So, HBO’s Game of Thrones… Politics, sex, treachery, violence, more sex, more politics, urinating off the edge of the world, intrigue, betrayal, Sean Bean dead yet again, yet more sex, and then a lovely sexual torture scene to round things off. (Look, are you sure there was this much sex in A Game Of Thrones, because…? Well, yeah).
Okay – I Quit.
I’ve decided this isn’t working out. So – I quit. Let’s talk about why.
Writing Fantasy: Choose Your Own FAIL
Welcome, adventurer! You’re about to embark on the most difficult challenge known to any creative artist – ACTUALLY STARTING WORK. Millions have tried, and millions have failed! Will you be one of them? BEGIN!
Mistakes: Make Them.
If at first you don’t succeed..you might be onto something here. For a long while, my ability to attract misadventure and fall flat on my face whenever enough ground presented itself…well, it haunted me. Other people seemed to glide as if well-oiled through the machinations of society. I rattled, clunked and occasionally jammed. In 1995 I went on my first archaeological … Read More
Freelance Writing: What I Did Wrong
Okay, so I wrote this post called Freelance Writing: What I Did Right , about the things that worked for me in 2010 as a newly self-employed (p/t) writer. And I wrote it from the heart, as honestly as I could, in an attempt to avoid sounding smug. It’s up to you to decide if I succeeded or not. But … Read More
Freelance Writing: What I Did Right
Hi! My name is Mike, and I’m the proud owner of a bouncing part-time online freelance writing business (staff: 1), focussing mainly on travel. So that makes me a travel writer, yes? Well…er… Tell you what, let’s discuss that elsewhere, and for the moment, I’ll say “kinda” (or add that dignity-salvaging word “aspiring”). Ta. Being a freelance writer! Wow. Like, getting … Read More
TBU ’11: A List Of Top Non-Tens
In the style of ieatmypigeon. With a dash of mobilelawyer-style list-hatred. And a dollop of laziness, because 10 is way too huge and my life is short. Last Sunday I attended the second day of the Travel Bloggers Unite 2011 Conference in Manchester. I’ve always prided myself on being the kind of person that does things by halves, and this … Read More
Why I Love Your Travel Writing
Oh, I love the way you write. Seriously. Such a thrill. I’ve read a lot of travel writing (and a lot of “How To” travel writing) online and offline — and it’s such a relief to read someone who truly gets it. I love your stuff. Here are three reasons why.