Tansy HawksleyDec 19, 20204 minSeasonal dating disastersHere’s a Christmas story for you, as I know you’ll be missing them right now: A few years ago, the funeral of my friend Danny’s father....
Tansy HawksleyNov 1, 20206 minA socially distanced funeralThere is a metaphor for grief – I didn’t come up with it, but it’s a good one: a ball in a box, bouncing around constantly and hitting...
Tansy HawksleyNov 1, 20205 minIn Cold WaterI wrote this a while ago. Although activities will be altered by the current lockdown, they will not be curtailed. During my first...
Tansy HawksleyApr 24, 20206 minWhat is being asked of us?But a lot of how you face this pandemic and the lockdown that goes with it – the removal of most distractions and most companionship for an
Tansy HawksleyApr 11, 20208 minOn MoneyIn recent weeks many nations have done the unthinkable. Closed their borders, repatriated their citizens, revoked the most basic of human ri
Tansy HawksleyApr 4, 20206 minOn IsolationIn January, after three hours on a bus journey that should have taken one, standing up most of the way and nose-to-armpit with stinking fart
Tansy HawksleyFeb 21, 20202 minCan you get arrested for cruelty to fictional characters? Like everyone I've ever met, I have favourites. There are some people I like more than others. It might be their sense of humour, their enth
Tansy HawksleyDec 20, 20196 minThis is hard: on grief, love, and writingBeing English, I shy away from sharing personal stuff, but this is so big and so deep that it is at the heart of my life right now, so...
Tansy HawksleyNov 20, 20194 minOn gammon, incels and snowflakes Getting your words out there puts you in the firing line, as you'll know if you've ever posted (or even merely replied to a post) on Twitter
Tansy HawksleyNov 10, 20193 minHow much research is too much research?'Write what you know,' we are advised. You will interest readers by giving them an insight into your culture. You have a unique understandin
Tansy HawksleySep 30, 20193 minMethod Writing: is it worth trying things out? It's my belief that, if it's possible and passes a risk assessment, you should experience the sensual aspect of the things you are writing a
Tansy HawksleySep 11, 20193 minShould I do an MA in Creative Writing?If you've reached this page it's because you've googled 'should I do an MA in Creative Writing'. (Perhaps you didn't use Google. Maybe...
Tansy HawksleySep 4, 20194 minWhen to listen to advice, and when to just Be YouWriting fiction is the form of art in which you put yourself on the line most. Musicians hide behind an instrument; songwriters can...
Tansy HawksleySep 1, 20193 minWhat kind of a writer are you?You may be wondering, at this stage in your career, what kind of writing suits you best. Are you a novelist or is the short story more...
Tansy HawksleyAug 31, 20191 minA (not remotely apologetic) word of apology about geography Place: I appreciate that not everyone lives in London. For almost half of my life, I didn't either and frankly, I loved it up in the...
Tansy HawksleyJun 1, 20193 minBooze and other general mayhem as a writing aid Some years ago I went on my first writing retreat. It was bucolic, inspirational, and led to some interesting connections. And what I...