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thinking about archaeology
After decades of searching, archaeologists have finally been able to argue convincingly that early humans made, not just used, fire, 400,000 years ago, long before Homo sapiens had evolved. This is a big discovery. The evidence comes from Barnham in Suffolk, in eastern England, where many important early sites have been investigated. It consists of... Continue Reading →
Garsdon church: photo MB-E1, Find A Grave How many Americans know that their first president’s family once owned Stonehenge? It’s quite a story. George Washington numbered among his ancestors Sir Lawrence Washington, owner of the West Amesbury Estate which included Stonehenge. His son by the same name, who inherited the estate, was interviewed by John... Continue Reading →
There is of course huge relief and excitement when you get to the end (a process described in the previous post), and you have a complete book on your screen. But this is not the end of your work. Writers often talk of drafts – you finish the book, that’s your first draft. Time to... Continue Reading →
My book about Rapa Nui is published in the UK by Bloomsbury on September 11. It’s been long in the making, starting with an idea shaped during my month-long visit in 1994. With many supportive notes and references, and inspired by the visit of Katherine and Scoresby Routledge in 1914–15, I argue for a new... Continue Reading →
Depending on your goals and your story, writing a novel will involve a greater or lesser amount of research, and input from your own life experiences. Writing non-fiction is different. Your personal encounters and values will matter, but not as much as the research. Not only do you need to get your facts right, but... Continue Reading →
Each of my books is different – in style and goals, not just subject – and each has its own story. Much happens behind the scenes. This might seem obvious, but the extent can be underestimated. Any good book will hide the stress and turmoil that went into its creation. The best will leave you... Continue Reading →
My interest in Easter Island/Rapa Nui – the subject of my new book – also began when I was at school, now doing A levels (see here for the first in this series). I’d wanted to do Biology, but it clashed with other subjects, and I was signed up for Art, History and French. In... Continue Reading →
Not really. I can't tell you that. But this is going to be a blog about writing: specifically, how I wrote my next book, Island at the Edge of the World. It may end up as a short series, we’ll see how it goes. Long ago, someone told me that it was possible to be... Continue Reading →
You may have heard that Ken Follett’s next novel is about Stonehenge. When a writer of Follett’s profile and reach tackles this subject, we have to take notice: he claims to have sold 195 million copies of 37 books, in 80 countries and 40 languages, and rising fast. Circle of Days, as it’s called, should... Continue Reading →
Well, not quite the whole museum, but the scale of the works and the thinking inspiring them will feel like it. Huge congratulations to Lina Ghotmeh and her colleagues at LG–A, who, the British Museum announced yesterday, won the competition to redesign the Western Range galleries. More has been revealed about the short-listed projects since... Continue Reading →
Mike Pitts Digging Deeper