Latest Posts
March 19 2010 4:28 pm
I’m very aware that I haven’t written here for some time. Why? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself. It keeps calling to me, telling me I should write, but somehow I resist. Have I got blog fatigue after less than three months? There is an element of that. The... read more
March 2 2010 4:38 pm
Last week I had an interview for The Vale about the publication of Unravelling. The Vale is a monthly magazine distributed across the Cotswolds and the Vale of Evesham with a circulation of 60,000 readers. Okay – it’s not millions, but it’s still the possibility of a lot of new people... read more
February 19 2010 10:52 am
How many times have I heard people say you can’t teach creative writing? And the question never seems to be all that well meaning. There’s usually a hint of aggression – or suspicion at least – that somehow you are offering something under false pretences. Because, of course, we can all... read more
February 16 2010 8:04 pm
This is a quick post – I haven’t been able to get on to the blog for several days as there have been problems with the server. Technology is a wonderful thing until it doesn’t work and then it makes you want to tear your hair out. I can’t believe how... read more
February 7 2010 8:11 pm
The proofs have arrived from Matador. It already looks different – not like my manuscript, the font, style and layout are changed – but also not like a book. Instead, it’s a tantalisingly glimpse of what the finished product might be. I feel a glimmer of excitement. However, the main feeling is one of... read more
January 29 2010 3:18 pm
I’ve just finished reading ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini, a number one bestseller, the cover proclaims. It also shouts out the high praise the book has received: ‘A suspenseful epic’, ‘A triumph’, ‘Unforgettable’, ‘A masterful story’. Does it, I wonder, deserve such acclaim. Would it be such a success if... read more
January 22 2010 8:08 am
I’m going to be talking about ‘Unravelling’ at the first Chipping Campden Literary Festival in May! I wrote to the artistic director Vicky Bennett with an idea for a talk. At first she was hesitant about a self-published author (although she’s successfully published her own novel) but when she saw my... read more
January 19 2010 10:29 am
Communications about Unravelling come from Matador thick and fast. There’s so much to decide: the book’s details and my biography for bookshops and online stores, such as Amazon; a press release; marketing materials … And most difficult of all the book’s cover. This is the aspect that causes me most anguish.... read more
January 14 2010 12:04 pm
Wow! The editing and rewriting are finally done. The title of my novel is on its third incarnation. Now I need a publisher.
January 12 2010 9:32 pm
My very first blog. There’s so much advice: make a contract with your reader – they have to feel there is something worth investing their time and effort in. Raise a question. How to start? Who’s the main character? Well, me, obviously. Or is it you? Make your reader care.... read more