Category Archives: books

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 →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, humour, indie, indie writers, IndieApril, opinion, pointless things of wonderfulness, reads, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, guestposts, reads, stockholme, travel, writer, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Eating the Livers of my Lovers: A guest post by Nimue Brown

Posted on March 28, 2023 by Mark Hayes

The full title of this blog is ‘Eating the livers of my lovers and other poems I now have to write because Mark gave me a title’ Which was a writing prompt I gave to the ever wonderful Nimue Brown when she asked the world to do so. Having supplied this title I abdicate all responsibility thence*. The rest is all Nimue… Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, blogging, books, druidry, fiction, IndieApril, indiewriter, pagan, reads | Tagged amreading, folklore, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 3 Comments

Steampunk Fiction, what is it?

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Anyone who knows anything about the Steampunk subculture will generally answer the question “What is steampunk?” with words to the effect of “Whatever you want it to be..!”

This is of course an absurdly unhelpful answer. Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, books, Canadian steampunk, fiction, Hannibal Smyth, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, novels, opinion, reads, steampunk, writing | Tagged books, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 6 Comments

Writing about future war… Guest Post By CG Hatton

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Mark Hayes

To this Dr Anne Forsdyke responded ,’ Oh? You think so do you matey.’ brandished a cutlass and gutted three of them before she was restrained by a brave member of the Geology department. Continue reading →

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Dear Edgar

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Mark Hayes

About a year ago I published a book that started out as a series of blogs in which I read the complete works of HP Lovecraft. A project I started as ‘filler’ posts for the blog. I’d expected the project … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, Dear Edgar, Goth, horror, humour, indie, mental-health, opinion, publication, quotes, rant, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, Dear Edgar, Poe, reads, writerslife, writing | 4 Comments

Auguries

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Mark Hayes

A storm was coming, dark things on the horizon, a great gnashing of teeth, dogs and cats doing unnatural things together. That sort of thing, nothing specific, just general ominous stuff. But whatever was brewing it wasn’t the Earl Gray… Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, books, dreamlands, fantasy, fiction, horror, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, Lovecraft, novels, reads, rites, steampunk, supernatural, writing | Tagged amwriting, amwritingscifi, amwritingsteampunk, books, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | Leave a comment

Further Words to Music

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Mark Hayes

When I write, I write to music. I have mentioned this before… The music changes,depending on mood, and what I am writing. Often times the music influences the words, not so much on a individual basis but in sense of … Continue reading →

Posted in amwriting, books, Goth, indie writers, music, music, pointless things of wonderfulness, writes, writing, writing music | Tagged #amwriting, Goth, music, writerslife, writing, writing music, writingcommunity | 1 Comment

The rules of write #2

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Mark Hayes

I’m not a great fan of talking about characters in terms of ‘her/his truth’. Though it is a concept I understand, my problem with the concept is it is by nature restrictive. Which is to say that the concept states that I, a white upper working class British man in his early fifties, should not write about the experience of an African American soldier born in the early 1900’s in the southern states of the US, because I can not know, or speak for, that characters ‘truth…’ Continue reading →

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Piano Man, A Guest Post by Will Nett

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Like most authors, I’ll do almost anything to avoid writing. Buying a piano a couple of years ago seemed as good an idea as any. I’d always fancied having a crack at it, but would not have gone out of my way to find one, so when a friend was selling one, and another had a van in which to deliver it, I was first in line. Continue reading →

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Books of the year 2022 edition

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Mark Hayes

As with last year this may be slightly early, as there is a fair chance I’ll read a couple more before the end of the year. (in fact I know I will as there are a couple I am reading … Continue reading →