Blog Articles

  • Mubi Podcast

    I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Mubi podcast. This was primarily about the film Donnie Darko, which is one of my favourite films of all time. I was invited on to discuss the links between Tears for Fears and the movie. Rico was a great to talk to. It was also a…

    Read more →

  • Publication Day

    My book charting the history of Tears for Fears is finally released today. As the cliche goes it’s available in all good bookstores. You can also order online at Bookshop.org or Burning Shed.

    Read more →

  • Where Have I Been?

    It’s been a while since I updated this neglected blog. There is a half-finished post in which I was going to spell out my writing resolutions for the year, but that remains unpublished – that post remains in to-be-published hell taunting me of my impetuous foolishness back at the start of the year. Especially when…

    Read more →

  • Novel Number Two is Finished*

    I have finally finished novel number two. When I say finished. What I mean, is that after five drafts (that’s the number of my word document – there have been many more drafts that’s for sure) I have come to the point that I need to pass it on. It’s not finished in the sense…

    Read more →

  • Rejections are Inevitable

    There’s the story about JK Rowling having had ‘loads‘ of rejections before she published the Harry Potter books. I have had none. That’s not me being smug, because the reality is that I have not sent out either of my novels to agents and publishers.  I have entered a couple of first chapter competitions, but…

    Read more →

  • Lockdown Two

    Given how busy work has got recently the writing has well and truly been parked up for another year. I’m still doing the 200 words for BXP, there was a tentative notion of doing NaNoWriMo but that is certainly on hold for another year.  The editing has stalled and the idea of writing the third…

    Read more →

  • The New Normal

    As I get myself ready to get back into the classroom, the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t seem to be slowing down. As I type this the North East is rumoured to be going into a fuller lockdown. The Liverpool City region is also close to the following suit. This is offset by rising figures of people…

    Read more →

  • Going Downhill Fast

    It’s back to the day job today. Well, not the teaching, but the prep. There’s a lot of that to get through. It feels like summer is well and truly over. Despite what’s going on in the world with the pandemic, it’s been a good summer for me personally and professionally. I have redrafted one…

    Read more →

Search the blog for more articles