Murmuring Write With You

This blog, like a murmuration, is changing shape.

With the third draft of my dystopian novel out to beta readers for their connoisseurial (is that even a word?) feedback, I've been able to close the tabs on shotguns, 1987 UK teenage slang and Kirkcaldy sea front that have been living in my head, rent free, for the past three months.

And I missed writing my blog.

What began as a diary about me and my toddler daughter morphed into a life changing move to Scotland, and then about the highs and lows of creative writing.

So ... DeckWriting became Murmur-ations, and like a murmur, it will blog about reading, writing and roaming.

Some of the old posts have been retained and some have been filed in the round filing cabinet, but my voice remains the same. The hashtag of #deckyswritewithyou has changed to #murmuringwritewithyou. I’m a poet, so work with me on this.

And here’s another murmur: I’ve just had a reprint of my poem, The Fourth Sister Of Eskrigg. Created for a poetry safari at Eskrigg Nature Reserve in 2020 with Lockerbie Writers, the fabulous Crow & Cross Keys literary journal gave it a new home, saying, ‘We love poems that feel otherworldly while being linked to real places. This was a delight.’

And with every -ation, there’s a change of state, action or process – just like the tree in my poem. I used to write this blog anonymously, afraid of what people would think of it, but now I’m admitting it’s me. A follow on Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky @paulagilfillan would mean the world to me too.

And if you’ve got to the end of this entry without feeling the need to do something more interesting … thank you.

         (Photo © Paula Gilfillan. All Rights Reserved)