Adventures of a (Camera Happy) Local Tourist

This weekend, I stepped away from the computer for over a day. (Crazy, I know.) In my mind I set the Midnight and Moonshine stories to ‘percolate’, abandoned the dreariness of marking essays, and headed in to the city to play tourist for a day. Sure, I’ve lived here for 10 years. And, sure, I…… Continue reading Adventures of a (Camera Happy) Local Tourist

On Being Productive

All writers have different habits, good and bad, that influence their productivity. Some prefer to write things out long-hand, some like to plot and plan, some simply need to check Facebook and Twitter and twelve different email accounts before they can focus on fiction. We all know our own foibles, and we know equally well…… Continue reading On Being Productive

WFR’s Managing Editor, Angela Slatter

Last night Jeff VanderMeer posted an awesome welcome to Angela (better known here as Brain or 1/2 of the Evil Drs Brain) as Managing Editor of the new Weird Fiction Review website: Behind the scenes, Angela Slatter has been working as WFR’s managing editor by, among other efforts, answering queries, working with writers on solicited submissions,…… Continue reading WFR’s Managing Editor, Angela Slatter

Bluegrass Symphony — radio review!

Somehow it seems so fitting to have Bluegrass Symphony reviewed on the good old-fashioned radio. I haven’t heard the broadcast on Radio Adelaide’s “Writers Radio” programme, but Gillian Dooley’s transcript can be read in full here. And so many wonderful things are said in this short review! Here’s a snippet: Self-sacrifice is a frequent theme.…… Continue reading Bluegrass Symphony — radio review!

Skyrim!

I’ve been DYING to tell you all that we’ve had Skyrim for over a week and FINALLY the embargo has lifted. So now I can point you all to Dr Chad’s review of the game published today over on Gamepron. Pseudo-vikings! Dragons! Magic! What’s not to love about this game? (Chad’s review says this in…… Continue reading Skyrim!

A carrot or two about writing as capital ‘A’ Art…

A while ago, Lee Battersby emailed to say he was running a series of posts about Art over at the Battersblog, and asked me to contribute to the Treacherous Carrot discussion. And, lo. Contribute I did. Art and beauty and writing — I could’ve talked about this topic for ages… In February 1880, William Morris…… Continue reading A carrot or two about writing as capital ‘A’ Art…

The Flensing of the Baxter

Over at The Word, Alan Baxter tells the tale of joy and woe of having his story flensed by the Evil Drs Brain: flense verb, flensed, flens·ing 1. to strip the blubber or the skin from (a whale, seal, etc.). 2. to strip off (blubber or skin)… I wrote a short story recently that I…… Continue reading The Flensing of the Baxter