Edgy and entertaining insights from the dangerously-talented writers in the Colony…explore at your pleasure!
The Moon vs. Brian Cox
Of the many jobs I’ve juggled, my latest presents a unique challenge. Sabah, in Malaysian North Borneo, is popular with Korean tourists. Five hours south…
The Death of the American Penny.
Well, it’s been in discussion for years, but the man behind the curtain X’d (I guess you can’t say tweeted anymore?), that the American penny…
What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
Bear With Me! Okay, this is probably a weird analogy but this is how my (bird-brained!) mind works. So, in terms of the title question,…
Bonnie Bethany
She found a shilling down the back of the sofa and gambled it on a horse called ‘Bonnie Bethany’ in the 5th race at Carlisle….
Dems the rulez
Once again, I find myself writing about an argument I stumbled upon on X (Can’t they agree on anything over there?) and I just had…
Murmuration
Blackpool has a long tourist season that runs from Easter to Christmas each year, but the biggest seaside spectacular takes place throughout the winter months…
Humans vs AI
Okay, I know it’s not a war. Us against the machine. I’m not I-Robot-ing or anything. Or am I? I do know I’m angry about…
One Perfect Sentence
Posted on behalf of Peter Cox… The prompt this month was to complete “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”…
Our Stories in The Stars- The Zodiac for Writers
Story Archetypes of The Zodiac We are now in the season of Aquarius The Original Rain Man, Sign of All Humankind Whatever we…
Finding a Literary Agent
If you want to be traditionally published, the chances are that you’ll need a literary agent. Their job is to sell your book to a…
The Joys of a Book Table
About a year ago I was visiting at a friend’s house and noticed they had a book table. It’s literally what it says – a…
Identity Politics
Holy hell, this shower feels good. Pretty sure I’m using up the hot water, but any fucks I could give evaporate into steamy bliss. After…
More Haste, Less Speed?
What Do We Mean by ‘Pace’ And Why Is It Important? We often hear that books are fast-paced, slow burn or ‘saggy in the middle’….
Writing As A Job…
Recently, I came across a fiery argument on multiple social media platforms around the topic a writer compensation. On the face of it, it shouldn’t…
Welcome to Publishing Year Zero
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” wrote…
Detritus in Paradise
Thinking back to January 2021… I was feeling rather stodgy after Christmas excess, and Mrs. Treaclechops had a touch of winter blues, so we decided…
My First Crit
Do you remember your first time? Was it exciting? Were you nervous? Did you just want to get it over with? One of the most…
Bombing in the Reviews
An indie author often lives or dies based on their books’ ratings and reviews. Okay, maybe that was a touch dramatic. Often, it’s a case…
Safeguarding Writers’ Mental Health In 2025
Writers are, by definition, people of heightened awareness and sensitivity. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t – couldn’t – be a writer. Yet in a world…
My Resolution (Or a List of Books)
As the old year comes to a close, I think about things I am grateful for and about fostering good habits for the new year…
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