Image: David Goehring
I’ve decided what I’ll submit to the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust’s programme for reading slots at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival. I wanted it to be something punchy, engaging and would prove a good advert.
I had two stories immediately in mind. I was cut between LETTING GO, a sad story [...]
Image: Kellogs
Get this. Yesterday I mentioned one of my short stories was rejected on Tuesday after 3 days and that I’d sent the piece straight back out. That same piece was returned to me YESTERDAY—1 day on submission!!! Obviously it’s already back out there but come on! It’s a good story, people! It’s called WHISKY [...]
Image: Alan Cleaver
I was rather disappointed to see not a single Scot among the shortlist of best young crime writers from the CWA’s inaugural National Crime Fiction Week awards. All the finalists were English or Welsh, which I hope isn’t an indication that “tartan noir” is on the droop. Mind you, if it is, that [...]
Image: Green Office
I had a surprise day off work yesterday when I had to call in for some time so I could look after a sick family member. My doctor’s duties were called on until mid-afternoon, which meant I missed all of the warm sun that had been afforded Edinburgh. By the time I had [...]
Image: Creaky Toe
I worked through seven chapters of GATECRASH last night. The further I creep into the story the better it seems to get. Some of the writing, though, leaves a lot to be desired. One can tell it was written with speed in mind—quantity over quality—a side effect of NaNoWriMo if ever there was [...]
Image: John Byford
Would you believe that after all the trials and tribulations of getting my new pair of glasses sorted they STILL aren’t ready? Yesterday morning when I went to collect them, although they did manage to get the lenses made with no errors, the manufacturers sent them back in the WRONG frames!
Just my luck [...]
Image: mangpage
Scotland’s last minute loss to Wales at rugby on Saturday was a huge blow. For the first time in a long time Scotland played like a team that knew what they were doing. With no fear and renewed determination, they seemed to have picked up their game under the stewardship of Andy Robinson, and [...]
Image: Gideon Malias
The behaviour of Scottish people at bus stops is very strange. Every place I’ve lived in Scotland over the years, I’ve noticed different patterns of behaviour. Not as part of some grand scientific experiment you understand, but merely as a gentle observation from years of relying on public transport to ferry me around [...]
Image: High Tee
Good day at work yesterday; busy, challenging, and one where some long-term results were finally realised. It’s the biggies that count most. I topped it off with a couple of pints of Guinness in Clark’s afterwards. Sorted.
Not much else done because the results I spoke of didn’t actually happen until between 7.30pm and [...]
Image: Seattle Municipal Archives
It’s definitely getting milder. The wearing of my bunnet is now becoming an unnecessary addition to my daily attire, although we’re not quite at the stage I can safely leave the house with it and risk freezing my napper to the bone. Still, it’s a sign that despite the snow two days [...]
Image: liquidmatrix
It was a fine Sunday to complete a full weekend of writing. For a Monday morning I feel oddly invigorated and somewhat charged, though the actual writing process over the last two days was pretty sore and uncomfortable.
After a bright and early start to my Sunday I was onto the page writing more on [...]
Image: JK Butcher
I took a bit of a blow in the day job yesterday when some behind the scenes politics took some juicy work out of my remit. It was the kind of work that goes a long way to consideration for promotion, and helps to push you to the forefront of more senior work, [...]
Image: thisislondon.co.uk
I had my busiest weekend so far at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Five authors, one seminar, reading, writing, and discussion, all added together to equal a great time.
My Saturday began at 5pm with a Granta Magazine sponsored seminar on the Art of Short Story Writing. James Lasdun, winner of the National Short Story Prize, [...]
Image: Mel Blanc
STELLA received a wonderful review from romance author, Ginger Simspon, over the weekend. This is the first official review of my new book and I’m delighted it was so good! Click here to read.
If you missed it, please pop over and have a read of my guest blog at Love, Romances & More, [...]
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