Writer for Animation, Film, Television, Books, Comics and Audio
2016 has been an odd year. In spite of its cavalier attitude to celebrity lifespans and its blatant disregard for commonsense voting, opinion poles and the general prospects for the future of humanity, my 2016 has been a bit, well… meh! It’s not been a bad year, I’ve had some really good times, a fantastic …
Remember when I animated Tony Blair piloting a microscopic submarine through the veins of the Duchess of Cambridge? It was for The Windsors, a Channel 4 comedy that was broadcast earlier this year. Well, The Windsors is back for a Christmas Special, and this time I’ve animated this chap, Gargantua, the EU’s automatic defence system:Gargantua …
Yesterday I was lucky enough to see the new Star Wars movie in Leicester Square a day before it went on general release. I loved the film, it captured the essence of Star Wars but propelled it into the arena of 21st century cinema in a more convincing way than The Force Awakens managed (and …
I was shocked to read of the death of comic artist Steve Dillon at the end of last month. I’ve loved his artwork since I bought the very first issue of Warrior back in early 1982. This comic (and Steve’s contribution to it) was a massive influence on me. I was just eleven when that first …
I am a Chair. Not a piece of furniture exactly, but the charismatic leader of a desperate band of rebels fighting the evil Federation. OK, that’s not quite right. I’m now the Chair of the Society of Authors regional group, Authors North. I’ve been helping out with the events committee for the last year and …
A new term means new school visits. Here’s some pictures from two recent events at King James Academy and Pentland Primary School. Both were great fun, and a chance to meet new readers. Thanks to both schools for arranging a visit. If you’d like me to visit your school, library, bookshop or literary festival, or for …
Are you in Newcastle? Can you get to Newcastle? Maybe you own a helicopter or know how to drive a submarine. Perhaps you know of the secret Tunnel that Goes Wherever You Like (I find this one particularly handy.) If you enjoy books and aren’t put off by meeting actual authors then you should come …
As I anticipated I managed to finish the first draft of Project Nova today. This is my fifth completed novel, which seems weird. It’s just the first draft, so there’s lots still to do, but I’m happy to have gotten this far with it. I’m going to step away from it for a week or …
The holidays are almost over! It’s time for the world to get back to normal! Let’s be honest, the six weeks’ holiday is a long stretch for us grown-ups. The entire routine and rhythm of normal life goes out of the window. In my experience this is even more so for writers. I work from …