Category Archives: General

OK so that’s a long title! As per my blog post “Writing books and the Writer” you’ll have seen that I read a lot of writing books. Of the “How To” variety, as well as ones on language and from writers on writing. I feel moved to write a series of “Doing it Wrong” because IContinue reading “Doing it wrong (according to the ‘How to’ books) Part 1 – Keeping a Journal”

At the moment I’m planning out a novella and a novel whilst waiting for my edit to come back on Seven Deadly Swords. I’ve also got a couple of short story deadlines. But oddly I’ve got that ‘end of term’ feeling and finding it very hard to knuckle down to work. The North Bristol Writers areContinue reading “Holding pattern”

Earlier this week I sent the manuscript of Seven Deadly Swords to my editor at Grimbold. This is after a fairly hefty restructure and rewrite after the structural/developmental edit. It’s been to beta readers and they all had good comments but it seems like after extensive electronic scissors and pots of glue, moving chapters around,Continue reading “Structures and Developments”

Thirty Years of Rain – Edited by Elaine Gallagher, Cameron Johnston & Neil Williamson Published by Taverna Press (20 Sept. 2016) This is a collection of stories and poetry from members of the Glasgow science fiction writers group. When the North Bristol writers group created its first anthology North by Southwest one criticism, that we attemptedContinue reading “Some reviews”

Today’s guest post comes from Titus Chalk who has written a history of Magic: The Gathering called Generation Decks I’ve spent plenty of time playing this game but, unlike many of my friends, never got caught up in the collecting aspect of it. I saw some people spend thousands of pounds on collecting cards andContinue reading “Guest post by Titus Chalk – A lesson from Bristol”

It’s been almost a month since the last blog post – so what’s been happening? I’ve finished the major rewrite on Seven Deadly Swords and it’s with a few trusted beta readers before sending back to the editor at Grimbold. Which is quite exciting – more details on when the book will be released willContinue reading “On the subject of silence”

Seeing an American author of my acquaintance announcing that someone has taken his work and adapted it without his permission has inspired me to write down my experience of exactly that. I used to write for an RPG. This was a sole trader business when I started writing for it. After many years the soleContinue reading “On copyright and getting it in writing”

Catacombs of Terror By Stanley Donwood Scratter & Pomace Valpolicella is a PI in Bath and he is told that he’s going to be arrested for murder in a few days and the only way to circumvent this looming fate is to investigate the company that runs the CCTV, who are also doing an archaeological digContinue reading “Catacombs of Terror Review”

My Name is Mary Sutherland Kate Farrell PS Publishing The narrator of this tale is a young girl, the eponymous Mary Sutherland, who lived in Aigburth and who had family in Birkenhead. I grew up in Birkenhead so her voice was immediately recognisable. The book starts with a TV crew coming to interview Mary who isContinue reading “My name is Mary Sutherland”

I have a confession. I’m kinda addicted to writing books. You know the type -books about the craft of writing. I’ve just finished a classic in the genre – Of Worlds Beyond A “Symposium” on the writing craft including such luminaries as EE Doc Smith, Robert Heinlein, and John W Campbell Jr It has that essay by HeinleinContinue reading “Writing books and the writer”