Suicide is on the rise, and is now – in places including the UK and US – a leading cause of death, accounting for over one in a hundred fatalities. According to figures from the World Health Organisation, it kills more people than stomach cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, colon […]
Recent Stuff
Snobs kill books
Snobs. I know I bang on about this, but I think it is important.Indeed, I think snobbery cripples the world of books. Only this week a leading university creative writing course advertised itself by proudly boasting its students won’t write ‘mass market fiction’ or ‘children’s fiction’. The week before – […]
A blog about my son
My son is six, as of tomorrow. He is very much looking forward to this. So I am trying to look forward to it with him. But a part of me feels sad. I think it is because he is no longer going to be five. And five, in case […]
HOW TO BE A WRITER: EXERCISES IN MISERY
1) Stare out of the window. 2) Feel a bit hungover. 3) Wonder if you had enough love as a child. 4) Make toast. 5) Sleep badly. 6) Have trust issues. 7) Resist physical contact. 8) Fight anxiety with Merlot. 9) Eat peanut butter. 10) Speak to geese. 11) Stare at […]
MORE FUCKING WRITING TIPS
Writing tips are fucking everywhere. Every fucker from Elmore Leonard down has written the fuckers. If Shakespeare was alive now he’d be blogging about where to place a fucking apostrophe. Even I’ve written some. They drive me fucking mad, but they are easier than getting on with my next fucking […]