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: Creative Writing
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 …
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 / …
This Old Thing – why writers shouldn’t hide their light
I’m fortunate to know many writers, each at different stages of their craft, and I’ve yet to find one who really celebrates their talent. True, there is the social media ‘woot’ when a chapter is completed or a word count is reached, but ask them to take a bow and you can practically hear footsteps …
To write or not to write?
The hidden ingredient in every piece of writing. Ask most writers, whether they are starting out, seasoned, or overcooked, and they all tell you the same thing – they write because it’s a compulsion. It’s the nagging internal voice when you read someone else’s below par writing that whispers, “You could do better than this.” …
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 …