Our screen-addled brains can’t cope with more than two syllables, right? ‘Use short, simple sentences’. ‘Never use an uncommon word when a common one will do.’ This advice is everywhere. …
In defence of being ‘wordy’
Novel
What makes a good opening sentence?
‘It was the day my grandmother exploded.’ I haven’t gotten around to reading Iain Banks’ The Wasp Factory yet, but that opening line (read somewhere else) will stay with me …
Enjoying an uncharacteristic bout of confidence in my fiction
I submitted two pieces for competitions and I’m actually feeling…positive? Two competitions entered in April. Guess those strategies for overcoming self-doubt paid off. And weirdly, I seem to have swung, like …
How to beat the fear of submitting your work
I want to enter some writing competitions. Now would be a great time to doubt myself, right? There are two competitions I want to enter in April, and just thought …
5 thoughts that kept me going when confidence in my novel collapsed
The world suddenly seemed so vast, and I felt so small. The situation was laughable; how could I possibly have believed I was ready for this? This year I’ve challenged …
Book Review: The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Dispossessed was the first book I read in 2022 – and what a way to start the year! Although in terms of review, it poses quite a challenge. It’s …
A flash review of every book I’ve read in 2021
2021 was a great year for me in terms of reading. Here’s a super-short review of all the books I read in the past 12 months, and which was my …
Writing disaster strikes: Dude, where’s my book?
A few weeks ago we had a ‘wellness weekend’ in work. They gave us all Monday and Friday off to make sure we all took some time out to relax, …
amwriting…too many books?
Not so long ago I was regaling my largely-empty corner of the internet with the story of my 17-year long work in progress. It’s one of three major projects I’ve …
The Lamplighters review: a beautifully written character study with an underwhelming mystery at its heart
Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper’s weather log describes …