is also, for many, a time of great sadness. Somehow, the fact that everyone is out to enjoy themselves seems to concentrate the mind when it comes to the tragedies of life. A train derailment or plane crash in the weeks leading up to the...

Posted at 14:01pm on 9th December 2008

Book Launch Generosity Nets Profits For Charities

What a brilliant event the book launch on Friday was! It had been laid on by a couple who had recently ‘downsized’ to a sumptuous apartment, which comprised the whole of the ground floor of a huge Victorian mansion. Professional people, they had invited guests from all walks of life for a wine and...

Posted at 16:16pm on 6th December 2008

Creative Writing Techniques: How To Write Good Dialogue

I wrote, in an earlier article, about the need to give readers plenty of white space on the page, and suggested that you aim for a clotted cream effect: solid lumps of differing sizes and consistency, floating in a soft smooth cream. The cream is the narrative of your novel. And at least some...

Posted at 12:23pm on 6th December 2008

A Painful Post Mortem - Book Launch

5TH December, 2008 BOOK LAUNCH in Torquay This is to take the form of a Wine & Cheese Party By invitation only

Mel will be speaking about her career as an author

Posted at 18:32pm on 5th December 2008

Step Parenting Advice: Don't Do It Unless You're Prepared To Work At It!

Can A Step Parent Ever Replace A Real Parent? This was the topic under debate on the Richard Bacon radio show on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday evening. As the author of a book titled Stepfamilies, I had been invited to participate to put the positive side of the case, whilst Philip Parkin, General...

Posted at 12:19pm on 4th December 2008

Debate On Bbc Radio 5 Live

I’ve been asked to take part in the Richard Bacon programme on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday 2nd December from midnight until 1 a.m. The debate is: "Can step parents replace real parents?" Because I’ve written a book titled Stepfamilies, I’ve been asked to take the ‘yes’ side. Listen in if you want to put...

Posted at 18:04pm on 2nd December 2008

Advent: A Time To Reflect Between Thanksgiving & Gift Giving - Ten Tips To Happiness

I woke, yesterday morning, feeling bad-tempered. This is a rare occurrence and is almost alwaysas a result of my husband’s snoring! There’s something deeply offensive about lying next to someone whose somnolence – loudly and bed-tremblingly declared - is the sole reason for your inability to sleep. Don’t you think?

A FEELING OF CONTENTMENT WAS MARKEDLY...

Posted at 10:37am on 2nd December 2008

Creative Writing Techniques: How To Find Ideas For Plots

It seems that these days almost everyone is writing a book! Despite the fact that we’re told that computers have dumbed down and depleted our appetite for reading, increasing numbers of would-be authors are emerging. So with apologies to those who may already have read the following, I’m revising an article I wrote some time...

Posted at 09:00am on 1st December 2008

2 Comments

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