Tag Archives: books

Fictional Geographies and Imagined Architecture

As I mentioned in my last blog, my reward to myself for finishing the second draft of Novel 6 was reading some fiction by other people. This was my first opportunity to read Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry. He is a writer I admire immensely and this novel was just amazing, a perfect exampleContinue reading “Fictional Geographies and Imagined Architecture”

Second Drafts – What Happens Next

Back in September 2023, just as I was about to embark on turning the first draft of Novel Number 6 (N6) into a completely rewritten second draft, I wrote this in my blog: I have set myself an ambitious target – to produce one chapter per week, starting now, with the aim of finishing atContinue reading “Second Drafts – What Happens Next”

Summer – a time for reading and rereading

With September rolling around once more, my long summer holiday comes to an end and I am left wondering how the time has gone by so quickly. It’s been a good summer, with a trip to a brilliant music festival, and a fabulous family camping holiday. And, as is my habit, I’ve read some reallyContinue reading “Summer – a time for reading and rereading”

Accidentally Recurring Names

I don’t know if this is a phenomenon that happens to other writers, but I have a bad habit of reusing the same names without realising until it’s too late. Take the name Daniel. The main character in my novel The Most Beloved Boy is called Dan. I have mentioned before that he is namedContinue reading “Accidentally Recurring Names”

The Bookshop

My novel Have You Got That Book..? is set in a bookshop called Phoenix Books, but I will absolutely admit that it was based on the bookshop I was working in. While Phoenix books was located in a fictional suburb on the far outskirts of London, my bookshop was Waterstone’s in Stratford-upon-Avon, and I liftedContinue reading “The Bookshop”

Summer Reading

Summer is a time for reading. At least, that is what the literary types would have us believe, with their lists of best summer reads in the press and summer reading special offers in the shops. Happily, I concur – one of the best things about summer holidays is having time to read. Before weContinue reading “Summer Reading”

My Earliest Reading Memories

In my newspaper of choice, the literary review section includes a Q&A Interview with famous authors, asking about their favourite/worst/most moving/most influential books. It includes a question about the author’s earliest reading memories. Reading the interview this weekend made me wonder about my earliest reading memories, and I realised that I had a few thatContinue reading “My Earliest Reading Memories”