I had the good fortune to share a podcast episode with Nadine Matheson, best-selling author and lawyer. As is often the case with a fast-flowing and enjoyable chat, you find yourself discussing topics that hadn’t occurred to you until the alchemy of the moment created a spark. As we were finishing our conversation, Nadine spoke …
Author: Derek Thompson
You must be joking!
Recently, on LinkedIn, a bunch of us were lamenting the lack of opportunities for gag writers. It got me thinking about the things I’d tried in the past, successfully and otherwise, so here is a list of places to try if you want to flex your funny bone.* In no order, other than my ability …
Wellbeing for Writers
When it comes to novel writing it’s a jungle out there* and in there as well. You spend inordinate amounts of time deliberating and procrastinating and then crafting your work, before seeking out ways to get your book seen or heard or experienced, while simultaneously trying very hard not to starve or lose faith in …
Should Fiction Keep It Real?
I planned to write about the balance between a writer’s life and their inner world, but this piece on the BBC website caught my eye and, frankly, it seemed more interesting to explore than to write about what I know best (me). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45803343 It’s well worth reading in full, but in essence author and screenwriter …
Altruism for Authors
I’m a great believer in supporting the writing community wherever possible and whenever practicable. Of course, there is competition for representation, for publication, and for funding, but most of that activity happens in the privacy of one’s outbox and those all-important decisions are beyond our control once we have pressed send. How can novel writers …
Setting the Scene – why location matters
One of the challenges authors face – and the directors and scriptwriters who interpret their work – is how to make each scene real. We want the reader or viewer to have an immersive experience, not only suspending disbelief but also engaging their senses to put themselves at the heart of the action. We’re talking …
Top Reasons to Harvest Your Rainwater
A sponsored post on behalf of Freeflush. Top Reasons to Harvest Your Rainwater RAINWATER IS FREE, BUT THE SUPPLY IS NOT DEPENDABLE! It rains a lot in the UK. Despite significant regional and seasonal variations there’s an average of 800 mm per year in the east / southeast and typically more than twice that in …
Film Noir Feeds my Fiction
The rules have changed. I’ve made no secret of the fact that Raymond Chandler’s writing is one of the inspirations for my Thomas Bladen spy thrillers, but I also owe a huge debt to cinema. It’s my great pleasure now to introduce you to a back catalogue of films that remain classics of the spy / …
How freelance writers can make a fresh start in January
It’s time to bloom. We are all driven by deadlines, even if we don’t always meet them – Christmas presents bought before the 24th of December (preferably), birthday cards posted to arrive neither too early nor too late, get into work before the boss, and finish that novel in your bottom drawer before you die, to name …
Pull the Other One – Adventures with Cracker Jokes
A ghost of Christmas past. This is the second year I’ve entered the Gold Channel cracker joke competition. The fact that I’m mentioning it at all should alert you to the prospect of a happy or unhappy ending. In this case, both! The brief was for something topical and festive, perhaps with a twist on …