They read it first, in praise of the Beta Reader

Before my new masterpiece sets out into the big wide world, there’s a group of unsung heroes who help to make it a lot more readable than it might have been. One of the problems with being the author of … Continued

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The long and winding road. Using characters in sequels and spin-offs.

Back in 2013, in my first novel, Freefall, I introduced a character called Ballantyne Alysom. He was a galactic explorer and owner of the magazine Galactographic! His claim to fame and the reason for his creation was as the discoverer … Continued

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You never saw that coming. The twist in the tale.

Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt. Plot twists…do you have a favorite you can talk about (yours or someone else’s?) Plot twists are an essential part of storytelling and the backbone of psychological thrillers, … Continued

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A blast from the past, revisited.

Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt. What historical/public figure would you most like to learn more about? Would you ever write about them? I very nearly didn’t join in this week. You see, I … Continued

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Finishing the story, why I need to write that sequel.

As well as the new ideas that I told you about last week, I Remember Everything and my other new story, My Sister Alex, I have several sequels in progress, I know that I really ought to get on and finish … Continued

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A cry for help, is anyone listening?

Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt. Dear Diary. Write a diary entry or a letter from your character’s point of view. I’m cheating a little this week. Largely because my character can’t write. Instead, … Continued

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Another new idea. I remember…everything.

Not content with the seven or eight works I have in progress, I’ve been getting a burst of ideas, for new stories and sequels. Dare I say it, some of them seem to be moving away from Science Fiction, towards … Continued

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Just twenty-six letters, a world of possibilities.

Welcome back to another blog hop, with #OpenBook. Here’s this week’s prompt. Inspired by a comment on a recent post. It never fails to amaze me that ALL the books ever written are made up of just twenty six letters. … Continued

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