Category Archives: amwriting

Passing Place – a review

Posted on May 31, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Originally posted on Druid Life:
(Nimue) Passing Place, by Mark Hayes is a beautiful, bonkers sort of a book. This is speculative fiction, with a story that isn’t easily explained at all without spoilers. What I can say with some…

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The place I write from…

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I like my anger, without it I am not sure who I am
I bottle it up in tight little jars. Seal it within myself.
Turn it, mould it, hammer it and temper it.
Then, when it can not be held down any more. When it has been refined to a glowing edge. I use it, and poor it into words.
My anger becomes creation, focused it becomes a positive force Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, big questions, depression, mental-health, opinion, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Duckman’s Odyssey

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I have personally been far more involved with Harvey 13 than any Harvey previously. the bulk of the work is still being done by the ever wonderful Gillie Hatton of 6E publishing, but I am one of a triumvirate of submissions editors curating the collection to an extent… So I have a degree of pride wrapped up in this one and more skin in the game. It is however a great collection of stories. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, fantasy, fiction, Hannibal Smyth, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, Lovecraft, novels, Passing Place, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Strange drafts

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Inspired by a conversation late night in the pub, mostly centred around advice to prospective writers and how best to get started with the whole being a writer thing… Starting with the single most important piece of advice you can give any writer…

Write Continue reading →

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Reading Maybe…

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Mark Hayes

This blog is just to say to anyone who wants to write but is dyslexic, don’t let that stop you. Don’t let anything stop you. Continue reading →

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Quantum Pagan

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Mark Hayes

If there is a god, god is not the ant. God is not forest, or even the multitude of forests. God doesn’t exist on the scale of the infinite. Traditional religion is looking in the wrong place. God isn’t in the infinite, god is in the quantum. Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, big questions, Goth, indie, pagan, rites, steampunk, supernatural | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What is Steampunk? A Guest post by Matt McCall

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Mat McCall, a bulldozer of joyous exuberance and invested enthusiasm who manages to drag unsuspecting people into a whirlwind of frivolity. I love this man… He has some thoughts on ‘What is Steampunk’ he is something of an expert on the matter, though he would never claim to be. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, IndieApril, reads, retro book reviews, sci-fi, steampunk, Uncategorized, writes | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Writing Groups, a guest blog by Liz Tuckwell

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Mark Hayes

For Mark’s annual Indie Month, I thought I’d write something about my experience of writing groups. Writing is a solitary pursuit, but writers like to get together to discuss their craft and occasionally have a good moan about writing and publishing.   Continue reading →

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Now That’s What I Call Rubric: Guest Post by Will Nett

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Mark Hayes

He’s squatting in his underwear with arms raised after a night of prodding and bullying our heroic author into finishing the 3-foot high tome, much the same way that modern day blog editors do now. Apparently written entirely in one evening, the author was of course largely undistracted by Love Island, social media and the goings on across the road at no. 91. Aside from the romantic ideal of an isolated monk hounded into action by a belligerent sprite such as Satan… Continue reading →

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Unblocking the Dam: Guest Post by Kate Baucherel

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Kate Baucherel, fellow Harvy Duckman author, expert in anything with the words cyber or crypto in fount of them, black belt in some form of violent sport or other and occasional drinker of Guinness, with some interesting thoughts. I think this sort of thing should be encouraged… Continue reading →

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