Vibrant Imaginative People

January 2024, Issue No.23

Your VIP Newsletter from Soulla's Writing Room

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Hello my dear friend and VIP!

So good to see you. It feels like a long time since we chatted here and I’m making sure that changes by sending your VIP Newsletter once a month.

I’m also tweaking the format slightly and introducing three sections: Vibrant, Imaginative and People to reflect what you have all said you love most about the newsletter and, which perfectly, aligns with my ongoing vision for it.

Each section will be packed with lots of content which I know you’ll find interesting, inspiring, and informative. There’s always so much to talk about that I’m hoping I can stick to the three headings!

And it’s almost the end of January and as winter continues to wrap itself around us, I’m still very much in that cosy, stay-at-home mood. I am nurturing myself with mindful, healthy eating choices, mugs of steaming tea while I work on the rewrites and edits for THE MAGIC OF MIRAMARE, keeping warm with extra layers, snuggling in front of a crackling fire in the evenings and focusing on staying in the FLOW (my word for 2024)

How's your January going? Did you make any NY Resolutions or have you chosen a word to nurture and see you through the next year.

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Vibrant… The Colours of Summer and The Summer Will Come

With the greyness of winter here, shadowing each morning as we wake and each night as we go to bed, it’s hard to remember the colours of summer.

But I've been working on the film script of THE SUMMER WILL COME and it has been an exciting experience. The buzz of doing something new with my story and seeing it unfold with the same characters but in a different light, different sequence, is vibrancy at its best.

I have been working with Athena Mandis to bring the story to the screen and only last night we had a table read through of the first draft of the script. Listening to the voices of each character come alive through the reading, and the story unfold, different but the same as the book, was truly emotional for me.

And yes, I cried in a few places as the reading happened, as did a few of the readers too. But our reading was punctuated by a lot of laughter too; my eldest son put on a great show with his throwaway words in Greek. With a culinary feast of koubebia, bourekia and kalonbrama (stuffed vine leaves, pastries stuffed with sweetened ricotta cheese and semolina cake drenched in syrup) we were full and happy and I am SO excited.

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Imaginative… Let Imagination Spark Your Creativity

Do you consider yourself imaginative? Do you think you are creative?

If you had asked me a few years ago, deep in the corporate jungle and then steeped in the bureaucracy of education, I would have said no. But having taken a step back I can see how creative, and imaginative, I have always been. From baking cakes for my work colleagues, to beautiful displays of pupils’ work on my classroom walls, to imaginative role-play sessions in my Business Studies lessons.

And, further back still, the wonderful birthday parties and play dates I used to organise for my boys from the themed food, the take-home party bags, the decorations, the party games (all with a twist).

My passion for writing makes me the writer I am but know that there is still so much more creativity locked in me, waiting for the chance to shine. I want to try something new this year and seeing the script for THE SUMMER WILL COME evolve has taught me so much about the creative space and vision needed to write an adaptation.

The pace and flow changes, the cause and effect are much more subtle, and other aspects that a screen adaptation needs to be successful have fascinated me and opened a whole new world to me. It’s exhilarating! I can see the energy flowing into other areas of my life too.

What will you do to unlock your imagination and creativity this year? I’m open to learning something new, are you?

And if you’re looking to take your writing to the next level, whether that is to write a story that’s been locked in your mind for years, a new idea which has just sprung forth or looking to try writing to explore ideas, thoughts, and feelings, give me a shout. You’ll be amazed at how much you can gain from £50.00 an hour with me.

I have helped dozens of new and emerging writers develop their confidence, skills and habits around writing and would love to help you too.

And… your chance to feature in my Instagram feed! With National Storytelling Week just around the corner, why not pen a few words (10-30 words) and send them to me for your chance to be featured. Let’s get creative and share our words.

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People… Discovering New Authors

I am hoping to read at least one new book each month and I can say that my first book of 2024, A GOOD YEAR by Polis Loizou, was just fabulous.

Set in 1925 in Cyprus, it is filled with the mystique, magic, and mischief of the kallikantzaroi (imps) and how they played havoc on the lives and minds of the two main characters, Loukas and Despo, in A GOOD YEAR by Polis Loizou.

The traditions and beliefs of the Cypriot people jumped off the page and drew me into a world much darker than I would associate with the island and coincidentally, took me back to when my paternal grandmother shared stories of the imps with me.

A GOOD YEAR is a dark tale, and my heart was in my mouth a lot of the time, as I read page after page, wondering if the story would end well, but the suspense and incredibly evocative writing kept me intrigued and wanting more. Polis has a way with words which hit with a cry, a stab, a gasp, a tear. Absolutely loved this and I am passing the book onto my dad who also loves to read.

Have you discovered a new author recently or have a favourite author. Please share yours with me. I want to read more widely, push my boundaries, and open my mind to new writing and new voices in 2024.

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I hope you have enjoyed this month’s newsletter. I am so excited to see what February brings and can’t wait to hear all about your own stories, creative endeavours and favourite author recommendations.

Until 22nd February, 2024 stay safe, enjoy exploring your creativity and

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lots of love and hugs

Soulla xxx

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