Writing and reviews with an environmental, science fiction, and fantasy touch
Things creep up on me when I’m busy. When the season changes, the urgency shifts. One minute it’s summer, and I have ages to prepare to launch my book in November, the next minute it’s September, it’s autumn, and there’s
‘Red Wheelbarrow’ is the WEP/IWSG prompt for August. As you know I’ve been turning out some ‘interesting’ stories in response to these prompts. I’ve enjoyed them. I’ve also enjoyed and welcomed the comments on my stories. Caged Bird | Flash
Welcome to July. No. I was all set to write my July IWSG post but I couldn’t access my website. Then things got worse. If you’re interested you can read more here. Welcome to August. A thousand things I thought
Total immersion in my fictional world. That’s the thing that makes writing so exhausting—for me, at any rate. I thought I might write about this for this month’s Insecure Writers Support Group post, because I felt I really learnt something
Save Week is the next stage of WRiTE CLUB 2019. For the last three weeks we’ve been choosing between pairs of finalists. Now, before we get into the next round of battles, there’s Save Week, where we vote to save
Finishing the series: I’m sure I’ve written about this before, but given it’s the 1st May, and it’s Insecure Writers Support Group, and I’ve just got back from Camp NaNoWriMo, I thought I’d take it as my subject. I didn’t
Whenever is this month’s prompt for Fiction in Fifty words. You can join in. Just go to Rebecca Douglass’s page for the prompts of the month (the whole year is displayed for you, just in case you want to get
Greetings, Insecure Writers – WRiTECLUB19 is just around the corner. In fact the official announcement was made on Monday, so anything I’m saying is announced at DL Hammons’ website far more authoritatively. What is WriteClub19? I thought most of my
Rebekah Loper wrote a book as a result of her A-Z Challenge one year. Her theme – worldbuilding. Since I did the same some years later, I was delighted to see what she’d made of the subject. Answer – a
The most miniscule details can make or break a book. Well, if you’re as picky as me, anyway. Since it’s Insecure Writers Support Group day, you can tell me whether I’m right, or too finicky, or should just lighten up
Welcome to 2019, and it’s #IWSG day. The Insecure Writers Support Group does what it says, supports writers of all levels of experience even though sometimes that tough going doesn’t seem as tough for you as other people. It’s still
Five things in my writing space… that’s the topic this month for the Insecure Writers’ Support Group post. At the same time, we were reminded to stick to writing matters rather than wholly unrelated things. That’s fair enough. It’s just
Older indie authors – who are they? I’m not necessarily thinking of ‘over 60s’, although some of them very well may be, but self-published authors who have been around for eight or more years. That includes me, of course. And
Jane Friedman used to write a great blog about her progress on her MFA. Now she writes a fantastic blog on writing, and other aspects of being a professional author. Here’s a great interview with Russell Rowland, who’s published five
The 27th Letter is the ampersand. That’s according to a very interesting e-newsletter from Blurb, my paperback print/distributor. I was so taken with it, I’m recreating it here, using their graphics and words. The 27th Letter Ever wonder why we
Norwich’s crime festival, christened Noirwich in its first year, has reached the grand old age of five. This year’s writing festival is as varied and exciting as ever, although I’m only going to the events on Sunday. Crime festival highlights
I’ve not done any Friday Flash Fiction for a few months now. You may (or may not) have noticed. I started doing a regular flash fiction on Fridays way back… I have 301 posts tagged as ‘short stories’, the first
The Insecure Writers Support Group #IWSG posts every first Wednesday of the month. Today’s question: What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey? I’d like to thank our Co-Hosts today: Erika Beebe, Sandra Hoover, Susan Gourley, and Lee Lowery! Please
I’m still at Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’m still editing Curved Space to Corsair. Even better news, my illustrator has got to the window of opportunity she had to do the cover device for it! My Darlings Darlings are those things
Restructure: that’s the subject for my second postcard from camp this year. As you know, I’m editing Curved Space to Corsair so that I can send it to be properly edited. At last. This is the second in the Viridian
Week 1: Camp NaNoWriMo 2018. I’m editing Curved Space to Corsair. I also have Curved Space to Corsair on pre-order at iTunes, Nook and Kobo, and listed at Smashwords. This must be why, in among my better-than-usual sales stats for
Brothers are my inspiration. I didn’t think they were. I thought other people inspired my lead characters. Let’s explore this a little… The Princelings of the East series My princelings who inspired the whole series are Fred and George. More
I’m taking time off this week. So although it’s the Insecure Writers Support Group day, and you can sign up here to join in the fun (along with hundreds of others), I’m not posting today. After all, when we’re feeling
Thank goodness it’s February: January is gone. How many resolutions did you make, and how many are still intact? I decided long ago not to make new year resolutions. It’s always the same thing: lose weight. I generally have to
Choosing your book title is something I’ve muttered about in the past. Why would you name your book the same as loads of others. A famous name, even? Being short of a book review today (I shouldn’t have included Neil