New Year productivity and a shift in focus
Happy New Year, everyone! Lots of people I know seemed to have had a pretty crap 2025 – I hope you aren’t one of them – but I think we … Read More
Tag: writing
Short stories are back – here’s why that’s great for writers
Every Writer Should Spend Time on Short Stories Short stories have always waxed and waned in popularity. Their earliest incarnations were myths, fables, and fireside legends, but the modern short … Read More
Substack Vs Medium – It Doesn’t Need To Be Either Or…
I’ve been writing on Medium and Substack for a while now. There is quite a lot of overlap in terms of content, but they are slightly different. Especially in the … Read More
Morning Writing Routine: Why 6 AM May Be Your Creative Sweet Spot
A morning writing routine is something I’ve heard of, but due to general slothfulness, not a practice I’ve tried. But I’ve been travelling a lot recently, from one side of … Read More
Outstanding Books About Writing: Classics That Will Inspire You
Listing outstanding books about writing is obviously going to be highly subjective. But these are definitely among the best loved and reviewed, and have all stood the test of time. … Read More
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Repurposing old Content Is Awesome
Repurposing articles is a great tool in a writer’s repertoire. When it comes to the wonderful world of online content, productivity, (namely speed and efficiency,) is key. As writers, we … Read More
I found a brilliant Huberman productivity technique
I love productivity methods and Dr Huberman is one of the big names in the biz. I think I spend too much time searching for these things because I’m innately … Read More
Ghostwriting pros and cons. Is it worthwhile or soul-destroying?
I used to do a lot of ghostwriting, and it has its pros and cons. I should preface this piece by noting that, as I have written 100s of ghostwritten … Read More
Inspired By Silicon Valley, I Now Want To Be A Quirky Coder. Hello Python!
I have been binge-watching Silicon Valley on HBO Max, and it has made me want to code. I think I am having a mid-life crisis, which might be related, but … Read More
How To Escape The Per-Word Trap And Make Real Money As A Writer
I have been paid per-word or per-hour for about five years now. In my previous bouts of freelance writing, dating back decades (I’m old), it was the same. For writers, … Read More
Switching Focus To Short Stories To Make A Fortune
Or a pittance. Time will tell… The popularity of short stories has waxed and waned over the decades. They have always been around as myths and fables like the Arthurian … Read More
AI Writes Poor Prose – Use It To Fix Procrastination
And how to make an AI assistant I use AI to cure my colossal procrastination but don’t use it for any writing – you can probably tell. I was a … Read More
Fantastic tunes to listen to help write more and focus
I listen to tunes when I write. This is often to drown out the noise of fellow humans, but I also really like it and it can induce flow state. … Read More
After Career Advice From ChatGPT I’m Trying Something Drastic
I don’t use ChatGPT for writing, as the output is a bit bland. You can probably tell by my garbled syntax. Writing is also my livelihood, and I am mildly … 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