You may remember our delicious Scottish-themed cocktail: Caledon , which we shared on Christmas Eve in 2024. This remains one of our most popular blog posts, so we thought we would share another one for you on this All Hallow's Eve! With that in mind, I am pleased to introduce you to: The Raighvan Park , inspired by Judith Crow's novella, The Folly at Raighvan Park, which you can find here . Here are your step by step instructions for creating this gothic beverage (have we just invented the gothtail ?!) It's deliciously dark, as you might expect, with a hint of the upper-class style of the novella. You will need: 1. Port 2. Patron Xo Cafe (you could use any other coffee liqueur) 3. Soda water with lime 4. Ginger ale 5. Pepsi Max 6. Liquorice Time to put them all together... 1. Pour one shot of coffee liqueur into a large wine glass. 2. Add one shot of port. Remember, a gothic gentleman loves his port! 3. Now onto the non-alcoholic additions... include two shots of soda wat...
Writing Personifications
Most of us talk to people not inanimate objects, or else (in
the case of people like me) we talk to both.
But sometimes inanimate objects are central to a story’s plot. For example, if you’re writing a mystery or
crime novel, your characters want to maintain a certain air of unknown. They will probably become known for the coat
they wear, or the car they drive. As
authors we can throw our readers a hint by personifying these inanimate objects.
When I think of the power behind a good use of
personification, I always think of the parable of the blind men and the
elephant. It’s our human approach which
makes us see things in a certain way – within the confines of our own
understanding.
Metaphors are central to writing this way. Don’t say:
the car had wing mirrors like ears, ready to hear its master’s voice
Instead go for:
the car’s wing mirrors were ears, ready to hear its master’s voice
the car had wing mirrors like ears, ready to hear its master’s voice
Instead go for:
the car’s wing mirrors were ears, ready to hear its master’s voice
Here are a few things about personification:
- That reminds me... Most things remind us of someone, even if it’s a totally obscure link. This is when our minds start to imagine seeing people in things.
- But... personifications don’t have to be linked to real people or characters. Often when we see a face in something, or imagine an object having a mood, it’s not a link to a real person so much as a characteristic.
- The ultimate Red Herring! Your character’s preconceived ideas based on these personifications can throw readers way off the scent. They’re a great tool in thrillers, mysteries and crime novels.
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