Symbolism in My Stories

Symbolism is the use of words or images to represent specific ideas or characters in stories. We can use symbols to communicate an overall theme of what you are trying to convey in the story or small gestures that can help a writer give meaning to a character or place within a story. I don't...

Use of Visual Aids in Writing to Show Progress

"There is nothing to writing, all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." - Hernest Hemingway. One of the hardest parts of writing is not being able to see any form of progress. You can write and edit and re-edit for years and never feel like you are making any real headway....

Hotel Writing

When I have the chance I love to write in hotels. Whenever I get to travel, wherever I am, one of the first things I do is find a little nook in the hotel room where I can write. Wherever I travel I find inspiration for my stories and hotel rooms are the perfect place...

Is The Outsider Just Another It?

Is Stephen King's 2018 book, The Outsider similar to his other tales, specifically It? I love this title, don't you? My writing often explores the idea of the outsider within a setting, especially as a traveller. How it feels to be an outsider or feel like an outsider on your journey. “. . . or...

Guess what I found!

My book Savage Beauty is in the library! My first book, Savage Beauty is finally stocked in the Plymouth library. It feels great to see my book there for people (hopefully) to take out. The story is partly based in Plymouth in 1996 so it may be of interest to locals. Please support me by...

Bookmarks as a Marketing Tool for Self-Published Authors

Author Bookmarks Bookmarks don't just keep track of your page number, they are a great marketing tool too. Bookmarks are a low cost way of showing off your novel with handy hints of where people can find your work and more about you as an author. They also hit straight to the people you want...

A Scanner Darkly

I read Philip K. Dick's book, A Scanner Darkly (1977) in October. I have only read one other book by this author, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (1968), which became the film Blade Runner in 1982. I am very interested in classic sci-fi at the moment if any one has any ideas of what...

Consumption

Cover design by J.D FitzRoy Consumption is my first collection of short stories with my brother, J.D FitzRoy. Consumption is a collection of contrasting, experimental short stories featuring the problems so prevalent in today's society. "Spanning the important contemporary political, economic and social issues that shape our lives and the fate of our world, these...

How to Self-Promote once You Have Self-Published

Is it worth self-publishing? Absolutely, for me, it was the best decision I made. The control of your intellectual property can only come from self-publishing. I had complete control of how the book looked, the cover design and any financial gains. Unfortunately this means I also have complete control or responsibility in promoting my work...

An Evening Inside Number 9

I was recently taken out for a surprise evening to see Inside Number 9 on stage with Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. The tour is to promote their new book, The Insider's Guide to Inside Number 9 written by Mark Salisbury. Inside Number 9 is one of my favourite psychological black comedy series. Each episode...