Edgy and entertaining insights from the dangerously-talented writers in the Colony…explore at your pleasure!
Plotting
I’ve watched some great webinars on plotting recently and I thought I’d compile what I’ve learned, as much for myself as for anyone else who…
Everything Has Changed
Monday January 11th, 2016. I awoke to a text from Becky. Becky: You okay, Sal? Sarah: Yep. Why? Becky: Haven’t you heard the news? Sarah:…
Future Abstract: Crisp and Squish
SATIRE ALERT: This Future Abstract is entirely fictional and should not be taken as actual scientific research. No plastic was consumed in the making of…
Research
I tend not to write novels that require a lot of research (regular readers will be aware that I write romance/fantasy and psychological suspense-type books)….
Elon Musk: The Genie or the Janitor of the Galaxy?
Spring 1995. The Quad. University of Pennsylvania. The monthly meeting of Resident Advisors in the Quad Freshmen dorm has once again commenced without Elon Musk….
The Writer’s Zodiac: Aries, Stories of The Fiery Sky Ram
Meteorological spring began on March 1, but astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and astronomical autumn/Fall in the Southern Hemisphere began on the date of…
Why Mother, Why Father
Last year I made a short film. As a screenwriter with a drawer full of unproduced scripts I was eager to write something I can…
You Don’t Know Me
On The Honest Authors’ podcast, Gillian McAllister once mentioned that she was asked, “Do you really think that?” about something controversial she’d written in one…
Merlin
A carved wooden statue of Merlin stands in Carmarthen town centre. A mythical Celtic shaman, he was a constant in British folklore between the 5th…
Everything Is Going to Be Alright
It’s been a pretty bad week for me. It started last Monday when I took my mum for an appointment with the gynaecologist. She’s currently…
Book Club Programme & Dates for the Year
Litopia’s Book Club, run by @Jason, is an unmissable monthly event. There are – happily – lots of book clubs around. But none like ours….
The Stories in Our Stars: The Zodiac for Writers
We are now in Pisces Season. But what are its stars, what’s the ancient story behind it all, and what does it mean for writers? Time…
Dope Junkie
I’m a dope junkie, and I’m spiraling. Scrolling. For hours. Every evening, you can find me lounging on the couch or sprawling in bed, zoned…
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…
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