Guest blog for Jacey Bedford: http://jaceybedford.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/guest-blog-2-gaie-sebold-how-not-to-write-a-steampunk-novel/ Where she allows me to witter on about my very messy writing process on Shanghai Sparrow in her otherwise elegant abode. … Continue reading
Gaie herself
You know what? Sometimes this sucks. Sometimes I suck. Sometimes trying to get one single measly word on the damn page feels like trying to push an articulated lorry uphill, in the rain, with the handbrake on. Why? Why is … Continue reading
Recently I found myself drawn to old-fashioned cooking. Lamb stew made from the leftover roast, with celery and pearl barley. I even made bread pudding. I don’t normally do puddings, we just don’t eat them often enough for it to … Continue reading
There is a lot of noise out there. All the time. Sometimes it is stressful, unpleasant noise – sometimes it is entertaining noise. The problem is, it’s noise. And creativity often requires silence. This silence doesn’t have to be actual … Continue reading
First, a couple of warnings. One, this post contains the occasional rude word. If you are easily shocked by such, look away now. It contains rude words because I am discussing things about which I feel strongly, and because I … Continue reading
Anything you say in public can come back to haunt you – anything you say online can be a yell in an avalanche zone. Right now there’s a lot of yelling going on and stuff I care about is getting … Continue reading
WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THIS, ANYWAY? As society goes speeding on in pursuit of Bigger Better Faster More, many things become harder. One of them is choosing to spend time and effort on something that doesn’t immediately, and … Continue reading
I want to, so why can’t I? There are people who never seem to get creatively blocked. They merrily produce stories, (or artworks or ceramics or films or jewellery) regularly, frequently, without apparent let or hindrance, maybe even singing as … Continue reading
The first time I heard the word geek it had something to do with biting the heads off chickens in a dodgy sideshow. (Apparently they swallowed them, too. I can’t help wondering if the heads, like the bodies, carry on … Continue reading
First of all, a quick note to anyone who has posted a comment which I totally failed to reply to for months – sorry! I’m still finding my way around all this stuff and I think I need a better … Continue reading