The Blotter
Michael’s solution to the tensions between the Blog and the Letter.
Welcome to the Blotter page! The Blotter aims to satisfy those who like the swift inter-action facilitated by blogs as well as those who prefer the approach of a traditional letters page.
Third Prize Winner in Stockholm
I’ve received the excellent news that I was awarded third place for my entry ‘No More Bets’ in the Stockholm Writers Festival First 5 Prize,
Shortlisted: Stockholm Writers Festival First 5 Pages Prize!
I have news of a further shortlisting. My latest novel has been shortlisted for the Stockholm Writers Festival – First 5 Pages Prize.
Shortlisted! What a buzz.
Shortlisted for Marlowe and ChristieI was delighted to learn that my novel, Backhanders, has been shortlisted for the 2024 Marlowe and Christie First Novel Prize.This is an international competition and it seems the standard of entries was very high, with entrants from across the UK, the United States and Europe.When my crime thriller was included on […]
Unlike a big bass drum, you can’t beat a good metaphor …
Unlike a big bass drum, you can’t beat a good metaphor …I love metaphors. I delight in creating them so that they fit exactly into their context and paint a picture for the reader.I recently ran a workshop for my local writers’ group, Anderida Writers, on the minting of new metaphors. We looked at a bunch of tired metaphors and similes, the clichés we all strive […]
The second novel in a trilogy
The second novel in a trilogyAt the risk of repeating myself …I’m over 60,000 words into the second novel in my crime thriller trilogy. One of the issues I’ve been grappling with is the need or otherwise to remind the reader of what happened to whom in the first book. Not that my second book is […]
A standalone novel or a series?
A standalone novel or a series?Which is most likely to grab the attention of agent?I think that what impresses agents most is great writing. Not all of us can produce that, at least not all of the time. We hope that part of what we write is impressive. We always know there’ll be polishing to […]