Well finally I got my book published. Words cannot describe that feeling of accomplishment and I would be lying if I said that at any stage it was easy. But if I can do it, so can you.

Whilst just surfing the web for ideas I came across this completely different way of writing. It's not one I would ever have chosen or even thought of but I can see how it might work and it got me thinking.

Anyway, after a successful acceptance of my book by Waterstones, I started, out of interest to browse their website. I came across this traditional method they suggest to get you in the spirit and mood for true creative writing. After all, it's all about true creativity.

(In this example I'm relating it to the sort of stories I write.)

Firstly they suggest focusing on your equipment. Use an old fashioned quill and ink, dim the lights or better still, use candles instead of artificial light. The light of the room helps curb your mind towards the dark, the unknown and basically inspires you towards thinking gloomy thoughts. (Sounds depressing I know but the idea is that it gets you in the right place for creating those dark tales!)

Then you choose a location. For those who have read my most recent stories will know that I chose an actual city, Peterborough, as I found in this case it gave the stories a more ‘it can happen to you’ feeling. If you chose a fictional city you can still make it relatable but  the benefit of using a real city allows the reader to identify and imagine the very spot where something sinister actually may have taken place.

Next, you'll want to decide how you are going to bring the sense of mysteriousness and create the mood and tension for your ghostly character. What's happening? What has actually happened? Who is this central figure of your story? Do you want it to be just slightly creepy? Or do you want it to really startle your readers? Are you getting across an underlying message?  . . .The choice is yours.

With these ideas in place you then focus on building the tension to reach the dramatic point of your story with an identified protagonist.  Characters must be sharp, rounded, gripping, exciting, and so always work on these until you are totally satisfied. Once you get these points sorted into a structured plan then your story will be underway.

Now just write it…and see where your imagination takes you...



This is all you actually need to do, but, be under no illusions that to do it properly requires hard work.

At some point the question is going to come, and in my case having written the story. . . that time is now!

This is the important question everybody should be asking themselves when they create anything of worth. This is the stage where you must evaluate and analyse what you have done. The most effective way for doing this is to get feedback from other people. When you do you will find that the things you have got right far outweigh things you might have missed. It is a basic truth that people will be naturally critical, but a good story will always arouse plenty of positivity.

Having written The Spirit of Peterborough, it makes me think and wonder; was there anything that I needed to put in to make it better or more exciting to read? But at the same time I know there are lots of things that people will like about it.

I put in an endless amount of time and effort into the work of this book, but as everyone knows there is always something to improve on and it will never be perfect. But that’s okay, writing is supposed to be like that.

I write from the heart, I always have done and hopefully always will do. Sometimes it's not about thinking what would people like to read, it's having the confidence that your imagination and ideas will be strong enough to capture people's interests.

So I would really love to know. . . if you were to give me feedback - what would it be?

Leave a comment, I would love to know what you think.  And, if you have read any of the book, The Spirit of Peterborough, please find time to leave a short review.

You can find 'The Spirit of Peterborough '  at  http://www.tomgoymour.com/ 

The Spirit of Peterborough on Amazon 
and . . 
The Spirit of Peterborough on Smashwords


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Email:  tomgoymour@gmail.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/TomGoymourAuthor

The Cathedral as you will know stands strong in the heart of the city centre, but how much do you know about some of the stranger aspects of its past? Here are some small facts that anyone genuinely interested in the city should know, and as you begin to read my books you will see where I get some of my inspiration from!

The history of the Cathedral dates back to 655 AD to when it was originally an Abbey of St Peter housing the Benedictine monks. Therefore it hardly comes as a surprise that there have been numerous reports over the years of people encountering ghostly figures in black robes looking very much like monks. One famous sighting is that of the single monk who appears on a number of occasions walking through the ruins of the cloister, then as people get a closer look he disappears. Another sighting of a monk has been witnessed inside the Cathedral; better known as the terrified monk. He is young and is always seen doing the same thing. He walks up the cathedral nave, stops suddenly and looks back then runs terrified as though he is being chased. What happened to him no one knows, but this same moment is replayed, he is always oblivious to any apparent change his surroundings!

More monks have been sighted in the graveyard. Two ghostly monk figures have been seen walking under one of the archways, and another part where the monks were buried, one has been spotted a number of times kneeling as though in prayer. It seems very fitting that these ghostly religious figures still appear today, always carrying out there Godly duty that seems somehow still strangely relevant to us.

If you ever pass the Cathedral precincts late of an evening, take a chance to look up at the windows. Some say that a flickering light may appear. If you ever see it, it is said to be the light of the stonemason’s candle. The stonemason always stayed late into the night at work on the building of the Cathedral, and used his candle to guide him on his way. However, one fateful evening his candle went out while he was still up high working, it was too dark and he stumbled falling to his death. The light at the window shows the stonemason's continued desire to work long after his death, unaware that it no longer needs to be done.

I always find it amazing how these ghosts from our past continually still seem to appear today. It is as though they have a mind of their own and they don’t want to be forgotten. It can seem that they may appear for a reason, embedding themselves into time allowing their actions to be replayed.

What if that’s what ghosts are? A fragment of time stuck that just replays itself repeatedly, like the terrified monk described above. It's ordinary people like you and me that see ghosts, maybe next week maybe next year! What if we actually became part of their story!

It’s one thing that I have always wondered, and there never seems to be a definite answer; what do you think? What is a ghost?