The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Mount Teide

My novels might be fantasy, but many of the locations in them are real. Welcome to part 2 of this handy travel guide to a mythical world that bears an uncanny resemblance to our own. Every good quest story needs a final destination. In the case of Dragoncharm, it's the Plated Mountain, an ancient volcano … Continue reading The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Mount Teide

The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Kimmeridge Bay

My novels might be fantasies, but many of the locations in them are real. Welcome to part 1 of this handy travel guide to a mythical world that bears an uncanny resemblance to our own. The opening scene of my fantasy novel Dragoncharm is set in one of my favourite places on the globe: Kimmeridge … Continue reading The “Dragoncharm” Travel Guide – Kimmeridge Bay

The Many Lives of a Writer – 1

Most people are like cats – they live not just one life, but many. Writers are no exception. Here's how I got started with my first writing life. Life 1 - The Dragon Years My first writing life began in 1992. I was in my late twenties and, after noodling around for years with odd … Continue reading The Many Lives of a Writer – 1

“Monajjfyllena” – A “Dragoncharm” Story

Three years ago, I set up my first blog. Only it wasn't me blogging, it was a fictional character. A dragon, in fact. Her name was Monajjfyllena (I'll tell you how I came by that tongue-twister another time). The blog was actually an experiment in online fiction, an attempt to write a fantasy story, narrated … Continue reading “Monajjfyllena” – A “Dragoncharm” Story

“Dragoncharm” – The TV/Movie Adaptation

In 1996, my novel Dragoncharm – a fantasy adventure with a cast made up exclusively of dragons – was optioned for TV and movie production by a UK production company called Dandelion Distribution. The novel had been optioned once before, by a company in New York. They were considering a TV adaptation using Muppet-style characters. … Continue reading “Dragoncharm” – The TV/Movie Adaptation

What’s in a Name?

Naming things – characters or worlds or, well, just stuff – can be a thorny problem for the writer of speculative fiction. Do I keep it simple or go off the deep end? Do I invent new words and languages or rely on the old ones? Portmanteau words are a popular option – bolting together … Continue reading What’s in a Name?