A Paean to Pubs
(I’m a writer, I’m allowed to use Big Words). Pubs will be one of the last things we get back, perhaps unsurprisingly – they are, after all, enclosed spaces where people mingle, and you can’t really sink a pint with … Continued
writing
Writing, Ranting and Rage as the Days Go By
There are five or six unfinished rage-drenched blog posts sitting on the laptop right now. Some are just too incoherently furious to publish, others are about what was awful last week but has been diminished by the horrors of this … Continued
Writing the Pandemic: Should you? Could you?
Back in the 90s it tended to be the porn producers* who were quickest off the mark when it came to topical themes for new product, probably for the same reason that now it’s indie authors: low production costs and … Continued
You Know When You’ve Been Joplinned
OK, it’s a phrase I’ve been trying to get into circulation for years without success, but it seems even more appropriate now. To be joplinned is to have had plans for some sort of publicity or promotion, especially something you … Continued
Redemption arcs, heroes and villains
Redemption arcs are one of those classic fictional tropes that everyone’s heard of, even though they may not know the term. Think Darth Vader saving Luke Skywalker or Severus Snape’s dying words and there you go. Giving your nasty characters … Continued
Writing in the Fear Zone
It’s still debatable at what point it became clear the world had taken a sharp turn down an unlovely path. It was probably around three years ago, though. Back then, at first, I was inclined to encourage a keep-calm-and-carry-on viewpoint. … Continued
Arousal, research… and zombies
Arousal is a bit of an odd one, when you think about it. Most people think of being aroused purely in terms of sex (notoriously, when it comes to anti-porn idiots, demonstrating serious comprehension failure when citing studies about the … Continued
Spiders and symbols and story inspirations
Lady Hale’s spider brooch may or may not have been by way of a (well-deserved) pop at Fucko the Clown this week but it certainly got people talking. An enterprising t-shirt company quickly knocked up a special design – and … Continued
Finances, Fear and Failure.
A recent piece by a writer who blew her book advances has sections of the internet in a predictable lather. Some people think she’s a silly, whiny bitch who should have had a good slap a few thousand dollars ago, … Continued
Kinky Sex Advice: approaching with caution
You can find plenty of horrendous kinky sex advice – and horrendous vanilla sex advice – online without even breaking a sweat. Quick and easy ways of detecting that the kinky sex advice you’re reading is not only a ridiculous … Continued