The awkward pairing of laughter and tears
At my father’s funeral, four years ago, my cousin turned to my mother, now a widow who had lost her husband of sixty-odd years, and …
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes
The title of this post (the words of Marcel Proust) is one of my favourite quotes, and it’s been on my mind this week. It’s …
Why do we love a tearjerker?
It’s a curious characteristic of people that we are drawn to fiction that makes us feel sad. A feeling that – let’s face it – …
Thou shalt commit adultery and other famous typos
I’m in proofreading mode at the moment as my first novel, The Madness of the Faithful (out July 28th), undergoes typesetting. Discovering that typos have …
How to write a likeable and memorable book title (according to science)
I’ve been thinking a lot about book titles this week. I decided a while ago on ‘The Madness of the Faithful’ for my debut book …
I’ve lost that first draft feeling
This week, I completed the first draft of my second book. At just over 93,000 words, it took me the majority of 2021 (and a …
Why I’ve gone indie
I don’t need to tell you that getting a literary agent and then a subsequent publishing deal is hard. Whether successful or unsuccessful, most writers …
5 sure-fire ways to boost your creative thinking (according to science)
Creativity is the fuel that drives writers. When we have it in abundance, we fly along the editorial highway, racking up word counts and hitting …
Make receiving feedback your superpower
Does anyone really like receiving feedback? I’m not sure. But if you can receive it and use it appropriately, it can be the best way …
5 books on writing that’ll turbocharge your fiction
When it comes to learning something new, I prefer to understand the mechanics of how and why things work rather than follow step-by-step guidance. For …
Reading fiction can make the world a better place
How’s that for a grand heading? Too much? Bear with me and I’ll explain. If you disagree, don’t hate me for it, please. On Twitter, …
Everyone’s f*%#!$g at it
In a recent poll on Twitter, all respondents I asked said they used swearing in their writing. I ran this survey out of genuine interest. …
5 sure-fire ways to write realistic characters
Creating realistic and engaging characters is crucial for great fiction. It’s a skill that comes easier to some than others, but there are techniques that …
Let’s hear it for folk in horror
Earlier this year, my short story, The Sack, was published in Literally Stories. To date, it’s my most traditional horror piece, and it’s set in …
On the origin of the fear
I am five years old – again – and at my grandmother’s funeral. Nana was her name. The church is full. Everyone liked her; wherever …
Grief, goats, and how I discovered Dick
I recently discovered Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? on the shelf and realized I’d never got around to reading it. My to-be-read pile is …
The uprising of the dogs
It started with a beagle in a pram. Four-year-old Pip from Richmond in Southwest London was out for his morning walk. His owners had dressed …
Why I ain’t a pantsing man
I’ve been in the medical writing business for 15 years. The content I’ve worked on has been varied – from journal articles for publications to …
Reach for the moon fruit
Janet bit her lip and gazed at her image on the computer screen. Everything appeared in order. She’d spent thirty minutes selecting her shirt, forty …
5 sure-fire ways to improve your self-editing
When you’ve worked on a piece of writing for a long time, it’s easy to become overly familiar with the content, meaning you’re more likely …