On Writing | Kathie Scrimgeour, Fine Art

T is for Tourist Trophy Races

Posted on April 23, 2018 1 Comment

My main character in The Manx, Kaitlin Manning, and her father, Charles, are on the Isle of Man to photograph the TT races when Kaitlin stumbles across the first piece of a puzzle that takes her far from the races. I became fascinated by these races when looking for a reason for Kaitlin to visit the […]

S is for Mt. Snaefell

Posted on April 21, 2018 3 Comments

I had to giggle – just a little bit – when I first learned about Mt. Snaefell (see this map for location). When I looked at photographs of the mountain I scratched my head and thought, “That’s not a mountain…it’s a big hill.” I live near the Rocky Mountains and am used to the high […]

R is for Rhumsaa (Ramsey)

Posted on April 20, 2018 2 Comments

Rhumsaa is the Manx term for Ramsey which is located on the northern end of the Isle of Man. It was named by the Norse (hrams-á) as the “Wild Garlic River” due to all of the wild garlic that grows nearby. Ramsey is the second largest city only bested by Douglas. It is also where […]

Q is for Queenies

Posted on April 19, 2018 2 Comments

On the Isle of Man they have a delicacy called Queenies. I have never tried them, but when I get to the island it will be one of the first things I’m going to taste. What are they? They are Queen Scallops also called Manx Queenies. The scallops are fished around the island starting in […]

P is for Castle Peel

Posted on April 18, 2018 1 Comment

Located on St. Patrick’s Isle, Peel was built in the 11th century by Vikings under the rule of our favorite king, Magnus Barefoot. Initially the castle was a Celtic religious site, but when Magnus’ forces arrived they replaced those with wood battlements. The sandstone walls did not appear until the 14th century. There are so […]

O is for Osran

Posted on April 17, 2018 Leave a Comment

Today’s post introduces you to Osran. Many of the characters in The Manx have at least a tiny bit of grounding in the real world whether it is the use of a real name, a mythical being, or a historical figure. Osran comes fresh from my imagination. Her realm is in The Between. This is where the past, […]

N is for Names

Posted on April 16, 2018 4 Comments

In choosing names for The Manx I used surnames that were listed in the census logs of the Isle of Man. I went as far back as I could find records for so that the names were as authentic as I could make them. Kaitlin Manning is named for the island, Mann (as it is […]

M is for Manannan Mac y Leirr

Posted on April 14, 2018 Leave a Comment

Manannan Beg was son of Leirr, He was the first the e’er had Mann; But as it seemeth unto me, He himself was but a heathen. ‘Twas not with his sword he kept her, Nor with his arrows, nor his bow; Bur when he would see ships sailing, He hid her right round with a […]

K is for Kaitlin Manning

Posted on April 12, 2018 1 Comment

I have been anxiously waiting for the letter K to come up so I could introduce you to my main character Kaitlin Manning. She was born outside Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Agate; population….just over 500. School was not her favorite pastime. The kids stayed in town for elementary school, but the upper grades […]

J is for Jabot

Posted on April 11, 2018 2 Comments

I have really enjoyed doing the A to Z Blog Challenge so far. It has been fun, up until the letter ‘J’. I have been wracking my brain trying to think of a J-something to write about as it might relate to the Isle of Man or The Manx, but no. My mind has been […]