Contact Substack

Writing tips

Reset
The octopus and the pirates

The octopus and the pirates

I'm giving a talk on plot at Novel Nights on Wednesday 23 Many. This is...

Read more

Hiking for writing II

Hiking for writing II

Happy Earth Day! Today, we’re celebrating our extraordinary planet, and trying to end plastic pollution....

Read more

First Lines

First Lines

Did you know that many publishers won’t read past the first few lines of your...

Read more

Why do I write?

Why do I write?

https://youtu.be/_G8XmAYyjK8 The short answer, is because I have to! I’d write if I was shut...

Read more

Five writing tips from four literary events

Five writing tips from four literary events

I’ve just come back from being on panels at three literary festivals and talking to...

Read more

Writing Short Stories

Writing Short Stories

I recently judged the Bristol Short Story Prize for the second year running. This year...

Read more

Hiking for Writing I

Hiking for Writing I

  All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking. Friedrich Nietzsche I’ve just got back...

Read more

What I think about when I think about holidays…

What I think about when I think about holidays…

We’ve just got back from our annual spring holiday in Trelowarren, Cornwall. I love holidays!...

Read more

How to write dialogue II

How to write dialogue II

If writing dialogue set right now in the real world is difficult, writing historical dialogue...

Read more

How to write dialogue I

How to write dialogue I

Walter: Castor beans. Jesse: So, what are we going to do with them? Are we...

Read more

Creating Characters II

Creating Characters II

Is your character based on a real person? This was the first question from Richard...

Read more

Editing my Novels

Editing my Novels

Writer Isabel Costello  kindly asked me to write a guest post for her blog, The...

Read more

Substack

I’m an award-winning thriller & nature non-fiction writer. I teach writing to people who want to be published.