Storytelling takes on various forms, including theatre, which offers a unique live experience. Recently, I watched a performance by Folksy Theatre, a non-profit organization touring rural UK… Read More

I’ve gotten round to watching the mini-series adaptation of one of my all time favourite books, Station Eleven. The book is a love letter to Shakespeare, Star Trek, and the joy of crea… Read More

I’ve been getting into illustrated book covers lately. Some of you might remember in my book artist shout-out for The Cloisters I said that illustrated book covers tend to be very hit… Read More

If you’ve been keeping up with me, you’ll know that I’ve decided to enter writing contests after taking a long break from them. Already it’s paid off! I won Northern… Read More

Since my short contemporary sci-fi story Marched Away was published, I’ve been musing about just what made it successful where my past entries into contests have failed. So here is a q… Read More

I don’t often review writing guides on this blog, but I need to give this one a shout out. I am a discovery writer by nature – I write “by the seat of my pants.” A pa… Read More

You read the title of this article correctly. In case you missed last week’s memo, I won Northern Life’s writing contest!!! Marched Away, the story of an mischievous animatronic… Read More

I won Northern Life magazine’s short story contest! “Marched Away” is available to read now on Northern Life’s website and will be printed in their June/July/August e… Read More

Did Not Finish. The dreaded fate of many a poor book. But is DNF a permanent demotion? Should we give abandoned books a second, third, or even fourth chance? You might be thinking, if there… Read More

Microsoft Word is not as user-friendly as its widespread use suggests. While it is an extremely common word processing program, if you want to make the most out of it there is a bit of a lea… Read More

Last weekend, I went on a trip to Silverdale, Northwest England, to spend the day and evening with some good friends. In the morning, we visited Leighton Moss, a nature reserve managed by Br… Read More

It’s been a little over 12 months since I posted What I Learnt By Blogging Once A Week For A Year. I have officially finished my second year of blogging weekly and, as I did last year… Read More

Last month, I revealed some special news: I’m entering writing contests again! It’s been about a year since I submitted a story into a contest and I haven’t entered one sin… Read More

Yesterday, 23rd of April, was Shakespeare’s birthday. Because of this, I wanted to share a beautiful, thrilling novel which, as well as being one of my all time favourites, is also a p… Read More

Lately I’ve noticed a lot of people over-defining the word “protagonist.” There seems to be this idea that a protagonist is a character and not a character role. As in, I&r… Read More

I wrote an article on Great crested grebe last year which is now live on In Your Area and was also published in Manchester Evening News. Yes, that’s a Douglas Adams reference in the ti… Read More

Hello everyone. You’re overdue a small update from me. Last month was Murderbot March, so I didn’t brief you on my writing progress for February and with April kicking down… Read More

The Murderbot Diaries is a sci-fi series by Martha Wells, kicking off with a four novellas published between 2017 and 2018. These novellas form an overarching storyline, detailing the identi… Read More

“The third one is always the worst,” is a sardonic quote from 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse in reference to what was, and to some still is, the lowest point in the franchise fro… Read More

Sequels often have the reputation for not being as good as their predecessors. This can be for a myriad of reasons, whether the character arcs are repeated, left unchanged, or the story goes… Read More

Novellas don’t get enough love. It’s all novels, sagas, and sequels these days, leaving the humble not-quite-novel-length books to sit unappreciated. I am guilty of this neglect… Read More

I finally caught up on Rick & Morty season 7 and while has shown some improvement from the last two seasons, I’ve come to except that I’m going to be disappointed with each n… Read More

Cover design by John Fordham The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness is an unforgettable fantasy series, with outstanding covers to match. It was one of my absolute favourite fantasy series growi… Read More

Misinformation runs amok these days. It seems we can’t even correctly categorise our fiction anymore. Anyone searching for a free short story about love this Valentines might get a nas… Read More

The first month of the year has sped away from us already. With the first month of the year drawn to a close, I thought there was no better time to clarify how I want to take the year going… Read More

What Is Blackout Poetry? Essentially, it’s a literally collage. Blackout poetry is created by taking a pre-existing text and readacting words until the text is transformed into a uniqu… Read More

Bioshock: Rapture is a prequel novel to the game series Bioshock. Since it is not authored by any of the writers who worked on the original game, it is effectively an officially licensed fan… Read More

My book buying habit tends to follow certain themes. In my last book haul, the theme was weird and unique concepts. In the haul before that, I was in a science fiction and fantasy mood. This… Read More

I’ve been living in a new town for a while and though I have yet to truly get to know it, I did manage to locate my local Waterstones. For those of you who don’t know what Waters… Read More

The New Year so often brings on a sense of reflection. For me, 2023 was a year of changes, of stressors, and poor sleep, but of fun opportunities and meeting new people and being independent… Read More

I’ve read some great books in 2023. To cap off the year I wanted to do something different to a typical “Best Of” or “Top Ten” list, so instead of numbering the… Read More

It’s the Christmas season which means it’s the time of year we seek out comfort and light and nostalgia, whether that be in our traditions, our music, or in our stories. There ar… Read More

There’s something truly special about the stories told during the dark winter days. At this cold time of year, we seek warmth in all things – our homes, our food, ourselves, and… Read More

November, also known as National Novel Writing Month, can be a pretty tough month for writers, myself included. It was most definitely a long, and at times tedious, month full of many nights… Read More

Mars has been a source of interest for centuries. It has inspired scientists and creatives alike. As November 28th was Red Planet Day, I thought there was no better time to share some intrig… Read More

“Writing is a collaborative process” is a sentiment I’ve heard of a few times. It’s not untrue. There are writers, agents, editors, beta readers, artists, and manager… Read More

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is an exciting novel that throws a twist at you almost every page turn. It’s safe to say the best part of Seven Deaths is… pretty much all… Read More

Tips for writers and authors to manage stress while writing Read More

I mentioned in last month‘s update that I’ve been feeling a bit of burnout, which isn’t something any writer wants at any time, but least of all on the eve of National Nove… Read More

Picture this: It’s the end of October, superstores are hurriedly shoving the one shelf of Halloween decorations aside to make room for the explosion of Christmas gear. But you’re… Read More

I've shared the Top 10 Creepypastas from creepypasta.com - but did you know that's not the only place you can find spooky fiction to read for free online? Thanks to our morbid fascination wi… Read More

The neighbours might blame a mouse or a rat or a cat or a fox or some other creature of the night. And they would be almost right. Right about a creature of the night. … More Our Hous… Read More

September went by very quickly. I'll admit, I'm beginning to feel pretty burned out. More on that later. Let's get into the monthly update. … More Monthly Writing Breakdown: Septembe… Read More

Marshes, swamps and bogs are a staple of horror, fantasy, and adventure fiction. It’s a classic sight to see a lost character making their way through a murky wetland, like Frodo and S… Read More

Life is a long dark road but I keep walking on. Persistence is a long dark road which I walk alone. Tall cold walls surround me with no light to be seen except that light which comes from me… Read More

The Swallowed Man is a Pinocchio re-telling written by Edward Carey. It follows Geppetto during his time inside the whale. Primarily it is a character study which focuses on his past, his dr… Read More

Hello! Another writing update! The year is going by so quickly isn’t it? I can hardly believe August has been and gone. I feel like I have written so much and so little at the same tim… Read More

I don’t like the word “quit.” I don’t think saying goodbye to a hobby or something you loved due to other important commitments is the same as quitting. There are fin… Read More

Recently, I paid a visit to the Stephenson Steam Railway while holidaying with my parents. My dad is something of a rail enthusiast so throughout my life I’ve tailed him to one railway… Read More

There is no natural place more common than grassland, and as such there is no other setting more likely to make an appearance in fiction. Personally, I associate lush green fields and goreou… Read More

As soon as I finished the first chapter of The Golem and The Djinni by Helene Wecker, I knew I was going to love this book Read More

Following my resolution to be a bit nicer to myself, I've decided I'm going to use these little monthly updates to talk about what I've achieved rather focusing so heavily on what I've not a… Read More

Marvel has a problem. It’s a very explicit and obvious problem, so I am by no means breaking new ground here. That said, it’s a problem that is getting worse and worse and is eve… Read More

The moon has inspired authors for centuries. Here are 10 short stories about the moon that are entremely enjoyable. But first, what’s so special about the moon? If you ask NASA, it&rsq… Read More

A short story containing fantasy , science fiction, and references to mythology. Suitable for all ages. Once there was a maiden of utmost beauty, matched only by her temper. It was a hard tr… Read More

I don’t know about where you are, but June in the UK was HOT HOT HOT. I was melting over my keyboard! Don’t worry, I did get outdoors. One thing all writers need to do is maintai… Read More

Summer break is the chance to read some great books. Whether you are cozying up on the beach or staying in bed until noon… whethever you’re going on a road trip, diving into the… Read More

Ah, summer. It’s a time of rest, relaxation, and for us bookish types, reading books! Whether its reading while tanning on the beach or reading to pass the time on a long flight, summe… Read More

The Cloisters is a recently published Gothic novel by Katy Hays. It was published by Penguin Random House and designed by it’s senior designer, Marianne Issa El-Khoury. Cover design by… Read More

Last month I had the benefit of multiple bank holidays in the UK to help me do some much needed writing. I’m also, more or less, settled into the routine of being in full-time employme… Read More

A horror, suspense story about terrible call centre jobs. Read with caution. Contains: Threat, references to suicide, self-harm, poor mental health, fantasies of violence, swearing. Rated 18… Read More

Inspired by the horror phenomena, The Backrooms, I decided to scour the internet for free stories about liminal spaces and uncanniness. What I found was strange, spooky, and mysterious &ndas… Read More

As a writer, there is nothing I like more than a good notebook. As it is National Notebook Day on May 18th (Yes, that is a thing), I thought I’d share how I use notebooks to help me as… Read More

Fans of internet horror stories, creepypastas, and eerie video games will have heard of The Backrooms. On May 12th 2019, an anoymous 4chan user asked users to post “disquieting images… Read More

Last month was CampNaNoWriMo, or Camp National Novel Writing Month, the April event where writers and authors attempt to reach 50,000 words of a novel or another substantial word count. It&r… Read More

The Mother Code by Carole Stivers has a fantastic cover. It is a great example of how to do book design right and why a minimalistic design beats a complex one. First, let’s ask oursel… Read More

This past year of blogging once a week taught me a few lessons that I hope will be helpful for writers who are looking for inspiration and motivation to continue blogging Read More

Space has long inspired us. Whether it’s been the source of creativity or the object of scientific study, I think it’s safe to say that there hasn’t been a person alive who… Read More

Here is a snippet from a science fiction story I’ve been writing this month. Every month I’ve been endevouring to share a little bit of my writing so I keep on track with my writ… Read More

Want to get in a little extra reading on your work lunch break? Working full-time can really eat into your reading time and it can be pretty hard to find a story short enough to squeeze in w… Read More

You're writing forests wrong! Here's a big list of words and considerations you need for describing forests Read More

My reading of Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. This story is in the Public Domain Read More

Cover by Doogie Horner First, I must say that I love this trilogy. I haven’t loved a trilogy of books this much for years. I freaking adored reading these so much that I read them all… Read More

Just like last month, I'm sharing a small snippet from my monthly writings. Last time I shared the opening page of my dark fantasy novel, quite possibly the most important part of any book… Read More

Today I’m reviewing the top ranked creepypastas (at the time of me writing this) on creepypasta.com. What Is A Creepypasta? If you’re not familiar with the term, a ‘creepyp… Read More

My ace romance story featuring mermen, Compatible, is now in audio form! Read More

Listen to a free short story by me! Click & Scroll is now in audio. Read by the author. This story is available for free on writerinahat.com. It is the sole property of the author and ca… Read More

Ever since I posted about my 2023 writing goals, I’ve wanted to do some kind of accountability series – a monthly update where I share what I’m working on, in the hopes tha… Read More

I’ve decided to get into those books I got for Christmas and was immediately drawn to Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I absolutely adored her non-linear pre and post apoca… Read More

I’ve decided to get into those books I got for Christmas and was immediately drawn to Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I absolutely adored her non-linear pre and post apoca… Read More

I’ve decided to get into those books I got for Christmas and was immediately drawn to Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. I absolutely adored her non-linear pre and post apoca… Read More

Writers are always told they need a great concept, but what if your story problems lie in a concept that's too great? Let me explain Read More

Cover by Steve Wells An oldie book with a goldie book cover. It’s time to some love to the design of Emily Diamand’s Flood Child. This cover is a masterclass in how to show exact… Read More

New Years Resolutions are often met with eyerolls. It’s a classic tale of promising to Not Do The Thing or to Do The Thing, a promise that lasts all of five seconds, and is forgotten a… Read More

I don’t usually post book hauls because I’m not particulary active in the bookish community (Is that a thing?) and I don’t surf Best Sellers for my next read of choice, so… Read More

There are hundreds of Christmas movies out there. Quite possibly too many. Definately too many to watch all of them during the Christmas season. Never fear, here’s a list of just five… Read More

This isn't a book review. I'm not here to gripe about the story, I'm here to appreciate some good design work Read More

Are you struggling to title your novel? Do you admire a great collection of words? Look no further than this list of absolutely fantastic story titles Read More

National Novel Writing Month has officially come to a close. It’s time to reflect, be positive, and carry on. The Inevitable Anti-Climax Of Finishing NaNoWriMo Here’s something I… Read More

We're officially heading into the final week of National Novel Writing Month 2022. That's the final seven days, people! The chance for one last push to get over the 50k finish line or comple… Read More

Hello everyone. This is my third update on my NaNoWriMo progress. (Here’s part one and two.) Here we are. Halfway through the month. Those working on a NaNoWriMo project are either rip… Read More

Hello again everyone. Eh, isn’t this strange? Weekly connected life updates? I feel like a proper blogger now. Next I’ll be posting pictures of my cat. Anyway, it’s over a… Read More

Those of you who read my 5 Signs NaNoWriMo Might Not Be For You and 10 Pros and Pitfalls To Know This National Novel Writing Month might be wondering... wtf am I doing NaNoWriMo again if I t… Read More

Horror story featuring gore and hair loss. TW: Hemophobia, trichophobia, and peladophobia. For 18+ Read More

I've done NaNoWriMo a couple of times now and it has it's pros and cons. It's certainly not for everyone. Here's some signs it might not be for you Read More

Welcome to another installment of Stuff I Learnt For My Novel – a spooky October special! There is no shortage… Read more 10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Evil Spirits This … Read More

I don’t usually post photos on this blog, but these wobbly gravestones are very fitting for this spooky month and,… Read more A Writer’s Reference Photos: Crooked Gra… Read More

Finding a suitable comp title for my novel has been a slow journey. I expected that. There’s this whole process… Read more Finding The Perfect Comp Title: The Hazel Wood by Meli… Read More

Here’s some common opinions of fanfiction: Basically fanfic is viewed as a lesser literary form – if we dare call… Read more Is Fan Fiction A Productive Use Of A Writer&rs… Read More

Writing a protagonist isn't always easy. It's something I've had trouble with myself, but one thing I've always tried to do with whatever I write is to make the character likable in some way… Read More