Villains and Villainy
A piece of writing advice that has always stuck with me is: ‘Fiction needs a bad guy.’ OK, sometimes the bad ‘guy’ isn’t a person acting with volition but fire, a flood, or maybe a virus, but even the soppiest, … Continued
Blog
While you still can
While you still can, think about doing some of these things. No, this is not an encouragement to buy bogroll or strip the shelves of tinned beans and pasta. If your finances and your own personal risk/health circumstances allow – … Continued
Reflections on the Plague Summer
So how was it for you? I doubt any of us knew quite what this plague summer would be like – would we still be caged and cut off from the ones we loved? Would the creeping advance of fascism … Continued
Italics, Languages and Dialect
In the course of a complicated Twitter discussion which I missed most of, this video popped up (by Daniel Jose Older who doesn’t write erotica but nonetheless appears to be an interesting chap). It got me thinking, firstly about one … Continued
A Little Fiction Competition
Those of you who have been watching the LAM livestreams might remember that I set up a story-writing competition a couple of weeks ago. You could win yourself a copy of my Dicewriting book by sending in a short story … Continued
LAM Late Summer Fete
In a week’s time, I’ll be hauling myself and a slightly alarming amount of luggage to the semi-wilds of Bedfordshire for the second live open air event of this strange plague summer: LAM’s Late Summer Fete. While I have managed … Continued
Buy #justonebook this week… but not from Amazon
Most of us have something of a love-hate relationship with Amazon. Yes, all that convenience and so on, but much of it at the expense of hugely underpaid warehouse workers and delivery drivers. If you are an author, particularly a … Continued
Road Trips and Resolutions
Now that I can, I’m hitting the road more. Yup, mask on, of course. And hand gel in every pocket. And my normally odd posture is getting odder as I hold conversations while leaning backwards. But I am Out There. … Continued
Not Cool For Catfish
Authors writing under pseudonyms is fine and always has been. Same as musicians, actors, comedians and performers of any kind. It isn’t even a terrible crime, for an author or anyone else whose work doesn’t involve physical contact or presence, … Continued
Written On Your Body: text tattoos
It looks as though they are going to allow tattooists to open up again pretty soon. I doubt I’m the only one waiting for the chance to get some new ink – OK, it has been the best part of … Continued