The writing process Archives

New Short Story Published

I had a short story published recently in Storgy magazine. It’s available to read free online, so do check it out if you’re interested. It’s about two women caught on opposite sides of a militarised border wall: one in Europe,…

The writing process

October 2020 Reading Roundup

Here's a quick roundup of some good books I read this month, featuring Jorge Luis Borges, Anne Tyler and more.

The writing process

A Steam of Consciousness

As I was writing recently, a slip of the pen turned a stream of consciousness into a steam of consciousness. I quickly inserted the missing “r”, but then it made me think that steam is actually a better metaphor than…

The writing process

How to Write About Suicide and Self-Harm

The UK Society of Authors recently published a new factsheet on writing about suicide and self-harm, and I wanted to highlight it and draw attention to its main lessons. Stories are powerful, and writers consequently bear a heavy responsibility for…

The writing process

Is It a Good Idea to Frustrate Your Readers’ Expectations?

I was interviewed recently for a podcast by book blogger Charlie Place, and her perceptive questions got me thinking about my writing. In particular, why do I deliberately frustrate readers’ expectations in my novels? You can listen to the podcast…

The writing process

See What I Did There?

Has anyone else noticed an annoying trend in contemporary writing? OK, there are probably several that spring to mind (“I was sat?”), but the one I’m thinking about today is “See what I did there?” You’re likely to encounter this…

The writing process

Parkinson’s Law and the Pull of a Deadline

It was like a nightmare. I was entering a $100,000 essay contest, and it was deadline day, with plenty of work still to do. Then I noticed with horror that the deadline was not midnight, as I’d thought, but midday.…

The writing process

A Story From a “What If?” Moment

One evening in Crete, a couple of years ago, I saw something that made a lasting impression on me. A small boy, maybe eight or nine years old, sitting in front of a large green rubbish bin, with an accordion in…

Creative block? It’s not about the time

In even the busiest lives, there are pockets of time in which extra things could be accomplished. But these are times when we’re either too stressed or too tired to do anything worthwhile. What’s missing is not the time, but…

Andrew Blackman

Andrew Blackman

Andrew Blackman

The writing process

New Short Story Published

October 2020 Reading Roundup

A Steam of Consciousness

How to Write About Suicide and Self-Harm

Is It a Good Idea to Frustrate Your Readers’ Expectations?

See What I Did There?

Parkinson’s Law and the Pull of a Deadline

A Story From a “What If?” Moment

Creative block? It’s not about the time