The Hut in the Woods. It happens to us all from time to time: something (often, more than one thing) comes along to distract or prevent us from doing our creative work. For many, judging by comments from blog posts, tweets, and on Facebook, that interruption of the creative flow can be physically as well …
Continue reading Creativity Interrupted
For a few years I’ve been posting about word choice here. It seems timely to let you know the sources for the information and ideas I’ve presented. Before I started writing seriously, which preceded mobile phones, personal computers, and even electronic typewriters, I developed an interest in words: a fascination for the huge variety of …
Continue reading Finding the #Write #Words? No.1
The wonderful world we inhabit. Photo courtesy NASA. I’ve slept poorly recently. This time I made a decision during the wakeful period. What kept me awake? Put bluntly; the dreadful state of the world today. Putting the most urgent issue of the environment emergency aside for the moment, in UK we’re now led by a …
Continue reading A Life-Changing Decision?
Earlier today I received an email from a visitor to this site, explaining he couldn’t review my Generation Mars series of books because he found the first one, Blood Red Dust, too distressing. His comments prompted a response from me to explain why I’d written the books in the way I did. It occurred to …
Continue reading Why Did I Write Generation Mars This Way?
As artists, craftspeople, creators, we all have interruptions to our creative lives from time to time. How do we deal with such intrusions? I’ve been battling with bureaucrats over the past few weeks on behalf of a charity I’m involved with. One of those ‘bright ideas’ that suddenly turns into a sort of nightmare with …
Continue reading How Do You Deal with Non-Creative #Stress?
I'm taking part in the Smashwords Read an Ebook Week by discounting all my books on the site to make them free! The deal lasts from 3rd to 9th March, so you'll need to visit and download quickly to take advantage. Much better to get them here, legitimately, rather than from some seedy pirate site, …
Continue reading #Free #Ebooks from 3rd to 9th March
Here’s a daft poem I wrote as light satire about the pretentiousness of certain eateries. You know, those places that seem to believe that food is more important than so many other aspects of life; the food porn-brokers, the food snobs, the food worshippers. I’ve presented this in the form of a menu card, just …
Continue reading Yum,Yum, Grub in My Tum! #Poetry
Do you read? Love books? I love readers; you’re my raison d’etre as a writer, the reason I write stories. So, I want more. One of the best ways of helping other readers is through reviews. So, here’s the deal: I’ll send you a copy of any of my books in exchange for an honest …
Continue reading #Readers, #BookReviews, #Bookbloggers.
Last Sunday, I started an experiment on Twitter. Basically, I decided not to go onto the site for a week. I would still use ‘share’ buttons on any websites/blogs or topics I visited, but I’d stay away from reading and interacting on the site. This came about when I realised how much of my creative …
Continue reading Conclusions from a Brief Experiment.
Procrastination is probably the writer’s greatest hidden enemy. Most of us unconsciously employ strategies designed to stop us putting pen to paper and getting on with the job. This is so even if we actively enjoy the process of writing. Something in us is almost self-destructive in its desire to stop us expressing ourselves in …
Continue reading A Brief Experiment
Children at the edge of the North Sea, Hornsea, East Yorkshire, England. This year I'm determined to concentrate on my creative needs. I write and I take photographs. I also love making pictures with pencil, pen, and paint, though those skills I've yet to hone. So, these Wednesday posts will display my efforts in this …
Continue reading Capturing the Creative Craving
Share buttons In common with many writers, I support other authors. But some websites and blogs make this very difficult. Or, at least, do nothing to make it easy. We’re all busy people; time is our most precious resource. It’s sensible to make sharing your output as simple as possible. When Jo visits your site …
Continue reading 2 Steps to Greater Exposure.
This brilliant trailer was produced by Ramon Marrett for Adiq, via my fabulous publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. Enjoy. BLOOD RED DUST: As Earth plunges into total climate chaos, will new bases on Mars rescue humanity from extinction when religious extremists threaten to destroy them? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1909163635/?tag=stuartaken-21 WAR OVER DUST: Who will win on Mars when violence …
Continue reading Generation Mars: Video Trailer.
Lake Maggiore on an uncharacteristic dull day, with a displaying cormorant in the foreground. This is the last of the posts recording our stay in Italy in September 2018. We had a great time, so we decided to share our experiences. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. …
Continue reading Italy: Trip of a Lifetime. Final Part
https://www.picfair.com/pics/05398192-vapour-trails Is it a good habit to review your past? Maybe looking back like this can help the observer see actions that might help in moving forward. Regardless, I love the New Year because, arbitrary as it is, it marks a point of renewal, a chance to start again. So, here are some facts about …
Continue reading 2018 is Done; Hello 2019
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