Ten Reasons to Write Fantasy

“Why don’t you write something normal for a change?” That’s what my wife says to me occasionally after she’s read a piece of fantasy I've written. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t like it (well, not always). It’s just another reminder that one man’s meat is another woman’s poison. So, why bother to write fantasy at … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Fantasy

Ten Reasons to Write Horror

Some people seem to think that, just because a novel is labeled as fantasy or crime, romance or historical, it should be devoid of horror. "I liked your book," they say, "except for that nasty bit in the middle. Couldn't you have left that out?" My response to any such question is: "No! And thrice no!" Why? … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Horror

Another Interview with the Ghostwriter

I've finished another edit. I've submitted another manuscript. That means I'm two-thirds of the way through my latest ghostwriting odyssey, with two novels of a middle-grade fantasy trilogy completed and one to go. Book One is due to be published this summer, with the sequels rolling out in 2016 and 2017 respectively. After finishing Book One, I … Continue reading Another Interview with the Ghostwriter

“Talus and the Frozen King” – First Draft VS Final

At what point does homage become pastiche? That's the question I came up against when I wrote my Neolithic murder mystery Talus and the Frozen King. While the novel is unashamedly inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic stories about Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes, I was determined that my tale of ancient crime and punishment … Continue reading “Talus and the Frozen King” – First Draft VS Final

The Many Lives of a Writer – 6

Most people are like cats – they live not just one life, but many. Writers are no exception. Here's the skinny on my sixth writing life. Collaboration I'm not exactly sure when I slipped into my sixth writing life. That's the thing with time. We like to imagine it frozen into neat little chunks, like ice cubes in … Continue reading The Many Lives of a Writer – 6

Ghostwriter Diaries – On Pseudonyms

The novel I ghostwrote earlier this year will be published soon, under pseudonym. Today, I learned what that pseudonym is to be. It's a strange feeling, acquainting yourself with someone who doesn't exist … yet who is in many respects your own self. Like looking into a mirror and seeing a stranger staring back. The … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries – On Pseudonyms

Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

Where do you get your ideas from? It's the cliché question every fiction writer gets asked. Over and over again. It bugs the hell out of some people, but I rather like trying to come up with answers, because the creative process fascinates me. I say "answers" in the plural, because I believe the muses … Continue reading Where Do Writers Get Their Ideas?

Ghostwriter Diaries – Final Entry

Shortly before Christmas, I commenced ghostwriting a fantasy novel. Four months and 85,000 words later, the manuscript is finished. My work is done ... until I start on the sequel in September, that is. Before I turn my attention to my next project, I feel all of you who have stuck with me through this odyssey deserve some kind … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries – Final Entry

Ghostwriter Diaries 26 – Completion!

ONE DAY until submission! The manuscript is complete. Yes, four months after starting, and one day early, I've finished the fantasy novel I've been ghostwriting. All that remains is for me to compose an email to my client, attach the manuscript, and click Send. Do I feel good about that? What do you think? Today's final session has … Continue reading Ghostwriter Diaries 26 – Completion!