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I once visited a wonderful friend who was a successful writer. At the time, I was struggling to complete my first novel. When she suggested…
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An experienced commissioning editor told me recently that one of two main reasons she rejected manuscripts was “no story”. The other was “overwritten” – I’ll…
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I recently started a list of e-mails for people who might want to hear about my writing activities – eg my next reading from “Blood…
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I am grateful to everyone who reads this blog, my Berlin thriller Blood Summit or my novel-length collection of Seven Hotel Stories. So I thought I would give…
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Previous posts in my series The Americans have included The Americans: prologue; The Americans: leaving New York; The Americans: Avenue of the Heroes; and The Americans: Valley…
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Do any of our actions make any difference to anything? What makes us happy? What makes us laugh? What about the power of memory? This…
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via P.G. Wodehouse Reference Guide for Political Commentary
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Trollope is, perhaps, my favourite novelist (although PG Wodehouse is up there). I have described before 11 life-changing reasons you should read Trollope, including his views on…
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My recent blog Reading Wodehouse: a plea for help recorded that I had finished the main body of Jeeves and Wooster stories. I sought advice on what…
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Originally posted on Plumtopia: This piece follows my reading suggestions for new Wodehouse readers with a reading list for the Jeeves and Wooster stories. Jeeves…
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Who is the toughest woman you have ever met? A woman who, although she takes no nonsense from men who break her rules, keeps her…
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What are your all-time favourite songs? If you are over 25, did you first hear those songs recently or – as I suspect – did…
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I need help. I need help from Wodehouse experts, or Kenner as we call them here in Austria. For years, I have been relishing my father’s…
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The lights go down. Heavy metal chords ring out. It is clear that Deep Purple have lost none of their ability to rock. I’ve seen…
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How seriously should we take ourselves? One of the keys to happiness is not to take yourself too seriously. You can take life seriously, and…
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Is kissing allowed in the Cafe Malipop? How about smoking? How about being cool and hanging out? Clue: only one of these activities is allowed…
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Ian Fleming’s James Bond, created in a series of novels and short stories from 1953 to 1966, is unforgettable. But his attitudes often now feel…
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I recently read East West Street by British law professor and international human rights expert Philippe Sands. If you have any interest in the cataclysm which…
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So you want to write a brilliant blog or newspaper article? Help is at hand, in three easy stages. First: decide your message, and make…
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For all you ardent Wodehouse fans, I have fine news. Much Obliged, Jeeves is one of the funniest Wodehouse books I have read. The cover of…
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At the roof bar of the top hotel in Istanbul, I don’t notice a thing. Below us, the Bosphorus sparkles in the setting sun. I…
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I crave good thrillers. But they are vanishingly rare. So when I find a book with a compelling plot, rich characters, horrifying jeopardy and seat-edge…
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One key to writing better is to read critically. I attempt to do so, often noting down excerpts from books as I read. Here are…
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Originally posted on Paul Hodson: With Travelling Companion and Daughter I spent some end-of-holiday days in west London. We stayed in a flat in Barnes…
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Stop press: I will be doing a reading from my Berlin thriller BLOOD SUMMIT at 1800 on 20 February 2019 at The English Centre in Salzburg.…
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What better book to read at Christmas than Right Ho, Jeeves – a festive winter wonderland of Wodehouse, a rich Christmas pudding of Plum? Right Ho, Jeeves opens…
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‘I only finished the first volume,’ my friend says. ‘It was so badly written. And boring.’ ‘I disagree,’ I say. ‘I think the writing is…
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A writer compares turnips and sex. Is he wise, or daft? Can we use his wisdom – if any – to make ourselves happier? I…
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Ahead, in the kitchen, everyone seems to be laughing. As I approach, the noise swells. I push the door open to find ten people sitting…
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I recently attended an outstanding Arvon Foundation writing course in Shropshire. I will write a blog about that shortly. In researching, I found this piece,…
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I sit down at my desk in Vienna to continue writing my current novel, code-named The Boyfriend. Outside, birds sing in the trees; all is well…
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You are an author. You are about to sit down and begin to write a story. How do you get started? What will it be…
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Every writer wants to write better. Some of my most popular blogs set out tips on how to do this. That is why I have…
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Attentive readers – if any are reading this* – will be aware of my slow-burn devotion to the works of P G Wodehouse, including How to…
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“As night falls on All Hallows, the Zentralfriedhof is transformed into an ethereal wonderland. It seems every visitor throughout the day has lit a candle…
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What is the perfect martini? A couple of years ago in Istanbul I was taken out for dinner by two top cardiac specialists. In between…
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At my reading this week from my Berlin thriller Blood Summit, someone asked when I found time to write. I wrote a blog on “Where I write”…
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Originally posted on Inconsistent Pacing: With the new film just released, Fifty Shades of Grey is being savaged everywhere again – everyone seems to have an…
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Josef had long dark curly hair and a roguish smile. He stood aside from the tiller. ‘Fancy a go?’ he said. We were speaking Russian.…
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What does reclusive author Robert Pimm look like in the flesh? Great news. You can find out when I read from my Berlin thriller Blood Summit on…
