A Cyberstalking Story It’s been an interesting year so far (in the sense of the supposed Chinese curse, “may you live in interesting times”). As I’ve said in a previous post, my family was affected by the Manchester Arena bombing, which led me to withdraw from most of my writing-relating activities to focus on the… Continue reading Learning to Disengage
The Politics of Rage
Lure and Stars Avail(Image used under Creative Commons Licence.) I’ve been offline for a while. My family was affected by the Manchester Arena bombing, and it’s taken me a while to emerge from the pall that cast over our lives. I’m not ready to talk about that yet, and I’m not up to writing a… Continue reading The Politics of Rage
Elemental Magic
Escapism and The Pain Season I'm delighted to have fellow lawyer and author of hot urban fantasy, Libby Doyle, as a guest on my blog today. She's here to talk about the inspiration behind the second book in her Covalent series. * * * Readers often ask me how I come up with my ideas.… Continue reading Elemental Magic
Hidden Misogyny in “Sicario”
Why does Sicario reduce its female hero to a trembling child?
Pulling Aside the Curtain
(Warning: spoilers for Snowburn and season one of True Detective.) The ultimate reveal of the villain is incredibly important in any conflict-based narrative. It’s the pay-off for the reader. They’ve followed all the clues, stuck to the right path despite the red-herrings the author has thrown in their way, and now they get the prize:… Continue reading Pulling Aside the Curtain
Following the Ripples
I'm delighted to welcome fellow sci-fi author L J Cohen to my blog! *** Nearly a year ago, E J wrote about a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: writing realistic injuries. In the linked post, she chronicles the pain and healing time of a deep cut to her hand as a way… Continue reading Following the Ripples
Tied Up With A Bow
The Problem of Overly Pat Endings
