Detective fiction . Kindle . Line of Sight . Literature . Novels
The irresistible charm of the English murder
On 20 December 2011 by Admin‘Extraordinary how potent cheap music is,’ says Amanda in Private Lives. The same might be said of fiction – at least of a certain sort of ‘cheap’ fiction, variously known as the thriller, the murder mystery, the detective story, and the whodunit. To this genre – or rather to a particular sub-genre, disparagingly referred to
eBooks . Fabulous Time . Literature . Novels . Print on Demand . Writing
Having a fabulous time
On 20 September 2011 by AdminOne of the joys of publishing with an independent online publisher is being able to re-publish one’s out of print work – hitherto doomed to a half-life in the ‘used’ section of the Amazon store, or to second-hand bookshops -– themselves fast disappearing. It’s a wonderfully liberating feeling, to know that one’s characters are no
Historical Fiction . Literature . Novels . Research . War
Living in the past – the joys of historical research
On 18 July 2011 by AdminI’ve been living in the past a lot lately. In 1927, to be precise – which is when the novel I’m currently writing is set. Every day, I get on the Jubilee Line and travel back in time, to an era when there were no computers, no mobile phones, no televisions and not very many
Astronomy . eBooks . Internet . Kindle . Literature . Novels . Print on Demand . Variable Stars
Writing in a changing universe
On 19 June 2011 by AdminThe beautiful pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope of the giant galaxy Centaurus A which appeared on the front page of the Guardian a few days ago are a reminder that – as William Herschel discovered 230 years ago – our universe is not static, but changing all the time. Supernovae explode, and new
Astronomy . Literature . Variable Stars . Writing
More Bright Stars
On 3 May 2011 by AdminThere are some subjects in literature which seem inexhaustible: birth, childhood, first love, marriage, adultery, revenge – and death. What makes these topics of such enduring fascination is their universality, since all of us have experienced at least the first of them, although – if one concurs with Wittgenstein – none of us will experience
Astronomy . Literature . Variable Stars . Writing
Writing about the stars
On 16 April 2011 by AdminHaving just finished a novel about astronomers and the stars – Variable Stars, to be published next month – I thought I’d see what else had been written on the subject. Some of this I’d come across already, in the line of research – although as a rule I try not to read anything too
Astronomy . Literature . Novels . Variable Stars . Writing
Dark Matters – writing about astronomy
On 23 March 2011 by AdminWatching the very watchable Brian Cox talking about the universe last night on TV made me think what an amazing place we live in – and for once, the adjective seems precise, not hyperbolic. What is it if not amazing that – as the engaging Dr Cox was at pains to point out – the
Astronomy . Literature . Novels . Variable Stars . Writing
Writing in Time
On 28 February 2011 by AdminI’ve been thinking a lot about time, recently. It all started with having a cold. With nothing to do but try and throw it off, and nowhere to go but the few steps from my bed to the kettle and back again, I got down to some serious reading – or rather, re-reading. The book
Astronomy . Historical Fiction . Literature . Novels . Research . Variable Stars . Writing
Inventing real people
On 11 January 2011 by AdminWriting about real people or events in a work of fiction might seem to have obvious advantages. Instead of starting with a blank canvas, where your character is concerned, you have access to previously existing ‘sketches’. These can include actual images – whether photographs, drawings or paintings – as well as verbal descriptions by those
Astronomy . Historical Fiction . Literature . Novels . Research . Variable Stars . Writing
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
On 15 December 2010 by Admin‘Where do you get your ideas?’ is a question most writers get asked – and not a few find hard to answer. One feels almost superstitious about it – as if, by delving too deeply into the mysterious process by which stories are made – or found – one might lose the trick of it.