What would you tell yourself if you could? The Royal Literary Fund recently gave me the opportunity to write and record a letter to my younger self. I know your grammar is… idiosyncratic would be the kindest way to put it. But you... Read more
My writing talisman is a beautiful painting by artist, Elaine Jones. It’s of Cornwall – have a look to see why I love it so much and why it inspires me. https://www.rlf.org.uk/showcase/the-landscape/ What inspires you to write?
The Royal Literary Fund has recorded a mini -podcast with me on how I write – with a black coffee, and some dark chocolate and then I begin! ‘Writing a novel feels like being an ultra-marathon runner, it’s going to be a gruelling slog... Read more
In a few days time I’m heading to Ted Hughes’ old house, Lumb Bank, in Hebden Bridge, to teach an Arvon Foundation course on how to write a literary thriller, with fellow author, Adam LeBor. I’m looking forward to meeting... Read more
I’ve just returned to working for charity, First Story , this month. First Story’s aim is to change young people’s lives through writing, particularly those who might be disadvantaged socio-economically, and/or suffer from a lack of confidence. I had my first... Read more
I’ve written as a Jesuit priest in Outer Mongolia, a nine-year-old in inner city Bristol, a child abductor, an angry teenager, a man in his twenties, a Victorian lady trapped on an island in the Southern states of America at... Read more
I’m delighted to welcome Tasha Locke to my blog this week. Tasha graduated from Bristol University this year with a degree in English Literature. I met Tasha through my role as a Role Literary Fund Fellow at Bristol University. Her insight into literature prompted... Read more
As My Mother’s Secret has been wending its way into the world, I’ve been working on another psychological thriller. It’s called One Year Later… One year ago, the Flowers family gathered at The Pines, a rambling farmhouse in Somerset, to... Read more
Book blogger and health journalist, Victoria Goldman, asked me to tell her what my essential writing toolkit is for her blog, Off-the-Shelf Books . Here goes: Office Our exciting news is that we’re renovating a house in rural Somerset. In the meantime, we’ve... Read more
This is a blog post I wrote on the importance of setting for The Asian Writer , and I thought would be most appropriate as I’ve just got back from a quick trip to the Lake District, where My Mother’s Secret is partly... Read more
My seven-year-old daughter is teaching me how to plot. She’s drawn a story mountain for me, which shows the start, build up, climax, solution and the end (she’s obviously inherited her ability to spell from her mother). She’s broken down... Read more
I’m giving a talk on plot at Novel Nights on Wednesday 23 Many. This is a wonderful monthly event, organised by writer, Grace Palmer, in Bristol. A writer talks about an aspect of their work, and local authors and aspiring writers read... Read more
I’m an award-winning thriller & nature non-fiction writer. I teach writing to people who want to be published.
