2018 has been a funny old year – for most of us, I think. The world has felt more than a little nuts (remember when we were all just sad lots of famous people were dying – ah, good times) and it’s impossible not to let that bleed into your everyday life. If you, like […]
Tag Archives: Writing
Happy New Year, one and all: I hope that, whether you celebrate or not, you survived the season intact. I actually had a big family Christmas this year – my first ever! – and it was a delight. My cousin and his wife (who is actually an old school friend of mine, also) hosted the […]
It’s my birthday this week, and so I have been delightfully inundated with gifts. (This year has been especially bountiful, since my lovely friends have also sent housewarming gifts, or bought me things which combine both. You guys!) Among these have been a fair amount of champagne, which is always welcome, and the usual magnificent […]
There aren’t many things in life I am evangelical about. I mean, I’m probably gonna recommend you watch Person of Interest a few too many times for your comfort, and I can bore for England on the topic of how there are Not Enough Toilets in Theatres, but generally I am an easy going kinda […]
I have been on the move for most of the last few weeks, as I (hopefully) await all the paperwork on my new flat going through. It’s been an unsettling time, and I haven’t always been able to write, which has been frustrating, as my time has been focused on paid work, house hunting and […]
Envy and professional jealousy are an occupational hazard for writers – as, indeed, for any creative. The arts are an insecure business; most creatives are wracked with self-doubt, and it can feel like you are in constant competition for a dwindling reserve of paid gigs, audience attention and market presence. You put your heart and […]
No one can be entirely objective about their own work. You spend so long in your own head with your words that they can become stale or overly familiar, and a new perspective is vital. This is why a team of beta readers is so useful for authors and writers: a fresh set of eyes […]
Now, I must admit I have long had a Bridget Jonesian level of fascination for self-help books. I read them like other people devour thrillers or romances – for a dose of pure escapism. It doesn’t matter if they are not remotely relevant to my life, and sometimes, the more bonkers they are, they more […]
Guys, writing is hard sometimes. Like, really, really hard. And while a deadline or a paycheque can force you to produce something if your income depends on it, if that’s not the case, it can be a struggle to get the energy or enthusiasm to do any creative project. And who can blame us? The […]
I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions any more. January is smack in the middle of my busiest time of year, it’s always bloody cold or raining, and everyone around me is undertaking a detox, which only makes me want to surrender myself more to Bacchanalian excess, provided such excess can be carried out from the […]
Dark Dates 