Blood I donated blood this week. I appreciate not everyone is able to, but if you can I would encourage you to do so. You never know when you, a family member or friend may require some. The chat with the nursing staff is always entertaining. They make you feel at ease and once you … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 46
Imposter Syndrome The feeling of being an imposter is something that many people from all backgrounds and experiences have to deal with. You find yourself doubting your abilities and questioning when successful, that you don’t really deserve that success and the praise that comes with it. Many find it hard to accept what they achieve … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 45
Books into Films A recent television adaptation of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens has ignited the debate once more over whether a television program or film based on a book should remain faithful to the story. This got me thinking. I imagine most authors dream of having their book made into a film. It’s a … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 44
Dr Who I took in the Dr Who Exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh this week. It was my third visit and as it is finishing up at the end of the month I was keen to go back. I have a museum membership so I have free entry to all the … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 42
Novellas Part 2 A rough night, my mind constantly churning, thinking through what to write next. This is not unusual. My sleep pattern is shot through and the idea of a good nights sleep is something that appears to be for other people. Good news is I came up with an idea for another Novella. … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 41
Exhibitions I like to take in as many exhibitions and events as I can and it has dawned on me I never make a note of these. Today I’m fixing that and starting with what I’ve been to this week. I visited the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh to view the Ian Rankin archive … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 40
Works in Progress Update It’s a busy time as I try to clear my writing decks. The follow-up to The Kill Chain, a contemporary cybercrime thriller called The Kill Switch, has been completed to the stage it now requires editing. I’m hoping this will be picked up later this year, so for now it’s on … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 39
Mental Toughness I attended a cyber security conference yesterday and the keynote speech was given by Penny Mallory with the theme of Mental Toughness. It’s a welcome feature of many conferences to have an inspirational speaker, providing insight and takeaways for your own life situation, without specific reference to the cyber security industry. I can … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 38
EVA Today sees the publication of my first Novella, called EVA. Here’s the blurb: When A.I. goes bad Astronauts Karl Leven and Mark Taylor return to Earth from deep space after five years of suspended animation. While both men undergo a series of psychological debriefs, it becomes apparent their interpretation of what occurred during the … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 37
Novellas I’ve taken more of an interest in the Novella format over the last year. I’ve read a number of the more well-known ones and have written one of my own which I intend to publish. I had written it for a particular submission, but it was rejected as not what they were looking for, … More Inside the Fiction Factory – Part 36
