It’s often said that if a writer’s heart isn’t in the words she’s putting down, readers will know when they come to read them. This is entirely true. Happily, having first readers and a professional editor, if I skimp on detail to get to (what I perceive as) ‘the really good bit’, there are plenty […]

After those first grim weeks of the new year, spring is finally on the way. And with it, for me, a pleasant outbreak of Social Life. Last night I was up in London for the star-studded Orion authors’ party, where I indulged in my traditional pastimes of attempting to drink my weight in free champagne, […]

Though I don’t get out much, yesterday evening I had cause to walk into the centre of our village, and on the way I passed a house which usually has the curtains drawn, but for once, didn’t. It’s a Victorian end-terrace, and always sports extravagant displays of lights and other tat at Christmas, Hallowe’en and […]

I’m a bit unusual, writing-wise. For me, the part of the story-making process that other writers enjoy most – the rush of creating that first draft – can be like nailing jelly to the ceiling while shitting melons. Revising is far easier and less painful. And actual editing of an ‘almost-there’ story – something that […]

Though I’m careful to apply the Cup of Tea Rule* to any reviews of my work that I come across, some comments do stay with me. It tends to be the negative ones, which isn’t my natural glass-half-empty nature so much as a reflection of many years giving and receiving critiques. Positive comments may warm […]

Here, in a not quite exclusive (cybermage saw it first) is the cover of Bringer of Light, by graphic artist Nik Keevil: Having bribed you with pretty (and it is very pretty – definitely the best Hidden Empire cover yet), I’m now going break the news that the book is going to be late. It’s […]

If you go strictly on metrics that’s about how far I’ve now got with Queen of Nowhere. Approximately two thousand words out of a contracted hundred thousand. Not much, but a start. Of course, as any writer will tell you, writing a novel doesn’t actually work like that. Though I’ve never tried to calculate what […]

(a) love (b) novels I can’t speak with much authority when it comes to (a). Or perhaps I can, given I was lucky enough to score a win there early on. But that’s not what this blog is for. As for (b) … how very true. Possibly thanks to apprehension about tackling this new and […]

I have to confess I’ve been pretty lazy this last week. The sum total of writing-related work I’ve done has been a little background reading on codebreaking and jotting down the odd ‘imaginary bet’. I have also watched more bad TV than in the previous twelve months combined. And now I’m going to point you […]

… for the festive season, whichever festival(s) you celebrate.