Well this is disappointing. Way back in 2010 when I was writing my first ever novel, The War Wolf, I had to undergo major reconstructive surgery on my left foot. It was a very uncomfortable period. The hope was that this surgery would put right many years of problems caused by the slow but persistent … Continue reading Time for a Break, Break in Writing and Break in Bones
disability
That Disability Thing!
I had a reader ask me why there seemed to be a disabled person in every one of my books to date? My answer was, if not me who else was going to do it? One of the tenets of writing is to write about what you know and having been born disabled I know … Continue reading That Disability Thing!
Eugenica Revisited
Mesozoic is now published and that particular project has finished. There is, of course, a very satisfying feeling of accomplishment when a book is completed and put out there for the reading public to enjoy, but what does an author do immediately after that? I do not know about other writers but I like to … Continue reading Eugenica Revisited
There is No Benefit to Being Disabled
“Before my diagnosis with multiple sclerosis, I knew what ‘the disabled’ looked like and I'm sure I had the right instincts towards ‘them’. But I had no understanding of what it was like to be ‘disabled’ and no understanding of the myriad obstacles — born out of discrimination or disinclination, bureaucracy or bullying, ineptitude or ignorance, … Continue reading There is No Benefit to Being Disabled
Venice to Barcelona by Sea Day One – Getting Started.
Going on a cruise might not seem like the obvious holiday choice for someone who is disabled with impaired mobility: well, it is a boat, it rocks about a bit and there are those stairs to consider, and what about getting on and off? To be honest, this is not that much different to my … Continue reading Venice to Barcelona by Sea Day One – Getting Started.
After the Dust has Settled
This something of a reprise, or perhaps a reflection, on my experiences of writing ‘Eugenica’ and what has followed since the book appeared in the Amazon Kindle market. They say that reflective learning can be useful but it is not something that I can say that I have done consciously, and it may very well … Continue reading After the Dust has Settled
The X-Men, Me, and Growing Up Disabled
Although it might seem like we have lived with superheroes for a rather long time I can remember when they were rather new to Britain. It was back in the late 1960’s that I first discovered this American genre of the costumed hero. I can remember a garishly coloured comic book titled ‘Fantastic’, which reprinted … Continue reading The X-Men, Me, and Growing Up Disabled
Prejudice Without Pride
Prejudice is alive and well and living right here amongst us. I am sure that for many that is not an earth-shattering revelation, if we are honest we all know it is still practiced, what often annoys me is the fact that there are people who simply refuse to accept that this is true. People … Continue reading Prejudice Without Pride
Tod Browning’s ‘Freaks’, Have Times Changed?
When I first became interested in the horror movie genre, many years ago now, I read a reference to Tod Browning’s film ‘Freaks’ that fascinated me. It was not so much the lurid portrayal of ‘real freaks’ that attracted my attention, I only had to look in the mirror to see some deformed limbs. The … Continue reading Tod Browning’s ‘Freaks’, Have Times Changed?
Mindfulness, Observing, and discovering a fad before it became popular.
Just recently I have been hearing talk about something referred to as ‘mindfulness’. It seems to be in vogue. My wife mentioned it a week or two ago and a trainer on a work course that I am attending also brought it to everyone’s attention. I found this both rewarding and a little baffling. The … Continue reading Mindfulness, Observing, and discovering a fad before it became popular.
Peter C Whitaker 