READERS QUESTIONS

As I mentioned last month, I plan on answering a question or two each month from one of my readers.  This month, KristiLynne Stanley asks – “do you find yourself getting ideas for another story in the middle of your writing, and if so, what do you do?”   It’s a problem!   Everyone tells stories all […]


BUILDING TENSION, AND THE RETURN OF THE WATERCOOLER MOMENT

Someone has worked out that WANDAVISION is the most popular show in the world at the moment.  It follows THE MANDALORIAN as another example of Disney choosing to release their flagship series weekly, as opposed to what was becoming the standard – the release of all episodes at once.  Releasing an entire series was seen […]


The Leftovers And The Importance Of Theme

So, wildly late to it, but in this world of “everything is available forever” I don’t feel too bad for only now getting around to watching THE LEFTOVERS. I’ve worked backwards – I enjoyed WATCHMEN, and having been aware of Damon Lindelof’s writing for years now, wanted to explore another series where he was able […]


Lockdown Hard With A Vengeance

So, here we are again. For those reading who aren’t au fait with the state of things in the UK (and I can’t imagine why – it’s not like there’s much else going on…) we have just been put back in a country-wide lockdown, for the third time now.   It’s hard not to feel […]


The Crown And The Chains Of Authenticity

I’m sure you’ve all had quite enough of wading through the usual “best of” lists, so I’ll spare you mine. However, I would like to talk to you about one of the best things I watched last year: THE CROWN.   Even if you haven’t watched it you will likely have heard of it – […]


2021 – Green Shoots And Taking Stock

As we come to the end of 2020, the usual end of year reflection and optimistic hopes for the new year take on even greater significance than before. It’s been a year… but we made it, and looking at the blank slate of a new year stretching out ahead of us, I can’t help but feel positive […]


Putting A Ring Around A Perfect Couple Of Hours

As a child, one way I knew Christmas was officially around the corner was the arrival of the two TV listing magazines we had in the UK – the Radio Times for BBC channels and the TV Times for the independent ones. Due to some bizarre regulations the listings for the networks were kept separate, so […]


GAME OF THRONES AND MARCHING TO YOUR OWN BEAT

I wouldn’t want to be George R. R. Martin. Well, saying that, there are *some* benefits. But, when you’re working your way through one of the most significant literary works of the last fifty years, and the world notices, catches up, then overtakes your books, the pressure must be immense. Not only that, he’s also […]


GADGETS AND BOOKS

What one thing am I obsessed about (apart from writing)? It would have to be technology. I love it. I drive an electric car. I have an electric bike. I look at fridges that tell you when you’re out of milk and now I’m itching to buy one…   Given that I sell most of […]


“AMANDA LORIAN? IS THERE AN AMANDA LORIAN IN HERE?”

I think, like most of the world, I’ve an up and down relationship with STAR WARS. Due to the smorgasbord approach of George Lucas (over forty years ago!) there’s always something to like in the universe that he built, even when some of the choices might not necessarily be ones I can completely get behind. […]