At last I can announce – the WINNER! Or rather, I can’t. The BEST MEGASAGA was undoubtedly BLOW by Mr GL, who only wants to be known as Grigor. Those of you who read my blogs regularly will recognise the…
The next time I speak to you I may be dead. I may not be. At my age, I may be dead any time. I often think I died years ago, this is just a dream. It may appear to…
Donald Trump! Boris Johnson! Jeremy Corbyn! Bolsonaro! Erdogan! Putin! The modern day baddies, at least to half the world. But to the other half? To their mothers? In this tutorial, we will explore how to develop a convincing villain in fiction,…
Exercise: Please have a good look at him or her. Yes, I mean the person in nearest proximity to you right now. If there’s no-one near you right now, go to the park. Hop on a bus or tube. Sit…
Welcome to the second great MEGASAGA competition! The entries for the first one were superb, and the winner has enjoyed her £100 prize. (See http://jonelkon.com/the-megasaga-100-goes-to/) THE RULES (Note: these have been slightly adapted since the first competition – it’s…
SECRETS, LIES AND SURPRISE! And AIDA!…. What are the basics of a good joke? Start with the ordinary. Then surprise! And people laugh because the unexpected snuck up on them like a sudden feather up the nose. Here are some…
A little while ago I dropped a fantasy/dystopian/horror plot idea on to Facebook and this website, see http://jonelkon.com/a-writing-exercise-for-you/and just wanted to share this one from Grigor, which I think is pretty gruelling, with my comments. I’ll paste it in at…
ONE WEEK LEFT! Have a go! Don’t be shy! Use all or part! ARE YOU A WRITER? I am offering you the opportunity to develop your skills for FREE with an occasional series of writing exercises. I will help you…
PAVLOVA MAHARAJ! Pavlova’s Megasaga, “Widow’s Peek” was (after a great deal of discussion amongst the judges) finally chosen as the winner of the first Megasaga competition prize. Pavlova’s use of powerful language to convey strong emotions within the constraints of…
