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Lucy Hounsom: Author

author, podcaster, mistress of strange

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09/02/14

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Author, SFF podcaster, book merchant Read More…

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A real living fairy grotto, many folk legends have

A real living fairy grotto, many folk legends have sprung up around Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor. It is home to everything from the Wild Hunt to the devil himself and the weightless feet of the Unseelie Court have stepped between its stones.
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The Druids too were rumoured to have used this glade for Pagan rituals and Dartmoor tales abound that the rocks are home to nests of adders (although I didnt see any).
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I cannot seem to visit when the sun is shining so all my photos to date have been brooding, but that suits this magical woodland, said to be the most haunted place on Dartmoor. I haven't dared stay until sunset in case I hear the baying of the wist hounds...
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I love woodlands for their secrets and their silence save for bird calls and mysterious rustlings. Do you have any favourite glades?
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#WistmansWood #dartmoor #devon #englishfolklore #FolkloreThursday #oakwood #woodland #forest #trees #unseelie #wildhunt #folklore #locallegends #druids #pagan #celtic #ritual #fantasy #fairy #fae #haunted #wood #mossyoak #mossy #wilderness

If you are curious about what the inside of a 16th

If you are curious about what the inside of a 16th century mill looks like, I give you Otterton Mill in East Devon. A water mill has existed on this site since 1086 AD so it carries quite a history. Nowadays it is also an arts and crafts shop, a restaurant and a farm shop that sells my favourite smoked cheddar (tastes of early death, @m_leigh_g) 😅
Apparently the average height of a man in 1600 was 5 foot 6 inches so I can stand quite comfortably under the low beams ;)
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#otterton #ottertonmill #watermill #oldmill #mill #devon #eastdevon #smokedcheese #cheddar #cheesefiend

Even after five years, I am still so invested in t

Even after five years, I am still so invested in this ship. Probably my favourite het romance since Sonea and Akkarin from the Black Magician Trilogy (😢).

Although Uprooted has a bit of Beauty and the Beast about it, I always saw Agnieszka as a woman who created agency and independence from a powerless situation. And while her magic could stereotypically be called women's magic - being of feeling, intuition, earthiness etc - I loved the way it uprooted (😉) Sarkan's solid formulaic power.

Besides, their ridiculous slow burn dance is extremely hot. Thoughts?
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#bookstagram #igreads #booklove #femalewriters #bookworm #bookquote #beautifulbooks #readersofinstagram #alwaysreading #instareads #uprooted #naominovik #uktor #fantasy #fairytale #romance #ilovereading #bookish #ishipit

𝓜𝔂 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓰𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘'𝓿𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓪 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰, 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮; 𝓼𝓸 𝓶𝔂 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪 𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝔂. – 𝓣𝓸𝓵𝓴𝓲𝓮𝓷
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Always in awe of trees like this one. My arm seems rather fragile and temporary by comparison. I believe it's a horse chestnut 200-250 years old. It's right by the path on the Byes, Sidmouth.
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I love reading about trees that have witnessed history and really want to visit the Fortingall yew in Scotland, said to be between 2000-3000 years old. Think how many human lives have passed while it's stood fast against time.
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#sidmouth #devon #horsechestnut #thebyes #trees #nature #oldtrees #beautifultrees #tolkien #treebeard #lotr #bookquote

Witch? Exile? Rebel? Circe set out to define herse

Witch? Exile? Rebel? Circe set out to define herself in a world eager to slap labels on her. Powerful women often have to carve their own paths if they want to live on their terms and it can be so difficult to go against the grain.

This is why I loved Circe's story. Because while she initially defines herself using the words of others, she eventually escapes the restrictions imposed by her patriarchal upbringing, and is able to embrace every complex facet of her self.

Any other Circe fans out there?

#circe #madelinemiller #greekmyths #theodyssey #quote #bookstagram #igreads #booklove #femalewriters #bookworm #bookquote #beautifulbooks #readersofinstagram #alwaysreading #instareads

My first post in this series is on character. Cave

My first post in this series is on character. Caveat: I'm not a planner: when I start a story, I've done minimal research & worldbuilding because both these things are best explored through character.

Not all writers are the same, but if you're like me and prefer to dive right into the story, I have a few bits of advice for you!

1. Characters are people. Sounds obvious but a lot of writing tips will ask you to list your characters' dislikes/appearance/hobbies etc. While this might get you writing, it does lead you away from thinking of your characters as actual people. Yes, I have dislikes & hobbies but very few of them will tell you anything genuinely interesting about me.

A better exercise is to invent a scenario for your character & explore how they react to it. How people interact with each other and the world around them tells you far more about who they are than listing traits.

2. Like real people, you have to spend time with your characters to know them. When I start writing, I have only a loose idea of who they are. It takes multiple drafts before I understand them & the time required to write those drafts is vital.

3. Characters are the most important part of a book. They are your windows through which a reader experiences & connects with your world. No amount of worldbuilding will compensate for poorly drawn characters.

Plot comes from character too – from the interaction of your characters with their environment – so don't feel it's necessary to craft an entire arc before you begin. It's more organic to journey with these people & watch them create their own challenges.

4. To maintain tension, try isolating your character's motive in each chapter. If they're reacting rather than acting, they still want something — even if it's only to escape the situation.

Next time: what Dungeons&Dragons can teach you about character creation!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿?

If you have any writing questions or post requests, I'll do my best to accomodate!

#bookstagram #writing #amwriting #authorsofinstagram #author #writingtips #writingbooks #characterdesign #charactercreation #dnd

✥Haytor✥ • • Every time I visit these rock

✥Haytor✥
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Every time I visit these rocks, the skies are brooding, though it does make for dramatic shots. Can't help but feel the phantom teeth of the Baskerville hound up here.
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#haytor #dartmoor #englishlandscape #devon #rain #tors #rocks #dramaticsky #dramaticlandscape #gorse #spiderweb #hills #highland #clouds #cloudyday #rainyday #landscape #wild #intothewild #nature #england #westcountry

Don't usually do selfies. But @m_leigh_g took thes

Don't usually do selfies. But @m_leigh_g took these photos in Wistman's Wood au naturel (no makeup, rained-on hair, damp shorts) and the light was all cloudy, strained and magical. Wistman's Wood is a rare high altitude stunted oak wood on Dartmoor. It's very ancient and looks like it belongs in a fairytale. More photos to come!
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#selfietime #WistmansWood #dartmoor #twobridges #devon #woodland #fairyglade #oaktree #picsofme #nature #woodlandwalk #ancientwoodland #forest

My sister lives in one of these painted houses in

My sister lives in one of these painted houses in Bristol. The apocryphal reason behind their bright colours was reminding sailors long-voyaging which house belonged to them. But really it just seems to be a Bristol tradition. Some of the art is funded by the council 👍
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#bristol #bristolart #murals #paintedhouses #colourfulhouses #wallart #art

Bumper crop this year. Our little apple tree is gr

Bumper crop this year. Our little apple tree is groaning under the weight – suspect it was the rain in February followed by two months of sunshine. Not sure what we're going to do with them all! Anyone else in the same apple boat?
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#apples #appletree #fruit #appleharvest #garden

First music book I've bought in an age. Really kee

First music book I've bought in an age. Really keen to get stuck into this one, as I love everything Ghibli and Joe Hisaishi is a wonderful composer. First up: Ashitaka and San from Princess Mononoke. Fairly sure it's also the easiest piece to play because, after a quick flick through, this book is not for beginners 😅
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Here are just a few of my favourite Studio Ghibli films. It is impossible to pick an actual favourite, but I probably feel closest to Whisper of the Heart because Shizuki is basically me as a young writer 🥰
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What's your favourite Ghibli film?
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#joehisaishi #studioghibli #princessmononoke #fantasy #whisperoftheheart #sheetmusic #もののけ姫 #piano #pianist #anime

Stories are arguably the oldest form of learning,

Sometimes, the water is perfect. 🌊 • • •

Sometimes, the water is perfect.
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#sidmouth #eastdevon #devon #seaside #sea #bluewater #beautifulsea #clearwater #seascape #seasidetown #forgotmyswimsuit

Since we've had International Non Binary Day this

Since we've had International Non Binary Day this week, it seems a great time to talk about this excellent book by @alexsmyers, The Story of Silence.
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I really enjoyed this reimagining of Le Roman de Silence, an unusual 13th century text that tells the story of Silence, assigned a female gender at birth but raised, for political reasons, as male. We follow Silence's journey through medieval Cornwall and France as they strive to become a knight while keeping their "Nature" secret.
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Nature and Nurture were characters in the original text and this dialogue still plays a part in Alex's retelling, as Silence contends with the attitudes of a society that is strictly binary and where women in particular are belittled and stereotyped. All this sounds like it could be heavy, but it never is – Silence is such a likeable and positive person who is a joy to spend time with.
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The Story of Silence is also a wonderful ode to the chivalric romance – the forebear of both modern fantasy and modern romance. It's full of knights and squires, bards, jousting, duels and heroic charges into battle. And Merlin! Alex brings all this vividly to life.
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Visit @harpervoyager_uk to watch my interview with Alex on publication day and look out for our Breaking the Glass Slipper episode at the end of the month!
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#thestoryofsilence #alexmyers #harpervoyager #bookstagram #igreads #booklove #chivalry #chivalricromance #medieval #medievalromance #bookworm #beautifulbooks #readersofinstagram #bookphotography #alwaysreading #nonbinary #transgender #nonbinaryday #lgbtq🌈 #lgbtqbooks #historicalfantasy

Happy paperback publication day to @doc_tiff! Can'

Happy paperback publication day to @doc_tiff! Can't wait to read this beauty.
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Described by M. R. Carey as "a poignant and elegant meditation on time and identity", 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵 is the story of Toni, a woman who travels to England from America to claim an old manor house and garden.
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Thinking to simply sell anything of value and go home, instead she becomes immersed in the history of the house and the lives of all those who cared for it over the centuries. Unsung Stories are an award-winning small press known for the quality and inventiveness of their publishing so I am sure Threading the Labyrinth will be a treat and a perfect summer read.
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#threadingthelabyrinth #tiffaniangus #unsungstories #historicalfantasy #gardens #oldhouses #history #bookstagram #igreads #booklove #bookworm #beautifulbooks #readersofinstagram #bookphotography #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks

🌼𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕗𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣𝕤🌼
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Went up to the meadow outside my house to take these. Which do you like best? My favourite is the afternoon light clothing everything in lazy sun.
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#wildflowers #meadow #field #fieldofflowers #bluesky #flowers #landscape #afternoon #afternoonlight #lightroom #afternoonstroll #summer #devon #eastdevon

❝𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓱𝓪

❝𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓸𝓶 𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰-𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼❞
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I picked up this book from Worldcon in Dublin last year and have been dipping in and out of it since. The author, Lafcadio Hearn, apart from having the most incredible name, lived in Japan for the last 14 years of his life and blended his own experiences of a haunted Irish childhood with Japan's rich folklore to create these retellings of famous Japanese ghost stories.
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The introduction talks about his having had access to hundreds of books unsuitable for his age as a child; Milton and Matthew Lewis, author of the Gothic novel, The Monk, were major literary influences. I think you can clearly see Milton's influence in the quote I've shared below.
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He was raised away from his parents in the care of a great aunt, who locked him in a room – "the Child's Room"— without light to cure his fear of the dark. Needless to say, this just made the fear worse. (He published an essay on it in 1900 called 'Nightmare-Touch').
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These ghost stories (kwaidan) are interestingly regarded as classics in Japan too.
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𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 – 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 – 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘬𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦 – 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦.
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#japaneseghoststories #kwaidan #lafcadiohearn #bookstagram #igreads #booklove #myth #folktales #folklore #japanesefolklore #nightmares #irishmyth #retelling #ghoststories #shortstories #ghosts #horrorstories #milton

Many people associate Tintagel – or to give it i

Many people associate Tintagel – or to give it its Cornish name, Dintagel – with Arthurian myth. Disguised through Merlin’s magic as her husband, Gorlois, here Uther Pendragon supposedly lay with Igraine to conceive Arthur.
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But Dintagel’s roots stretch all the way back to the Romano-British period – centuries before Geoffrey of Monmouth popularised tales of King Arthur. Excavations of high-quality Mediterranean pottery suggests it was used as a royal residence of the Dumnonii, the British tribe which controlled the area during this era.
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Today it's an even more striking landscape as anyone who has visited it knows, and a bridge is necessary to access the ruins.
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Since there is evidence to suggest that the Dumnonian tribal capital moved around and wasn't solely based at Dintagel, I situated my fictional capital at High Peak in East Devon, where there is also evidence of Romano-British settlement. Tintagel Castle is so iconic in this region; I didn’t want the powerful Arthurian legend to affect my novel too much!
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There is something special about putting a place that’s local to you into a story. As someone who wrote an epic fantasy trilogy, I haven’t had much opportunity to do this – too busy inventing magical landscapes! But this coastline has seen some dramatic history (it looks pretty dramatic too if you check my recent posts), and was one of the last places to fall under the control of Anglo-Saxon Wessex.
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What are your favourite Arthurian stories? Or stories set in the Westcountry?
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I just finished The Story of Silence by Alex Myers, which is out this month, and prominently features Tintagel and the Cornish landscape. It deals with similar themes as Sistersong (gender identity in a medieval period) and evokes the setting beautifully. Definitely check it out!
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#bookstagram #igreads #Sistersong #twosisters #FolkloreThursday #folklore #arthurianlegend #kingarthur #tintagel #cornwall #devon #westcountry #dumnonia #historicalfantasy #englishmyth #myth #romanobritish #earlymedieval #thestoryofsilence #alexmyers

I went up Salcombe Hill again, sorry. This time: b

I went up Salcombe Hill again, sorry. This time: bonus sloes + hydrangea! Will never stop feeling grateful to live here.
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#salcombehill #sidmouth #devon #summer #eastdevon #landscape #seascape #sea #coastline #jurassiccoast #sunshine #hydrangea #sloes #woodland #wildflowers

To all professionals in the film, television, thea

To all professionals in the film, television, theatre, entertainment, and arts world, join the challenge to post a photo of you in your job. Just a picture, no description. The goal is to flood social media with our profession. Copy the text and post a pic.
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#SaveTheArts #bookstagram #authorlife #writing #fantasycon #alanlee #starborn #friends #sff #sffcommunity #author #thearts

☀️When the sun was shining☀️ Also feat. bo

☀️When the sun was shining☀️
Also feat. bonus shrew/mouse in the garden and cats who are seriously interested in it. Considering a good week has passed since I took these photos and it hasn't turned up, it's probably safe to say it's still scampering around happily somewhere 👀
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#southwest #sidmouth #devon #eastdevon #sunshine #seaside #seascape #beach #lowtide #sea #jurassiccoast #catsofinstgram

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