My blog and occasional comment on current affairs.
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. It is literally the sole source of my income. I am also pretty lazy, which is a hindrance when you’re your own boss and find…
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 got me one whole subscriber. She was a nice older lady, who had no real interest in either the sci-fi or fantasy genre but wanted…
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 the structured epic tales of Ken Follett’s plotted narratives, while others love Stephen King’s more spontaneous style. So, what’s better for writers—and does it matter…
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 I say so myself. I had made a previous attempt at a Substack called the Cosmic Scroll, which was a weekly roundup of everything that…
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 write full time, so my use-cases will probably be different from yours, but I just thought I would share my experience in case you are…
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 one, like I am, you have also likely experienced mild twinges of guilt for not having one. I get them all the time and thought…
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 little reluctantly in the former’s case. I also have an M1 MacBook Air. Mrs Word of Ward thinks I spend too much money on gadgets….
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 your subscriptions and work out roughly how much you pay. I didn’t worry particularly as I thought I spent maybe £50 at most. A couple…
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 than ever. We are arguably in a golden age thanks to improvements in technology, which allow us to experience games that are ever more realistic…
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 on Mick Herron’s acclaimed series of novels, Slow Horses follows a group of MI5 agents who have been relegated to a dingy London outpost called…
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 it again. Here’s why… The reading challenge meant 52 books, and I love to read. I read what I consider an average amount. According to…
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 worth checking out if you haven’t heard of them. I had previously bought some QI books because, er, I find them Quite Interesting. So the…
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 my tastes have matured, developed, and become more discerning. I’ve read more exciting stuff since then – ‘48 by James Herbert, to be precise (the…
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 typically an exaggeration. But in this case, metaphorically at least, my mind has been blown. What’s it all about? The protagonist is an American geologist…
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 one of his books, which I did the other day, I am left wondering why I haven’t read more. The Inimitable Jeeves is generally…
As Ricky Gervais once said: ‘It’s better to create something that others criticise than to create nothing & criticise others. Go create!’
I love Scrivener and have been using it for over a decade. However, I was recently chatting with someone who wanted to write a book, and they asked how I organised my writing. I said I used Scrivener and they said they thought they had heard of it but weren’t sure. I nearly spat out…
Subscriptions and the constant drip of money from my bank are starting to irk me. And I don’t like being irked. Few do. But every app seems to be trying to foist a monthly fee on users, and it’s pissing me off. But why are they so annoying and is there an alternative? The pros…
Haunted Thailand is a non-fiction book about Thai beliefs and their love of things that go bump in the night. And in Thailand, there are a lot of ghostly – and ghastly – goings on. Yup, it’s time to promote something I wrote. In my defence, I haven’t done this in years. How did Haunted…
The new Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer has arrived, and despite previous bad experiences with getting prematurely excited by trailers, this looks great. Proper Indiana Jones stuff. I have seen every Indy film in the cinema – each of the first three multiple times and the fourth one just once. I won’t…