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The Untidy Desk
A Villanelle
In an effort to repossess the poet’s soul I sold to Reality thirty years ago, I tackled a form with some constraint. Like a penance for my neglect all these years. So here's a Villanelle, initially as perplexing to me as her namesake in Killing Eve.
Character
Wants, Needs and Imperfections
Character arcs and emotional journeys...does your MC change and develop throughout your novel?
One Day in April
Shoeless garden frolics
Treasured memories of an April day in 2023.
Plotting
What I've Learned
What do bestsellers have in common? Which plot structure is the most popular in western culture? And what exactly ARE the four cornerstones of plot?
Sarah Muses on the Death of an Icon
Recalling the news that broke on January 11th, 2016, Sarah muses on the death of an icon and the loss of family. Short fiction based on real events.
Using Perception and Mouth Feel to Increase the Palatability of Plastics
When science fiction meets satire: a flash fiction piece presented as a summary of a scientific study where we "solve" ocean pollution by...convincing people to eat plastic. #FlashFiction #FutureAbstracts
Research
Research: Google, books, experts and jumping out of helicopters...how far do you go as an author when it comes to ensuring authenticity?
???????? Spring Equinox = a cosmic reset! Aries season is here, launching a bold new astrological year. The Ram brings fire, courage & the call to adventure. Writers, take note: every great story begins with I am. #AriesSeason #ZodiacForWriters #SpringVibes
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 of…
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 and…
How to Wait Patiently
Hospital appointments, an altercation in the street, thirty-six hours in A&E, rejections and procrastocleaning - it's not been the best week. But writing makes everything better.
Dates For Your Diary
Litopia’s Book Club, run by @Jason, is an unmissable monthly event. There are – happily – lots of book clubs around. But none like ours. Quite…
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 to…
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 of…
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 should…
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, I’ve…
Bonnie Bethany
Life unfolded
A poem about a childhood memory concerning a friend's family.
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 to…
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 when…
Humans vs AI
Okay, I know it’s not a war. Us against the machine. I’m not I-Robot-ing or being all dramatic. Or am I? What I do know is that I'm angry. Like gut-level something-is-very-wrong-here angry.
Astrology for writers? Yes, because it’s the ancient source of all the world's great story Archetypes…
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 publishing…
A book table is not for the TikTok folk, there’s no prestige in it. It’s mostly just for you!
Pulled pork, whiskey, and a hard lesson in empathy. A chance encounter in Indiana taught me more than I bargained for. Read on for the story I’ll never forget. ???????? #EmpathyMatters
You often hear that books are "fast-paced", "slow burn" or "saggy in the middle"... but what exactly do we mean by "pace" - and why is it important?
For me, getting traditionally published simply isn't worth it anymore
Because Something Is Happening Here, But You Don't Know What It Is Do You, Mister Jones?
The year 2025 is when we will see the “traditional” publishing model start to break down and be reconstructed as something entirely new...
My First Crit
My First Crit... Do you remember your first time? Was it exciting? Were you nervous? Did you just want to get it over with?
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 of…
Writers are by definition people of heightened sensitivity. The coming period will not be easy on our minds or souls. So let’s get some self-defence measures in place
Over the last year, I’ve become obsessed with trawling second-hand bookshops and charity bookshelves. I’ve caught up with Clare Chambers, Emily St John Mandel and Ruth Ozeki.  But I'm not done yet
My reading of The Complete Works of Shakespeare was almost at an end. The book (only a paperback) had weighed in at 1250g, and the font…
Let It Snow!
The sky grew dark and the clouds drew in. The first big fat flakes began to fall. And fall and fall and fall...
Well, I'd just read all of Shakespeare's plays and I was feeling extremely showy-offy. And yes, I'd been totally mind-blown or singularly unimpressed and all the…
Don’t Call On Me
. Cold winds blow through city streets as winter’s grip takes hold and grey souls in downbeat worlds retreat to lies untold. . Rain-lashed pavements now…
Unbelievably, after nearly six months, I had almost come to the end of the complete works of Shakespeare. That lockdown challenge had proved hard to do…
Of all the Christmases before and since, this one will forever be my favourite: the night of the beatboxing panto under kerosene lamps in tribal Jharkhand, with magic of an entirely unexpected kind
Pericles - Cymbeline - Winter's Tale... I was determined to push on, despite having never heard of a couple of these. Also unaware that the good, the bad, and the ugly were about to hit me full force
Hugh was last seen with Jack, our four year old. He shrugged and dipped a toast soldier into his runny yolk, "We were playing Hide n Seek, but I couldn't find him. He vanished."
Imagine Cher, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Rhianna all rolled into one - tthen multiply by 100 and add a ***load of gold and you're coming close... that's Cleopatra!
If you read my Christmas Snippets post, you'll be aware that I suffered a psychotic episode in 2019. This was followed by a long period of…
Othello - Macbeth - King Lear... If I thought Iago and Macca had issues, then Lear wrote the book on them
My paperback version of The Complete Works of Shakespeare was starting to look properly shabby. I'd bent the cover back a lot, and sat cups of…
As a teen, I used to feel awkward and a little fearful of homeless people; but this week I held the cold hands of a lady who was living on the streets
I was approaching the halfway mark of my Shakespeare-a-thon, and methought it was time for some top scores. The Big H was coming up, so I…
Improvised Lines and Spinal Tap Whispers
As a rock guitarist, I expected music, not culinary critique. But there I was, teaching an actor how to make Irish Stew—in front of a live audience.
Much Ado About Nothing left me in a good place, so the thought of another comedy coming up was quite welcome. But would it deliver the…
Christina
Gone Too Soon
Remembering a friend in poetry.
Just Another Day
I don’t want to bring you down, but Christmas isn’t always fun for me. It’s a difficult time for a lot of people. The pressure is…
A Lake and a Troika
It is 1975. I am a teenager, listening for the first time to a protest song by Greg Lake. The tune mesmerises me, the riff stiffens…