Where to Write in Brighton

As a Brighton-based writer, I’ve done my time in more than a few cafes and bars. They are great for establishing a regular writing habit. Also, coffee. Let’s take a look at the best places to write in Brighton.

Why I write in public

I think I’ve mentioned before that I prefer writing in public. Because I’m actively going out to write, it helps to define my time as writing time, and it gives me a sense of urgency. As in: I need to finish this chapter before they noticed I finished my coffee forty minutes ago.

I do the bulk of my writing before I go to my day job, so  I’m usually doing my thing between 0700 and 0830 in the morning. So when I take you on my tour of my regular haunts, remember that I’m not exactly going peak time here. My opinions are based on this.

What makes a good writing spot?

I’m going to rate these establishments on a few criteria. ♥ are out of five:

Ambience and Décor – how the place looks and feels. ♥♥♥♥♥ = luxury; ♥ = shithole

Noise – pretty important to a trying-to-concentrate writer. ♥♥♥♥♥ = silent; ♥ = squealing baby nursery

Coffee value – incorporating cost and quality of said libation. ♥♥♥♥♥ = 50p for a large Americano with one of those little biscuits on the side; ♥ = £5 for a chipped mug of instant

Without further ado, let’s take a tour.
Read More

The Best Horror Novels… Ever

I love horror. I love reading horror novels, watching horror films, listening to horror-themed rock. Also, I write horror stories! I like to think I’m a horror author before being a writer of any other genre.

Naturally, I’ve searched once or twice for the best horror novels ever written. Different website and publications have different lists, but a certain clutch of books and authors cropped up more than others.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present for your reading pleasure: a compilation of all those horror novels that have made the most impact on the world of terror and suspense. I’ve already read a few, so I’ll write my own summaries where I can and leave the rest to Amazon. We’ll work our way through in chronological order, shall we? Without further ado, let us plunge into a world of untrammeled terror… The best horror novels ever.

Read More

Why You Should List Every Book You Read

Last year I began a little experiment.  I decided to make a note of every book I read. Why? I’m not sure; part of it was to see how many books I get through.  It’s never a bad idea to read more books!

I firmly believe that all writers should read many books – after all, it’s only by reading you see what others are achieving with language – and I wanted to see if I read as much as I thought I did.

What I found was fascinating.

Read More

Out Now: The Greatest Show Under the Earth

My latest horror novel, The Greatest Show Under the Earth, is released today. I’m hugely proud of it as it’s a bit more ambitious than my usual stories and it’s my favourite yet! I’d like to tell you a bit more about how I went about writing it. I can’t wait to hear what you all think about The Greatest Show Under the Earth.

Following the disappearance of a young girl at a travelling carnival, Zoe spots a pattern that will lead her on a journey fraught with danger, grief and horror. With time running out, Zoe must track an ancient evil and save her loved ones from a terrifying fate at the hands of The Greatest Show Under the Earth.
Roll up now and step right in…

Read More

Reading William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist

If you look up a list of the scariest horror films ever made, William Friedkin’s 1973 movie The Exorcist will most likely be on there.    And deservedly so: it’s an absolute shocker of a film, full of horrifying imagery and terrifying implication.  The Exorcist is more famous as a film than as a book, even though it’s based on an excellent novel by William Peter Blatty.  This Halloween I treated myself to reading the book and, as a writer, I learned a lot from it.

Read More