You ever look over past projects and think, “how did I come up with this”!? That’s what I’ve just been doing, and it got me wondering… what are the story elements I use to kick-start a project? Read more…
I’m finishing off a draft and looking ahead to my next story. Picking through ideas I’ve got, I’m looking square in the eye of a fun story involving dinosaurs (yeah baby!) It’s way outside my normal style, which makes me consider how I dreamed it up in the first place. Read more…
Are you at the mercy of your Muse? Do you wake at night drenched in sweat, the icy fingers of a nightmare still clinging to your heart? A nightmare where you’re alone in a cold desert, digging in the dirt for just one idea (and you have no pants on)? Fear not, the Muse can be tamed! This is your oasis! Read more…
When I was a teenager, ideas came thick and fast. This stopped being the case long ago, but that doesn’t mean the ability to come up with new ideas is gone. Maybe I’m just out of practice. Read more…
Yes! Okay, so you can see I’ve already made my mind up. Maybe you want a little more though? Fine, come on in! Read more…
I recently, and unexpectedly asked myself this question of a “finished” story. I came to the conclusion that not only would I have to do a rewrite, but that “good enough” was not really good enough anyway! Read more…
Yes, I’m back on this again. Because over the past two weeks I have come to realise that there is a distinct gap between these two related ideas. So lets explore them shall we? Read more…
It was Thomas Edison‘s birthday last Friday (which I would not have known, save for an excellent Google logo (scroll to Feb 11th)), and a tweet from someone reminded me of a quote from him. Read more…
Well, it’s that time of year isn’t it? 2011 is looming upon us, and it is a time to reflect on the year that has passed, and the year ahead. But before I get onto that, I’d like to talk a little bit about inspiration. Read more…
Spam is a pain, and it seems to be getting more pervasive. Not only is it on the other end of the phone, in my letterbox, and in my email, it has also crept on to Twitter. But I have at least found use for a certain type of email spam. Here’s how you can turn spam frustration into inspiration. Read more…