The most depressing day annually, and weird Christmas traditions
Happy Christmas and New Year! If you don’t celebrate either of them, then I hope you have had a good January so far. The New Year always marks a time … Read More
Next year, I am improving my chess skills. Here’s how
I recently decided to get better at chess. I was on the school team back in the day, but I was the lowest-ranked board, and our side was generally rubbish. … Read More
To Monetize Or Not? Reaching An Astonishing 100 Subscribers On Substack
I hit 100 subscribers on my Intriguing Times Substack yesterday and am pretty damned excited about it. ‘Astonishing’ is admittedly a bit hyperbolic, but it is apparently good for SEO. … Read More
From Zork to AI Dungeon: How AI is Revolutionizing Interactive Text Adventures
AI is so damned useful that I am overwhelmed and am still thinking of ways to use it. You can probably tell that I don’t use for writing by looking … Read More
How to be more productive when writing – great music and apps!
I listen to music and use a few apps that really help when writing, and consequently, I thought this might be something helpful for others. I write for a living. … Read More
Getting Substack subscribers and changing writing focus
It has been around a month and a half since I launched my shiny new Substack. Previously, I’d had a science fiction and fantasy newsletter for a month and it … Read More
Plotting vs. Pantsing: What’s Better for Writers and Readers?
In the world of fiction writing, few debates are as enduring as “plotting vs. pantsing.” Writers and readers alike have strong views on the merits of each approach. Some prefer … Read More
The Intriguing Times Substack is now live!
Intriguing Times – my new Substack newsletter – has been live for almost three weeks. It already has 35 subscribers and over 90 followers, which is pretty damned good if … Read More
MacBook Air 13 inch vs iPad Pro 13 inch after a couple of months. Which am I using most?
I’ve had my MacBook Air 13 inch M1 for about three and a half years now. Whereas, I bought the new iPad Pro 13 inch M4 two months ago. I … Read More
New Substack, The Cosmic Scroll, is essential reading
I started a new Substack called The Cosmic Scroll. If you’re a writer, you will probably know the importance of having an email list. If you are a writer without … Read More
iPad Pro 13-inch M4 the all-in-one device I’ve been looking for
I love my iPad Pro. Actually, that should be plural as I have the original 13-inch version from 2015, and an 11-inch from 2021. Remarkably, both still work, if a … Read More
You should do this with subscriptions and despair
I am increasingly starting to think a lot of subscriptions are scams against the unwary. And that definitely includes me. I recently saw a post somewhere that suggested you list … Read More
The Gaming Industry is going in the wrong direction, but it isn’t too late
I’ve been playing whatever the gaming industry has put out since Asteroid and Galaga and the Atari console came out. I bloody love games. In some respects, games are better … Read More
Slough House Shenanigans: A Review of Slow Horses
Slow Horses is a spy thriller TV show that streams on Apple TV+. If you like tension, dark humour, backstabbing and twists, it will be right up your alley. Based … Read More
Last year I did a reading challenge – never again!
Last year, I did a reading challenge where I attempted to read a book a week. I read a lot, and it wasn’t too difficult, but I will never do … Read More
The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage Into the World of the Weird By Dan Schreiber
I knew Dan Schreiber from his work on QI as an elf, and also the Museum of Everything, and There’s no such thing as a fish. All of which are … Read More
The Rats by James Herbert – rereading a classic
I read The Rats by James Herbert when I was about 11 or 12 and it was one of the most exciting books I had read. Obviously since then as … Read More
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck blew my mind
I finished A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck a few weeks ago and can’t stop thinking about it. I hate phrases like ‘blew my mind’ as it’s … Read More
The Inimitable Jeeves by PG Wodehouse
I adore Jeeves and Wooster. I also love all the other works of PG Wodehouse, the guy was a genius, but J&W are his most famous creations. Every time I … Read More
How to be more productive and creative
As Ricky Gervais once said: ‘It’s better to create something that others criticise than to create nothing & criticise others. Go create!’