Monthly Archives: November 2010

To fashion oneself into a writer, first assemble your tools. Pens – I am extremely fussy about pens and haven’t found one I really like in about three years. I like black bic medium biros with the pointy lids. I … Continue reading →

I’m working on about 10 short stories at the minute. I told myself I’d do ten by the end of the year. I hadn’t written or had an idea for a short story in four years before this, so it … Continue reading →

I’ve always been a pessimistic person. I think the main reason is I can be absolutely CRUSHED by disappointment, so I always reasoned it was better not to get too excited in case something didn’t work out (like that time … Continue reading →

I ordered some weird stuff off Play and Amazon the other day. Books about spies, Russian defectors, and child geniuses. I was worried in case it started giving me suggestions like ‘People who buy this also end up buying: MEIN … Continue reading →

Having spent most of today writing a ghost story for this http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/8093081/Telegraph-ghost-story-writing-competition.html and editing my second book (to the point where I couldn’t tell was there a fly in the room or were the commas dancing round the page), it … Continue reading →

Well readers (reader? hubristic assuming more than one?),it’s been an exciting day. First the shortlist for the Sony Reader Award was announced and there’s me on it! (Along with someone who teaches writing for a JOB…but as we all know … Continue reading →