It's always great to receive a positive review. This one is quite short, but says the things an author loves to hear. You can find the original here. # Ten Tales for Tomorrow Stuart Aken Rating: 5 Shrimps! Stuart Aken’s short story compendium Ten Tales for Tomorrow explores several possible futures. Speculative fiction often has …
Category: Creative Writer
The #Write #Word? Post 40
Do you struggle to find the ‘right’ word when you’re writing? Sometimes, I do, too. Maybe, in working to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Gaffer, Grow in size, Green-eyed monster, Genre, Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Gaffer: Roget lists …
#Italy: Trip of a Lifetime. Part 1
Ciao! This will be a series of (mostly) relatively short posts illustrated with photographs. The holiday in Italy was a special treat for us, to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We’ve been saving to visit our daughter in Australia, but she’s coming to the UK this December, so we dipped into our funds for this …
The #Write #Word? Post 39
Struggling to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Me, too. Maybe, in working to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Fantastic/Ordinary, Free gift, Forego/Forgo, Fashion, Antonyms: words that express the opposite of other words can be hard to find, because thesauruses usually give no examples. When lost for such opposites, …
Futurology or Science Fiction?
Is my fiction futurolgy or science fiction? Judge for yourself with a click here.
The Colonel and the Bee, by Patrick Canning: #BookReview.
304 pages Literary/Action & Adventure. How to describe a book that is unique? This is an absurdist fantasy, delightfully written and so enjoyable to read. The author cleverly engages us with his empathetic description of Beatrix’s life (the Bee of the title) in the circus, and her pragmatic acceptance of a life so unjust and …
Continue reading The Colonel and the Bee, by Patrick Canning: #BookReview.
The #Write #Word? Post 38
Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Occasionally, so do I. Perhaps, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Enlightenment, Entomb, Eek, Esprit d’escalier, Engineer. Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Enlightenment: Roget lists the following sub-headings; …
Perils of Social Media Engagement
Okay, I shouldn’t have done it. I know. But, sometimes, my passion for an issue overcomes my internal common-sense policeman and I get involved. A short while ago, I posted a Tweet relating to Climate Change, an issue dear to my heart long before I joined Greenpeace in the 1980s. It reached some deniers on …
The #Write #Word? Post 37
Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Occasionally, so do I. Perhaps, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Dabble, Disappear from sight, Due to the fact that, Dadirri, Doctor. Synonyms are alternative words that have the power to convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Dabble: …
Writing Characters: My Method.
Character driven fiction is always deeper and more satisfying than that driven by plot. That’s a personal opinion, and many writers will disagree. But it’s how I write. I devise my characters first, get to know them, and then set them down in the location I’ve chosen/invented and place barriers on their route to their …
An Extended Pause.
A break from the relentless imperative of the internet is calling. This brief note is to let you know I’ll be absent from the internet, away from the keyboard and screen, for an unspecified period not likely to be longer than a couple of weeks, or so! I need time away from the chaos, insanity, …
The #Write #Word? Post 36
Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Occasionally, so do I. Perhaps, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Cant, Continual/Continuous, Calm before the storm, Chrysalism, Church. Synonyms are alternative words that might convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Cant: Not to be confused with ‘can’t’, …
Progress, or a Pause?
A break from the relentless imperative of the internet is calling. It refreshes the spirit and reclaims sanity. I’ve produced posts to fill the gaps while I’m away: scheduling is such a useful device! So, before I go I’m indulging in some unapologetic promotion of my books. The best people to comment on books are …
Entangled Earth, by David Lea: #BookReview.
183 pps Science Fiction/Post Apocalyptic Many readers make it a point of pride to express their dislike of science fiction. These same people probably proudly state their love of historical, romantic, thriller, literary, sensual, spy, legal, or indeed any other type of fiction. So, why the dislike of a genre that offers so much? I …
Continue reading Entangled Earth, by David Lea: #BookReview.
The #Write #Word? Post 35
Struggle to find the ‘right’ word for your writing? Occasionally, so do I. Perhaps, in trying to improve my own work, I can help you. Today’s words: Bacchanalia, Blend together, By means of, Barking up the wrong tree, Bastard. Synonyms are alternative words that might say exactly what you’re trying to convey. Bacchanalia: is a …

