Books for Christmas reading
CHRISTMAS READING Merry Christmas. What are you planning to read over Christmas? Here’s a Yuletide taster menu for you, from the top of my To Be Read pile. Something to fill in deadly gaps between…
Free Short Stories April (no fooling)
I have a special offer for you this month – free short stories and no April Fool. I’m delighted to say I’ve joined up with a group of other writers to offer short stories for free, including…
My 2021 in books
2021 IN BOOKS Imagine you could buy a pill that could give you more brainpower, more empathy, better vocabulary and a longer life, while preventing cognitive decline, reducing stress, helping sleep and lifting depression. How…
The popularity of amnesia – talk and guest blog
THE POPULARITY OF AMNESIA Last time I mentioned I was talking at the Milim Leeds Literary Festival about why amnesia stories are so popular. There’s no doubt that writers have written about amnesia for thousands…
Crime wave caught on camera
CRIME WAVE CAUGHT ON CAMERA Today’s story is a crime story with everything a good crime story needs: An idyllic setting, a crime wave, missing bodies, mystery, violence in the dead of night, a criminal…
Panto season – oh, yes it is, oh, no…
PANTO SEASON The panto season has started early this year. Everyone loves live entertainment. (I’m even doing a live appearance myself on December 6th – more on this to the right and below). Here in…
7 steps that make a satisfying ending
7 steps that make a satisfying ending In 2000 the movie What Lies Beneath opened to mixed reviews. Despite a strong opening, cast (Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer) and director (Robert Zemeckis), reviewers talked of its…
Are we entering a golden age for short stories?
Are we entering a golden age for short stories? There’s no doubt, short stories are having a moment. At their best, they can be jewels of literature – presenting a character, a feeling, often a…
Into The Mirror and beyond
INTO THE MIRROR AND BEYOND Like all writers, I get invited to festivals, book clubs and bookshops to talk about the stories I’ve written, stories that have taken me to Hollywood and back. It was…
The one sentence at the heart of all horror stories
I’d hoped to avoid Halloween and horror stories… But I just got sucked in. It must be all the skeletons, zombies and pumpkin lanterns around here. I started thinking about what horrifies people and how…
Why do we love crime?
Do you love crime, like me? We’re not alone. Turn on the TV, go to the cinema, walk into a bookshop – crime is everywhere. Yet, ironically, crime statistics are going down all round the…
Wants and Needs in writing
Wants and Needs in Writing A few weeks ago I wrote about my GOATS method for writing fiction and screenplays. Anna Mönnich wrote in response from Germany. Her email brings up an issue that often…