Kirsten MacQuarrie
- Feb 9, 2018
- 4 min
All that glitters: writing for a post-prize world
One month in, this year has so far been a strong one in terms of novel writing. I've managed to carve out space for a small writing...
Kirsten MacQuarrie
- Dec 24, 2017
- 10 min
Christmas Eve: A Short Story
The stolen coins in her pocket sit awkwardly against her hipbone. Kit feels their bulk at her side with every step she takes: their...
Kirsten
- Dec 10, 2017
- 3 min
It's beginning to look a lot like ... the last blog post of 2017!
A short and sweet post this time - perfect (I hope!) for the festive season! I'd like to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who...
Kirsten (with guest blogger Sara McQueen)
- Nov 30, 2017
- 8 min
Feel the Fear and Write it Anyway: Addressing Anxiety in Fiction
Anxiety has been a feature of several periods throughout my life, and I’m not alone. Studies report that anxiety disorders (an umbrella...
Glasgow Gallerina
- Nov 6, 2017
- 4 min
Thinking Creatively about Creativity (with a little help from Hamilton!)
To quote Hamilton – a musical I have listened to on loop to such an extent that my collie Gypsy now barks along in tune! – ‘every...
Glasgow Gallerina
- Oct 20, 2017
- 4 min
Thimbles of Bravery: Art, Animals and the Act of Creating Character
One of my favourite modern works of fiction is The Goldfinch, a Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Donna Tartt. With art and animals...
Glasgow Gallerina
- Sep 4, 2017
- 3 min
The Pentimenti Project!
‘Where the story goes today is up to you’ ... I wrote this line yesterday on a sign next to my novel-in-progress notebook, sitting on a...