Yesterday & Today: 27th May

If yesterday ended up being a little out-of-the-ordinary that was probably only because I managed to break the little toe on my right foot first thing and was in various states of pain and wooziness for a fair chunk of the day! That didn't stop me spending a chunk of time on 'Z' plotting (there … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 27th May

Yesterday & Today: 26th May

Yesterday's highlight was the monthly Contextual virtual poetry reading event, the 18th in the series! There was some very strong work which tackled difficult subjects like terrorism, dementia, and abortion. This prompted a short conversation about what might be termed 'taboo' subjects in poetry. I think the conclusion we reached was that you could legitimately … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 26th May

New podcast episode!

I have just published a new episode to my "WalkingThruFire" podcast. It is an untitled piece I wrote when at the 2022 Swanwick Writers' Summer School. It emerged from two workshops, one on the short story and one on general fantasy. The amalgam is - I have always assumed - the beginning of something rather … Continue reading New podcast episode!

Yesterday & Today: 25th May

A good day yesterday, not so much in terms of the total time spent working on projects but rather the sense of progress made with each. Often it's the intangible and immeasurable which gives the greatest sense of satisfaction, don't you think? All of which goes a little bit against the grain and my instinct … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 25th May

Interesting TV – but you’ve got to go searching for it…

In the last week or so I have seen three interesting chunks of TV - but I had to go looking for them. And I'm afraid that as these are all on BBC iplayer, if you're outside the UK you may not have access to them... Mark Lawson talks to Martin Amis. an hour-long interview … Continue reading Interesting TV – but you’ve got to go searching for it…

Yesterday & Today: 24th May

Two main things worked on yesterday: the first was a fair chunk of time spent sorting the initial plot points for 'Z' into some kind of logical sequence. There will follow further rounds of validation - and adding in the obvious ones that are missing - particularly at the end. Yesterday's main focus was on … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 24th May

Yesterday & Today: 23rd May

Yesterday was something of a 'red letter' day given it was the first time I've ever held a book launch. Thanks to the magic of Zoom, I was able to spend an hour reading from and talking about the four books I have just published. I enjoyed the experience enormously, particularly the questions. And I … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 23rd May

Virtual book launch today – still time to sign-up!

Today I am having an on-line launch of my most recent books with a short reading from each of them: - Once Significant Others ~ a novel from which I will read the opening few paragraphs - Tilt ~ a novel from which I will also read a short extract - An Irregular Piece of Sky ~ a collection of short … Continue reading Virtual book launch today – still time to sign-up!

Yesterday & Today: 22nd May

There's a tiny bit in Crash which has been concerning me in terms of losing a little tempo in the performance. When I had a run-through yesterday it struck me again. I may ask Andy about leaving out those four or five lines for the performance - though they will still be in the printed … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 22nd May

Yesterday & Today: 21st May

The sun was out and it felt a little like early summer yesterday - which is why I was able to spend time sitting outside working on plot points for 'Z'. Nearly up to three figures already, and there are still more to list! I also spent some time reading through Crash (i.e. non-performing) as … Continue reading Yesterday & Today: 21st May