Hecate

London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler. The twentieth and apparently final Bryant and May novel, bar an upcoming short story collection. I'm really going to miss the world of the Peculiar Crimes Unit. I highly recommend this excellent series.

There's smell of fresh cut grass and it's filling up my senses And the sun is shining down on the blossoms in the avenue There's a buzzing fly hanging around the bluebells and the daisies And there's a lot more loving left in this world Don't go Don't leave me now, now, now While the sun smiles, stick around and laugh a while

Opinions and arseholes... And this is very much a One True Arsehole subject for some. What do you write? Are you a blockbuster, page turner, inciting incident, rising conflict, flaws and wants and needs sort of bloke, or are you above all that? Do you plot and plan, or do you get your head down and evacuate it all over the page? Do you create your characters, analyse them, interrogate them, or are they more or less placeholders for whatever your themes and what not are? Because all that, and how entrenched you are in whatever version of that you subscribe to, might influence how open you are to hearing from someone who might not work, plan, plot and write like you do. So anyhow, in the absence of knowing any of that, I'll offer one suggestion: you sound like you need to be a plotter. You need scene by scene structure and you need character analysis so that you never/seldom have to dig around for what/how your protagonist is going to think/react/do because you know his flaws, traits, background, psychology etc etc etc better than you know your own. I'm going to tentatively recommend a few books. You might be sniffy at some, and some might be old news, but just in case: Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them - John Yorke. Excellent introduction to structure. Positively gleeful about how some writers' work conforms despite their strenuous objections. Write Away - Elizabeth George. The crime writer. Great on character creation. Screenplay - Syd Field. Popularised the themes discussed in Into the Woods. Updated, and still worth reading. Save The Cat Writes A Novel - Jessica Brody. Yes, I know. But it provides a backbone that you can bend and break as you like. Better than the original on which this one is based. But only if you're not above all that 😉 . ETA: What do you write about? You strike me as a bit Graham Masterton, but I haven't seen your posts in years and you might be now less satanism and more The Little Rainbow Cafe Of Love At Fluffy Cove.

Romeo was restless, he was ready to kill He jumped out the window 'cause he couldn't sit still Juliet was waiting with a safety net He said "Don't bury me 'cause I'm not dead yet"

Chemistry Class - Elvis Costello

You seem to be shivering dear when the room is awfully warm In the white and scarlet billows that subside beyond the storm You have this expression dear, no words could take its place And I wear it like a badge that you put all over my face - I'll Wear It Proudly - Elvis Costello

Help Me Breathe - Sophie B Hawkins

Go ahead and leave me I think I'd prefer to stay inside Maybe you'll find someone else to help you? Maybe Black Mesa? That was a joke ha ha fat chance Anyway this cake is great It's so delicious and moist - Still Alive - Jonathan Coulton

Bare the Weight of Me - Sophie B Hawkins

Years go by, will I still be waiting for somebody else to understand Years go by, if I'm stripped of my beauty and the orange clouds raining in my head Years go by, will I choke on my tears til finally there is nothing left One more casualty, you know we're too easy, easy, easy - Silent All These Years - Tori Amos

You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet - Bachman-Turner Overdrive

No rhythm in cymbals, no tempo in drums Love on arrival, she comes when she comes Right on the target but wide of the mark What I thought was fire was only the spark The sweetest melody Is an unheard refrain So lower your sights, yeah But raise your aim, raise your aim

Then you took two steps forward and then one step on your back Now it's a future for me and you that I lack You'll be the one who'll stands out in the dark Even when you're all dressed in black - Next Time Round - Elvis Costello

Elvis Costello. He did this one too: Now it's my turn to talk and your turn to think Your turn to buy and my turn to drink Your turn to cry and my turn to sink down in the blue chair Down in the blue chair - Blue Chair - Elvis Costello He's acting innocent and proud still you know what he's after Like a matador with his pork sword, while we all die of laughter In his turquoise pyjamas and motorcycle hat I hope you're happy now because you'll soon put pay to that - I Hope You're Happy Now - Elvis Costello

There's a smart young woman on a light blue screen Who comes into my house every night And she takes all the red, yellow, orange and green And she turns them into black and white But you tease, and you flirt And you shine all the buttons on your green shirt