I love watching films. Like reading, it takes me to places I could never go and meet all sorts of strange and wonderful characters. We...

When I first wrote Master and Apprentice six years ago, my sister pointed out to me that my female characters were weak and two...

This week I got up close and personal to some very big cats. Last year was a milestone birthday, and my wonderful son bought me a VIP...

This week I had the privilege of critiquing a fledgling authors work. She had written 2,000 words and, feeling stuck, asked for someone...

Over the Easter holidays, I read two books. Actually, I read more than that, but these two stood out for several reasons. First of all,...

What happens next? That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for days now. My characters have reached a place where their biggest...

Although writing is seen as a pretty solitary occupation, no-one can really be an effective writer on their own. They need people who...

As I write this, all eyes are trained on Russia and the war in the Ukraine. Putin has sent his far superior army in on three fronts and...

I self-published my book nearly three weeks ago now and I feel like my life has taken a fall down a rabbit hole. Since then, all other...

I am a published author! As I sit writing this, my first book has gone live and is available to buy on Amazon. It’s a huge occasion for...

Last year, for the first time, the Winchester Writer’s Weekend decided to trial a Writer’s Circle package as part of their online...

I used to be a Christmas purist. After all, it was only one day in the year, or a couple of weeks holiday at most. I decried the...

This month has been a real struggle. My Dad's health is failing, and although I am not close enough to take part in any of the care and...

One of the things many agents ask you to do is compare yourself to published authors who are current and commercially successful. They...

I looked at the clock and groaned. 3.30am. Instead of being blissfully asleep I was wide awake with yet another idea for a story. I'm...

I have been thinking a lot about dying recently. The recent pandemic has shown us that life is fleeting, and none of us can guarantee...

The other day, I decided to write the acknowledgements page for my first book. I have never really bothered reading them before, but as I...

When is a novel finished? When I first started writing, I naively assumed that it was when I wrote the last word on the page. Of course,...

I was incredibly excited, yet equally terrified, to have a 15 min interview with an agent about my latest manuscript. I thought I was...