Point of View

So, today I’m thinking about point of view. I’ve noticed that my natural inclination when beginning books is to start off writing in omniscient POV and then drop into third person when the person whose viewpoint the first scene is in shows up. I did it with Heavy Ice, and I’ve found myself doing it […]

First Contact

So, Heavy Ice is lying fallow until I’ve got enough perspective to see the shape of it and turn it into a second draft, and I’m busy with research for the new thing. Well, I say ‘research’ – for every hour of’Exactly what shape was this particular building, and where can I find an etching […]

Heavy Ice is finished in first draft!

I am listening to James’ ‘Sit Down’ which was the song that was playing when I finished my very first novel (the terrible book about roleplayers which will never see the light of day) and which I’ve played for every first draft I’ve finished since. This book. This infuriating book. I can’t tell you how […]

Alpha Centauri has a planet!

It’s all over the news this morning that a planet has been discovered orbiting Alpha Centauri, our nearest star. Okay, so it’s not an Earth-twin, it’s a tiny, superheated rock. But still, it’s an exoplanet orbiting our closest neighbour, and that’s pretty damn exciting. It’s particularly exciting for me, for the utterly solipsistic reason that […]

Another Fifty Shades Of Grey Post

Via Ebook Friendly I’ve had a go at understanding the appeal of Fifty Shades Of Grey before, and, for some reason, I’m back for more. There seems to be a lot of debate over why these books have such a breakout appeal when other books don’t. A lot of it is just the bog-standard unpleasant, […]

RIP Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey was the first woman to win a Hugo Award and the first woman to win a Nebula Award. She was influential, she was deservedly loved, and she wasn’t afraid to take risks: she leaves behind her a stack of books, some of which will go on to be enjoyed by future generations and […]

Requite, In Pie Charts

This is a comparison between what the heroine of my previous two books did with her time, and what the heroine of my present book does with hers. And one more: All pie charts from sporkforge.com.