Why a BAD review can be a GOOD thing (and why bloggers owe you nothing)

One of the pleasures of publishing is other people’s reactions to your writing: I don’t imagine there’s a writer out there who doesn’t love getting nice feedback. If you didn’t want readers to connect with your writing, you wouldn’t put it out there, and the validation that comes with a good review can’t be overstated. […]

Mileage May Vary – writing advice and a dash of self-care

Because, by the standards of the internet, I am old and uncool, I often find myself baffled by the wealth of abbreviations out there, wary of a David Cameron moment (who famously signed off a text about someone’s bereavement with ‘LOL’, thinking it still meant ‘lots of love’.). But recently I came across a term […]

In memory of Terry Pratchett: a defence of genre fiction and reading (and writing) what the hell you want

I’m not usually that affected when famous people die: it’s sad and all, of course, but mostly it’s time for a moment’s reflection, then you get on with your day. This week I’ve been reading two very different books by two very different people, both of whose deaths hit me harder than normal, because they […]