Waxwings by Johnathan Raban My review rating: 3 of 5 starsThis was the first time I’ve read anything by Raban and on the basis of this book I will be going back for more – and better prepared this time! There are no spoilers here, don’t worry, but the book – especially its blurb – […]

End of Year Statistics Submissions/Acceptances/Rejections Well, it’s that time of year again, and I’ve opened my submissions programme and worked through my year’s activities. Here’s a sad confession (second one in seven days!) I’m really very crap at numbers and statistics are an arcane mystery to me. So it took me as long to work […]

Writer Neurosis Revealed Okay, time to admit to one of my rare neurotic fixations. Tea. Specifically – Assam tea. Ultra-specifically – Whittards Loose Leaf Assam tea. I drink it. A lot. In fact, compulsively. It is one of my three remaining addictions, the others being yoga and chocolate … (not talking about the addictions I […]

All I want for Christmas I already got! (Well, nearly) Yup. This writer’s cup ranneth over last week. Actually that’s not true. It wasn’t this writer’s cup, it was Ren Holton’s jet black coffee mug that runnethed, because Ren has just had a very long, somewhat weird and profoundly satirical steampunk story accepted at Polluto. […]

Why Writers Hate Boilers (and other distractions) There’s a problem with our boiler. It keeps cutting out surreptitiously, leaving a cold house and a disturbing smell of gas that can’t be traced. As a stay-at-home, full-time, writer, I’m the recipient or the endurer of this process and it is simply, honestly, categorically, driving me insane. […]

Grab bag of writerly thoughts – some neurotic This week I’m not organised, for reasons I am unwilling to share just now. So instead, I offer you a series of things that have been puzzling, fascinating or disturbing me during my writing week: • The hardcover issue – a mate has just been offered a […]

What do you want for Christmas? Fame, fortune, a three book deal? Francis Ford Coppola to option the film rights to your as yet unpublished novel? Well join the queue! Actually, all those desires boil down to the same thing – you want to be published, to have your work read. And if that’s what […]

What will you do when you can’t write? It’s a question that people rarely stop to consider when they are thinking of a career as a writer. “I’ve always wanted to write,” they say and, “It’s been my dream since I can remember.” All well and good. But there will be plenty of times, some […]