Edgy and entertaining insights from the dangerously-talented writers in the Colony…explore at your pleasure
To receive an occasional summary digest by email, simply click below
Not the Typical (Ugly) American Tourist (I hope).
Ciao. Getting ready for our two-week trip to Northern Italy. Northern Italy you say. What about the rest of Italy? Well, in due course. A…
Everything is Writing
“Aren’t you supposed to be writing?” I shove the nagging question away. The computer will still be there when I return to it, cursor blinking…
Unreliable Narrators (Spoiler Alert!)
An Issue of Trust I’ll admit, novels with an unreliable narrator are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I love them. You start off thinking…
How The Koreans Are Bossing A Trope
Mention the word Trope to us writers and we’ll recoil. Add the word Cliche and you’ll see us running for the hills. These two five-letter…
Unlikeable Characters
My three psychological novels have unlikeable point-of-view characters. Without balance, they can appear two-dimensional – and I’ve discovered that achieving that balance is rather tricky!…
I Am Made Of Regret, But Not Of Sadness
I am made of regret, but not of sadness. During my brief and somewhat misguided youth, I spent my money and spoke my mind. I…
Making Sense of Chaos
A writer friend of mine and I have exchanged writerly encouragement to each other for many years. The most frequent reminder we bounce back and…
Postcards from Earth
Dear Grandpoppypops Wish you were here? Look at the size of the stamps now! So much larger than the penny black you showed me from…
A Bowl o’ Stew
Flann O’Brien’s much-loved character – The Brother – transported to the 21st century. What would he make of contemporary trends and fads? This episode imagines…
Writing Distractions. Oh my!
This is my first post on this forum, so I wanted to do something short and light. What types of distractions interrupt you when you’re…
Go beyond the usual guide book notes of the Trevi Fountain and savour its unexpected pleasures.
PART ONE Walk through the heart of Rome and you will be lured in one direction and then another as instantaneously as a magnet does…
Details Matter
My first day as a professional writer, I lifted a police report from the pile at the Coffeyville station and read “Murder.” Now, this was…
Writing Different Genres
First Things First I’ve never understood people who have a favourite song, book or film. Surely your choice depends on your mood. It’s the same…
The Magnificent 7 Leave Switzerland
Lucky seven they say, but the morning I had to load that many strong-minded mustangs onto a lorry at the top of the Swiss Alps…
If You’re Reading, You’re Writing
Hands up anyone who’s had a bit of writer’s block? Looking around I can see that’s pretty much all of us, right? Even you at…
Litopia Book Club Selections February – September 2024
I’m delighted to give you an early peek into this year’s Litopia Book Club selections, together with relevant purchase links. It’s a particularly strong and…
Writers Beware – The Seminar Goldrush
Selling highly-priced, poor-value seminars and writing courses to aspiring authors isn’t just unethical – it’s also damaging to the publishing industry, says Litopia’s Peter Cox…
- « Previous
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
Get The Digest
Subscribe to our occasional email featuring all the best writing from the Colony.
Free to subscribe, unsubscribe whenever you want (but we don't think you'll want to!)
Basic Membership Is Free.
Explore the net’s original writers’ colony. Get your work critiqued in our Writing Lab. Learn how to get an agent – or dive into the burgeoning world of self-publishing. We’re with you every step of the way.
Full Membership Is Only $149.95 For An Entire Year
Everything in Basic Membership plus unlimited access to all our writing seminars and unlimited access to our weekly live Writers’ Huddles for mentoring & coaching… Simply the best value on the ‘net.