My novelist’s group were discussing getting agents (as you do) recently. The prevalent feeling was that most published writers were lucky enough to have got an ‘in’ - a chance meeting, a recommendation, someone who knew someone else who knew… I’ve heard of a few writers who’ve been picked up off the slush pile, but they do seem to be in the minority. Of course, your book has to be sh** hot as well. But I couldn’t help but wonder (a la Carrie Bradshaw):

Do we have to learn how to network as well as how to write?


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‘Who’s got a beard that’s long and white?’
‘Santa’s got a beard that’s long and white.’
‘Who comes around on a special night?’
‘Santa comes around on a special night.’

Special night; beard that’s white …

Must be Santa, must be Santa, must be Santa, Santa Claus.



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Over the summer I was asked if one of my stories could feature in a US online fiction writing course for high school students, and to cut a long story short I said yes.

Yesterday I saw the part of the course that contained my story, and that made me happy for a number of reasons. I liked that it was under the 'advanced fiction' banner (I've never been called advanced before) and I also liked that it was in the section that dealt with 'going beyond the rules'.

But the best bit was that my work's mentioned in the same sentence as Dave Eggers. Yes. Mr McSweeney's and Pullitzer Prize Finalist.

Here's a little quote:

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Is anyone out there old enough to remember the beloved (by me, anyway) children’s television programme How? Even if you’re not, here’s a riddle for you.
Question: When is a 109,000 word novel not a 109,000 word novel?
Answer: When it’s a 130,000 word novel pretending to be a 109,000 word novel.

Confused? Read on my friends…

Earlier this year a publisher invited me to submit a full ms for my thriller Standpoint. I went through my synopsis with a microscope, printed off another pristine copy of the manuscript (curse you, ink and toner manufacturers) and rechecked the word count – 109,000 so under the maximum limit. Then I dashed to the post office, paid my £20 for outward / return postage and returned to my prayer candle.

Three days later, my manuscript was returned to me, unread. The reply letter informed me that the word count was far beyond their stated limit, totalling over 130,000. Cue Twilight Zone music, as I checked Word again and found my original 109,000 word count to be correct. So what gives? Well, here comes the science bit.

The publisher also enclosed their method of ‘wordage calculation’, which is as follows:


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Lovely news today. The editors at Cinnamon Press have selected my flash story, I cannot carry a tune, for inclusion in their next anthology, Exposure, due out in September 2010. They had over 4,000 submissions, so the odds of being chosen were slim. Congratulations to everyone who was successful in having a story selected, including my good friend (and neighbour!), Tania Hershman. I'm really looking forward to reading the anthology when it comes out.

The acceptance from Cinnamon came hot on the heels of the news that the editors at Prick of the Spindle have nominated my flash, Flood Plain, for the Pushcart Prize.

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Nice news to wake up to: Cinnamon Press has accepted my flash story, Straight Up, for their microfiction anthology. This same story was the European winner of the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association's short story comp last year (you can listen to it here), and was just commended in Aesthetica magazine's's Creative Works comp.


It's always funny/weird to win something, to in some way "beat" other writers - a horrible attitude, I don't think that way - ....

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I have never read a book about creativity by a non-writer, so renowned dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp's The Creative Habit was a real revelation to me. So refreshing to hear from someone who deals in something other than words - an artist in her 60s who has choreographed over 150 dances - and to see so clearly how I can learn from her in terms of setting myself up to be creative on a daily basis, something I sorely need. It has been years since I was last in that kind of routine - not since my MA in Creative Writing. I just haven't managed, as a writer of short and very short stories, to set myself up properly, and as a result I feel highly unproductive, uncreative, dissatisfied..........

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By yet another of the coincidences that have happened since I arrrived in Spain, Carrie´s 'host' English teacher , Belen, has a connection with me. We´d never met, but we´ve exchanged homes.

For some years Roy and I did home-swaps via an Internet company, and once went to stay in Salamanca for a week. By chance,Belen saw my name on an email I sent to Carrie and said ´I know that person´.



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The e-book remained something of an enigma to me, until recently. I decided it was time to ask Santa for one. So I wrote my note and posted it to the North Pole, and made a mental note to leave a glass of milk for the thirsty reindeers for their festive visit to number fifteen.

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