Testing Times – Writing for the Web
It was a while ago I decided that I’d have to test the digital waters. At present a few of my books are up there on the web. I’ve the first six or so titles available through the HarperCollins imprint Avon Books in the US, and the more recent books are all on the internet … Read more
A New Project for Me!
It was a few years ago that I first talked to the Royal Literary Fund about their Fellowship scheme. As a concept, it takes some beating, I think. Going to university is a difficult time for many students: they have a whole new lifestyle to get used to, without parents and friends. A whole new … Read more
BBC Short Story Slashing!
It really is BBC Lunacy. Oh, I know. There are so many aspects of the BBC that call for the searing satire of a Swift, and yet here I am, a mentally meandering crime hack, doing my best with one aspect only. Which? The latest changes to the Radio 4 schedule, of course. Ok, so … Read more
So, is this one a real or a political promise, Dave?
Just for the record, let me state that I love Germany, France, Austria, Italy, and every other European country I’ve visited. I like Europe. And the european people. And I especially like going to Europe, partaking of their foods and wines, and enjoying their cultures. That, though, is the point. They all have different cultures. … Read more
Drugs again
Drugs – Yet Again Ach, I really, really dislike returning to this, but really, what is the point of the anti-drugs policy? I saw this today http://chapman.dailymail.co.uk/2011/11/your-best-friend-calls-you-and-tells-you-heshes-really-sick-how-do-you-show-you-care-1.html and felt the irritation rising again. A nice picture needed to calm me down now. Let’s see. Ah, water. That’s good. Is there a purpose to our “War … Read more
Working – written with the active non-cooperation of HTC.
So, after a short interlude, I’m back. No, I didn’t have a holiday. Just too many things on, particularly school holidays, for me to be able to sit down and type sensibly! I said two weeks ago, I think, that I would write something about writing with the new tablet. So here it is. There … Read more
Ebooks and Stuff!
Good news potentially, from the Frankfurt Book Fair. Apparently agents are warning of a reckoning to come, because of the low royalties paid to authors. If you want to read more, go and look at The Bookseller for the full article here: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/agents-warn-e-book-reckoning.html Many people have asked me in the last few months why so … Read more
This really is the death knell for publishers
My apologies. This is a blog from an astonishingly angry author. Why? Today the Bookseller announced that Amazon is having a great new sales campaign. In an October Kindle promotion, they will be aiming to sell vast numbers of books. This is brilliant news, isn’t it? Amazon will do what they do best, push huge … Read more
Writing – Tools and materials.
Time was, you’d write a book by buying a pencil and a lot of paper. Not everyone, of course, would do it that way. Some folks went to steel nibbed pens and ink with their paper. That was a little new-fangled, of course. Then you got the modern habit of buying gizmos. People learned of … Read more
Inspirations
I cannot read books while writing. It really is impossible. The way a writer writes gets into the rhythms of my mind, and his cadences and use of language, all influence what I try to write for myself. It’s bad enough having to read quite so many historical books with each novel (by way of … Read more
