#WIPSnips 10/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There are four instance of ‘chapter’.
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10.03.2026 07:24
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#WIPSnips 10/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There are four instance of ‘chapter’.
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…character throughout the main narrative is a slave with no formal education; but she reports conversations between others using more formal idioms. The prelude and postlude which frame the story are in different voices.
#WritersCoffeeClub 10/3: How informal is your prose? Is there a limit to informality?
In practice, it varies, as it must, according to which character we’re following at the time. An obvious example is Book 6, The Silence of Numikès, where the POV…
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…it’s pointless ‘imagining’.
Author’s note: in the timeline of the next book, Perriad is deceased and there is no individual ‘antagonist’ to take her place.
#WordWeavers 10/3: Antagonist POV: Imagine you achieved your goal. What’s next?
Perriad: I DID achieve my goal… but they took it away again before I could really begin to make a difference. They’re not going to give me another chance, so…
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Continuing this serialised novel of murky goings-on in the great outdoors.
Free to read.
open.substack.com/pub/theshatt...
#WIPSnips 8/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There is just one instance of ‘beam(ed)’.
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…most of the books take place in summer, because it’s only then that the Crossing of the mountains is possible.
#WritersCoffeeClub 8/3: Do the seasons influence your writing?
In my former career as an outdoor writer (and photographer), very much so, inevitably. As a fiction writer, the season I’m writing about often bears no relation to what’s outside the window. In fact…
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… for instance, that one character in Book 2 is very much in the ‘tart with a heart’ category, but I still found her intriguing and engaging.
#WordWeavers 8/3:How do you approach stereotypes while creating characters?
I don’t. That is, I neither consciously avoid nor embrace stereotypes as characters emerge. That’s not to claim they’re all free of stereotypical elements. I’m well aware,…
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…elements. I’m well aware, for instance, that one character in Book 2 is very much in the ‘tart with a heart’ category, but I still found her intriguing and engaging.
#WordWeavers 8/3:How do you approach stereotypes while creating characters?
I don’t. That is, I neither consciously avoid nor embrace stereotypes as characters emerge. That’s not to claim they’re all free of stereotypical…
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#WIPSnips 7/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There is just one instance of ‘massive’.
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…I suppose you could say a ‘strong’ character is one whose story I want to keep following.
#WordWeavers 7/3: How do you define a “strong” character? How do you create one?
This question is at a weird angle to how I think about character and writing.
I don’t ‘create’ characters; they emerge, and I find out who they are as I follow their stories…
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…outdoor writing and photography did mean ‘giving up’ the prospect of a 9–5 salaried job. Never had it, never missed it. (Never having to wear a suit to work wasn’t a sacrifice, it was pure relief.)
#writerscoffeeclub 7/3: What have you given up to write?
Self-evidently, if I’m writing, I’m not doing other things. But does any of that feel like ‘giving up’ stuff?
It’s true, though, that 40+ years ago my pursuit of a career in…
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Lots of very encouraging noises in the House of Lords report on AI, copyright and the creative industries today. A good moment to write/email your MP and make the case that this offers a sensible way forward. (I'd love the whole monstrous business to simply disappear, but that's not realistic.)
Another tale from my back catalogue, with a strong literary connection.
Was Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes really the originator of the modern outdoor/travel book? It’s got as good a claim as any.
#WIPSnips 6/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There are five instances of ‘pursue’.
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…There are downsides to having quit Facebook…
#WritersCoffeeClub 6/3: Is there a local writing community near you? Do you participate in it?
I’m told there used to be one and it fizzled out when a leading member moved away. I’ve toyed with the idea of reviving it but not sure how to find people….
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#WordWeavers 6/3: If you have several stories, which one should a new reader start with?
The published novels are all in the same series, so start with Book 1, Three Kinds of North. tinyurl.com/59vjjpzu.
There are also several stories from the same…
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Continuing this serialised novel of murky goings-on in the great outdoors.
Free to read.
#WIPSnips 3/3:
#WIPSnips are from Book 8 of The Shattered Moon.
There are no instances of ‘destroy’ and only of ‘(ship)wreck’.
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#WritersCoffeeClub 5/3: How do you make sure you don’t leave plot holes?
By walking through the book and not tripping over anything.
(This metaphor feels more pointed since I broke my leg last August by putting my foot in a hole).
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#WordWeavers 5/3: What's the most supportive/uplifting thing you’ve heard related to writing?
I treasure (and regularly recycle) one reviewer’s verdict on Three Kinds of North: “An expertly captained voyage of the imagination.”
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…long ago. If the truth hurts, there’s always silence.
