Back in the Nineties there started a wonderfully entertaining TV series: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Witty, female-lead, creative stories and some dark themes. It was a big hit. I watched every episode. One of my favourites was "Hush". The story is a perfect balance of creepy bad guys, called the…
Between writing novels, it's refreshing to do something less demanding, and quicker. I keep an eye out for writing prompts, and a while ago, this one caught my attention: International Stale Bread Day. The resulting short story, I entitled Duck Day, and begins on a stretch of common land behind…
We’ve all seen public buildings in our towns and cities: hospitals, schools, churches and swimming pools. Old and new in style, they perform a function and have a familiar interior. Some of these buildings, though, we perhaps only recognise on the outside. I’ve passed courthouses, the magistrates and the crown…
A common question writers debate amongst themselves is do you write linear or not. Is it better for a writer to start at the beginning and move through the story to the end, or go to the part of the book that appeals most and start from there? Now, I…
A cluttered desk - is it a sign of a disorganised mind or a busy one? I've a jotter pad with things scribbled on it, which at the time of writing meant something, but a few days later has lost all hope of being something. Stacked next to me are…