by Anne Goodwin | May 19, 2023 | #roughwriters, Columns
The soap opera that is the British Royal family had a lavish ceremony earlier this month and millions of fans from around the world joined in. Personally, I found little to celebrate in an event that diverted funds from feeding the hungry and that saw the pre-emptive...
by Anne Goodwin | Oct 7, 2022 | Columns
How can writers capture the reality of mental disturbance without perpetuating negative stereotypes such as ‘the madwoman in the attic’ in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre? How do we avoid the other extreme of presenting serious disorder as just another ‘bad hair day’? I...
by Anne Goodwin | Jul 8, 2022 | Columns, Z-Uncategorized Carrot Sticks
When writers read we’re not only escaping into an entertaining story, we’re honing our craft. Or we can do, if we pay attention to the scaffolding alongside the finished product. How do we do this? How do we read as writers without turning an activity we’ve loved...
by Anne Goodwin | Sep 21, 2021 | Columns
Lockdown forced us to become more familiar with our homes and neighbourhoods. Some have been delighted to discover new treasures on our doorsteps … or even behind the sofa. It left others desperate to get away. Perhaps you’ve felt a mixture of both? The title of my...
by Anne Goodwin | Jun 29, 2021 | Columns, Z-Uncategorized Carrot Sticks
My 99-word story for the recent flash fiction collection, a new way to office, is about as social worker’s unease about office humour. Was it derogatory? Disrespectful of the clients? Or was it an essential part of the professionals’ toolkit, a barricade against...
by Anne Goodwin | Apr 6, 2021 | Columns
It’s too early to say whether lockdown will permanently change the boundaries between work and home. For all the benefits of curtailing commuting, many have missed the water-cooler conversations and the nine-to-five routine. Zoom fatigue is common, although online...
by Anne Goodwin | Jan 12, 2021 | Columns
One of the hallmarks of a healthy society is our attitude to diversity. So whatever our sexuality and gender identity, we should care about LGBT rights. In February, LGBT+ history month provides the prompt to educate ourselves on how societal responses to lesbian,...
by Anne Goodwin | Jul 28, 2020 | Columns
Diversity is the hallmark of the Ranch, with an international group of writers bringing our unique perspectives to the weekly flash fiction prompt. But what about diversity in our reading? There is some evidence that reading diverse benefits our brains, and, if...
by Anne Goodwin | Jun 2, 2020 | Columns
As lockdown loosens, yet with many social activities still out of bounds, are you running out of things to read? Following on from my guest post in April on facing, fleeing or forgetting the virus through fiction, I have a few more recommendations for you. The topical...
by Anne Goodwin | Apr 7, 2020 | Columns
With all but essential workers on lockdown, and our social lives on hold, the time seems ripe for a reading revolution. But this is no holiday; anxiety will skew what and how we read. Some will want to escape to another world where there’s no fear of contagion; others...
