On green ink, shenanigans and tomfoolery
"The vast majority of novels, including those with explicit scenes, use standard black ink. This keeps production costs down and follows the established norms of the publishing industry."
On (the joys of) negative utopias
You never know when you’ll read something that proves itself to be grimly, magnificently prophetic within your own lifetime.
On story, narrative and plot
I'm twitching nervously because I've realised we’re venturing into the territory of reader-response criticism here...
On being a Stranger to the Muses
Uh-oh... Should I have got my coat and bag from the locker and just left quietly...?
On pride and productivity
So many employers profess to value wellbeing — until it comes into conflict with the productivity which they value even more.
On gutsy approaches to planning
"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood."
On saying what you mean and meaning what you say
"If you're making a statement, artistically, then when you're making that statement, as far as you're concerned, it's an absolute."
On (five kinds of) boredom
Are humans the only creatures who engineer the circumstances which bring about their own boredom?
On contraction and expansion
Have you ever felt like a broken accordion sometimes?
On having your vichyssoise and eating it
Is Bruce Wayne, like so many of us, just plain lazy when it comes to matters of taste?
