It is an uncomfortable truth I must acknowledge as a creative person, that I often have no idea what the meaning is behind my work. I say uncomfortable, because I feel like as the architect of my own pieces I should know what I’m saying (or at least trying to say) about what I present
As the Sun Sets, a play and a kōrero
I’d never written a play before I wrote As the Sun Sets. Well, one, as a very naïve and unskilled nineteen year old. It was a terrible rip-off of Tarantino, or maybe Scorsese, entitled And the City Rats Screamed. Hardly a homage, barely a fan-fic. A misguided attempt to write a movie I’d not seen yet. It
Feel the Fear. Do it Anyway.
While procrastinating doing research on the internet recently (instead of getting on with the millions of projects I have ongoing right now) I saw two affirmations that hit very close to home. I apologise that I don’t know who to credit for either of them. “If you wait until you feel ‘better’ to start living,
REFLECTIONS, a new ebook
It’s been a very strange year. I definitely did not think I would manage to get *anything* done, let alone actually put out another collection. Plans and goalposts have been moved around and cancelled, and I almost gave up completely after my laptop ate my WIP! Despite all that, REFLECTIONS has been born, and I
Scatter My Ashes Over Water, Let My Soul Go Where the Ocean Roars.
This piece describes my very personal relationship with the ocean, the journeys I have made both physically and spiritually, and where I am in the world.
Story Planning—How I Move from Inspiration to the Page
How I plan a story is very similar to how I plan a road trip: the car is packed, I have a full tank of petrol and I know basically where I’m headed, but the actual route I will take to reach my destination is anyone’s guess. My writing philosophy is something akin to, “Let’s
It Feels “Write”.
This piece about living with chronic pain was first published on The Mighty in 2018, but it seems to have disappeared. As it’s still very relevant, but not something I often tend to discuss at length, it feels right to republish it here, with some minor updates/edits. As always, when writing a personal piece, I
Good Things Come to Those Who Keep Going
The last time I made a blog post was at the start of May, and I will be the first to admit it wasn’t an entirely “good” post. I was feeling glum and overworked and struggling to find ways to prioritise my time. I had even decided I was going to take a step back
Evolution of an Idea — Craft & Design
Sometimes I get ideas for things from totally random places, other times they come from things I have seen or read or heard. I want to share with you the process of one of my recent ideas – just to show how long it can take from my having the original idea for a piece, until it becomes real.
So You Think You Want To Be A Writer?
A dear friend of mine who has been writing since the 1980s once told me that there are no rules when it comes to writing. "A writer only writes for themselves and does their best to create the books they want to read."