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 …
Category: Books
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 …
Film Noir Feeds my Fiction
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 / thriller genre. Many of …
Today’s Subject is Subjectivity
Sir Isaac Newton stated that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For authors that gets translated into ‘for everyone who likes your work, someone else will hate it’. There doesn’t have to be any rhyme or reason about it; it’s just a thing. This state of affairs was brought back to …
Authors & Books – Being Krystyna
Most authors will tell you that the fictional world of their books comes from a real world inspiration. – a news item, an overheard conversation, or perhaps a personal experience that sparks off a chain of inspiration. There is another purpose of storytelling – to memorialise a true story so that friends, family and …
Who Owns Your Books?
Now you see me. When it comes to books, the word ‘ownership’ can mean different things at different times. Who owns an idea? Nobody. Try copyrighting an idea and be prepared for laughter and disdain. Who owns a completed manuscript? Unless you’ve been paid to ghostwrite a novel, ownership rests with the author. The laws …
Bonjour la classe
Once upon a time, not so long ago* – all right then, it was only back in August, Susan Louineau sat in the virtual chair and told me about her ebook, The Chapel in the Woods, which she self-published this year. Unlike me, Susan has a track record in marketing and put all that knowledge …
Comfort reading
Ask any fervent reader and they’ll tell you that they have a treasured few books they read over and over again. Know you’re going to be stuck on a train or a coach? Want to fill a few minutes with the familiar delights of a well-loved tale? Or maybe you like to check in with …