Tales from the Garret

I don’t read as much non-fiction as I’d like to, as reading for research has to take priority over reading for pleasure. And I very rarely read any works of scholarly criticism, despite knowing a few scholars and critics; not because I’m not interested, but because other things seem to end up nearer the top […]

By Charles Stross’s definition, I don’t write proper science fiction. He’s a writer I admire, and I think his argument is entirely fair and reasonable. My personal preference is for telling stories that are character, not idea, driven. That’s not to say I don’t want to explore ideas through my fiction; any writer who doesn’t […]

It was good, although I still hate the Raddled Non-Euclidean hotel. I seemed to spend an awful lot of time just trying to find rooms, including mine (yes, even when sober). I could also have done without the souvenir ‘con crud’ which has evolved into a quite impressive consumptive cough. My scheduled panels were both […]

… to Eastercon in a non-euclidean hotel in the barren urban wasteland that is Heathrow, just next to the eponymous international airport. I’ll be doing a few Official Things, but between times I can be found in the dealers’ room stall-sitting for the Awesome Ms Williams or else in the least-overpriced of the con bars. […]

No, not Chinese gangsters: sets of three. Storytelling, at least in western culture, does love its sets of three. It’s something I’m currently up to my eyeballs in as a reader, thanks to Ciaran Carson’s excellent translation of selected Irish legends from the Tain (that Cu Chulainn, what a little tyke he was). I like […]

In an ideal world, an author should be able to check all of these: 1. Space to write.  Kitchen tables are common, as are laps. Whatever your lifestyle there needs to be somewhere, even somewhere you carry with you, that’s a writing place. 2. Time to write. This one can be hard, because the rest […]

I enjoyed my Cornish break, containing as it did many fine ingredients, including scenic walks, cream teas, storm-lashed seas breaking over rocks (visible from our cottage, even), scrumpy and (most surprisingly of all) sunshine.  My original plan of a week of long lie-ins fell prey to some early-morning bouts of inspiration, but that gave us […]

Authors often speak of the satisfaction of finding the right word. What we’re less interesting in discussing is the corresponding sense of frustration when the right word eludes us. I’m not sure whether this search is any harder for me than for anyone else, as it’s not exactly easy to test. I do know it […]

Where do you get your ideas from? (check one or more – well you could if this blog editor let me do check boxes) 1) New Scientist 2) Tesco’s 3) My partner 4) The bits of my brain not being used for anything else 5) Everywhere 6) ‘Every night I leave milk and cookies out, […]

It’s pretty light this year, owing to not getting myself put down as a program participant when I registered (not deliberately – I had a hangover). Friday 7pm, Winchester Room – ‘Gender in Space Opera’ Saturday noon, hotel lobby – part of massed author signing (‘will sign (some) body-parts for beer!’) Sunday 5pm, Winchester Room […]