I have this joke in my author bio that my first girlfriend was a mermaid. It’s true in a way, she was Marina from Gerry Anderson’s Stingray, and I was seven years old. She was rescued from slavery in Triton’s … Continue reading →
Here’s a strange one. I first came across the opening chapters of this oddly charming and compelling tale anonymously posted on Tumblr a couple of years ago. Since then I’d been wondering, off and on, if the full story would … Continue reading →
I came across this old poem in the Book of Kells exhibition in Trinity College, Dublin. Written in the 9th century by an Irish monk while he was in St. Gallen, Switzerland, it shows the relationship between writers and their … Continue reading →
Dublin’s a friendly city, friendly enough to wait for EuroCon to finish before the rain started! The Dead Dog party is over, I have partied hard and slept well, and I am really looking forwards to the next one. This … Continue reading →
Anyone going to WorldCon this weekend? Any writers going? (I suspect there may be one or two.) If so, would you like the chance to showcase your work with a short reading? Following their success at World Fantasy last year, … Continue reading →
The last few years have been terrific ones for the T Party, the London writing group I’ve belonged to since I can’t remember when (about 15 years – I think). Web sites always need more work, so I decided a … Continue reading →
For the past couple of years there has been a fascination with world-building in genre fiction, with many discussions on forums, blog posts, and panels at conventions. Its become the Need-to-Know thing about writing SF and Fantasy, with half the … Continue reading →
This week the Friday Flash is a ‘guest post’ from my alter-ego, Lord Plott. ~ Ulysses Plot was thinking about his book. This meant walking around in the garden and staring at plants. The sunflowers were doing well, a few … Continue reading →
‘I love all my characters equally. Let’s face it, they wouldn’t be there if I didn’t want them to be. Every single one has a part to play, big and small. I feel their pain, their triumphs, their loves and … Continue reading →
The fight was over. Grishnak checked the old man’s kit: a pointed hat, an empty pouch, a big stick. Further back in the cave Krange crouched over the smaller body. ‘Anything?’ Grishnak called. Krange help up an over-large dagger. Too … Continue reading →
