I’m querying my book, shopping around a short story, plotting the next book, and exploring more short story ideas all the while embracing the fact that I’ll always wear multiple hats and that’s not just okay, that’s GOOD. It’s been a TIME but it’s been an expansive one.

Whether time exists or not, the very question opens up creative possibilities that are expansive. Its the uncertainty itself that is exciting, inviting us to step into new realities at the edge of our vision.

Society fears the Crone and society teaches us to fear the passage of time. But both bring lessons of power and grace if we can but invite them in. This year, I’m holding my Croning and I couldn’t be more overjoyed.

In the endless quest for fiction above politics, have some people lost sight of what makes us human? An exploration of whether apolitical fiction is desirable, and most importantly of all, whether it is even possible.

Speculative fiction has the power to change the world. It allows us to explore new possibilities, to test drive different realities and to even map out a pathway beyond dystopia. That’s why it’s not only inherently political, but also one of the most popular and best genres in fiction.

In Anaximander’s concept of 'the boundless' we have an explanation for the origins of the world that is both impersonal and infinite. Unsurprisingly it has inspired writers and poets through the ages, from Ursula Le Guin to TS Elliot and Isabel Allende. There’s grist for the speculative mind.

The waterways of Greek mythology hold special significance. They're not just physical paths, but also symbolic of the fears and dreams of the human soul. Got a coin for the ferryman? Cross over and explore the other side of death.

Visual art can inspire the literary and nowhere does the aesthetic of a genre cross over more than in steampunk. Writing prompts and art to get your creative juices flowing.

How do we write meaningful about death and what does it take to willingly tear down the veil that separates the dead from the living and turn it into story? For me it meant facing the grief of losing my dad and braving the fear of it happening again.

As a speculative fiction writer, worldbuilding is both my favourite thing, and the trickiest thing to get right. In my recent works-in-progress, I’ve been experimenting with how people speak and sound, and how the language they use can inform both who they are and where they come from. The result has been richer, more immersive worlds.

I’ve always been a pantser. In many ways I’ve felt both freed and trapped by a process that I felt owned me rather than the other way around. So imagine my joy in discovering the secret power of the Synopsis…