I have never considered myself a very successful person. This is rubbish, of course. I have had many, many successes in my life – including before these past few years. I know this logically. But this knowledge has never quite translated. I have always found, and this may be an …
Why Ending Stories Is Hard, But You Have To
Have you ever been reading a book or watching a series or film, spending every second longing for two characters to get together, only to find yourself disappointed when they do? Hi. I do this all the time. And I think it’s because I love living in those in-between moments. …
Deadlines Breed Productivity
No – don’t run away! I know those are both horrible, horrible words, but I promise if you stay just a moment it won’t be so bad. Look, whatever job you’re in, whatever your life is like, we all need to be productive. And for the vast majority of people, …
The Outside
I just don’t like the outside. Always prefer my head. When offered in or out I’ll always choose inside instead. I grew up in the garden, climbing the trees to read, but somewhere in my childhood in began to supersede. The problem was that outside contained people; people suck. And …
Goodbye
Was it really five years ago you popped into my head? Of all the things I could’ve been I went for you instead. At first you were an actor, only later could you See – and once I made you that there was nothing else you could be. The first …
Patreon: How I Made Mine!
If there is one thing that’s been harder to get to grips with as an author publisher than anything else, it’s the idea that my time and creations are worthy of other peoples’ money. My self-esteem is a young and fragile thing. The thought of selling a book was terrifying. …
Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for the Self-Employed
Whew. That’s a hefty title, isn’t it. But what is CPD? Well, it’s about continuing to study and learn skills and knowledge as you work. If you’re traditionally employed within the UK, the chances are you’ve probably come across CPD at some point in your life – even if it’s …
Read More "Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for the Self-Employed"
Friendships in Novels
When I was young, I was incredibly envious of Harry, Ron and Hermione. Sure, their friendships were not the most steady of things – they had their ups and downs, as all relationships do. But they were constant. Once they were friends, they were friends, even through the fights and …
Intrusive Thoughts
CW: Self-harm, suicidal thoughts. I like to think I can control my mind, but some things when imagined don’t go right. I dream and cannot control my left arm; it doesn’t lift, or turn – it just gets stuck. Sometimes if it’s quite bad my leg goes too, and then …
Writing With Pain
At the beginning of this year, I started experiencing pain in my hands. Sometimes, it was so bad that I couldn’t do anything but curl up on the sofa and try not to cry. The pain was in my fingers, my wrists – the joints and the bones themselves. After …
Running a Blog with Depression
Prior to this incarnation of my blog, I started several other blogs. I tried blogging just with poetry, with serial stories, with thoughts about my life and therapy and recovery. None of those things really stuck for me, because I was so depressed I couldn’t make them stick. It has, …