On waving goodbye to 2024 and saying hello to 2025
In the space of thirty-six words, they have consolidated everything I'm going to keep reminding myself to do in 2025.
On writing and sharing a ghost story for Christmas
In recent weeks, I've been prioritising actual writing (of new creative work) over what we might uncharitably call pretend writing (such as this blog).
On writing better ghost stories than ChatGPT, and stealing like an artist
I took part in a workshop led by Liam Brown, exploring AI’s capacity to write good ghost stories — and by extension, our own. Who would do better — us, or it?
On writing a 90,000-word novel in a month (Part 5 of 5)
If there's one thing I'd like to leave you with at the end of this special, exhausting, exhilarating month, it is this — say yes to your writing by saying no to something else.
On writing a 90,000-word novel in a month (Part 4 of 5)
107,910 words, and still nowhere near finished — but for now, I’m content to keep wandering across the universe of this strange, sad, redemptive novel.
On writing a 90,000-word novel in a month (Part 3 of 5)
I’m now getting to the stage where I am required to write characters whose attitudes, opinions and experiences do not correspond to my own, in three primary and overlapping areas: sexuality, religion and politics.
On writing a 90,000-word novel in a month (Part 2 of 5)
I wrote my first ever sex scenes this week. Every aspect of these scenes could be viewed as a template for the kind of questions we need to ask ourselves about every single thing we write.
On writing a 90,000-word novel in a month (Part 1 of 5)
I’ve written a total of 24,136 words this week. Considering I pledged to finish a 90,000-word draft this month, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m well on course.
On the only kind of permission you ever really need
In six days' time, I'll be embarking on a thrilling/foolhardy (you decide which) literary experiment, writing a 90,000-word novel in the space of a calendar month — and not only that, I'll be on show for at least 20 of those days, in full public view.
On digression, sub-digression and even deeper digressions below that
I've got to thinking more about a technique which I've used more often than any other in all of my writing. It's the thing which even helped to give this blog its title. I'm talking about my great love of digression.
