Category: Books

Villainous Authors

6/29/2025

I was scrolling, scrolling, scrolling through my socials one morning not long ago and a post popped up that recommended the Mists of Avalon by Marian Zimmer Bradley as a classic read. After muttering a few disgusted expletives, I had a quick flick through some of the comments. They varied between ‘great book and a must read’ to ‘fuck right off, the author is a monster’ along with a whole bunch of comments like ‘I loved this book, and it broke my heart when I discovered MZB was complicit with her husband’s child abuse.’

MZB isn’t the first author I’ve loved who turned out to be a fucking horrific human being and she’s certainly not the last. But reading the comments made me ask the question: What do you do when one of your favourite authors turns out to be a real-life villain?

When Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa was published, I was thrilled that my short story, Fires of Fate, sat cosied up next to a poem by Neil Gaiman. I was so excited that I even posted a video of me flicking between my story and his poem on my socials. Since then, there have been multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and assault against him, including more this year. Now, my story, in all its feminist rage, leans away from his poem, trying to distance itself from the space I was so proud to share. Being such a fan of Gaiman’s work, this betrayal of trust cuts extra deep.

I never read J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series, although, I do confess to reading one of the books she wrote when she was pretending to be a man. I have numerous trans friends and acquaintances. So, why would I support someone who actively goes out of her way to incite hatred and denial of their right to exist, and uses the earnings from her books to support her crusade?

I’ve seen many arguments along the lines of ‘you can love the art but not the artist’, and, to an extent, that can be true, but where does the line between the two exist? In buying the art, you're supporting the artist. When you check the book out from the library, you're supporting the author. And, yes, streaming their movies / series is supporting the author. As much as I loved series 1 of The Sandman, I won't be watching series 2.

Do I think that J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman or the beneficiary of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s ongoing income give a shit about me not buying their books? Of course not, but the point is—it’s very important to me. I give a shit. And, if enough of us share that sentiment, then maybe they’ll notice.

There are so many talented and worthy authors out there writing amazing stories. Most of them aren’t problematic and, often, aren’t financially comfortable. So, why would I give my money and tacit support to those who are?

My answer is—I won’t.

0 Comments

Why Write Novellas?

3/2/2025

0 Comments

In the 11 years I’ve been writing fiction, I’ve only completed one full length novel. The two others I started sit stranded at around 30,000 words — the characters fated to remain frozen mid-action surrounded by the crumbling facades of my world-building. I just can’t muster the commitment needed to revitalise them. Yet, in those same 11 years, I’ve written a multitude of short stories, numerous poems and seven novellas.

When setting out to write the Ghost Assassins of Bijou series. I made the deliberate choice to write them as novellas. Each of the five stories are between 22-29K words in length, so roughly 100 pages in book form with a reading time of 2 - 4 hours. While each novella stands alone, as a series, they read as a layered and complex novel.

In a 2014 essay, Allan Gurganus said, “A novella, containing the best of poem and novel, gives us the whiplash of one and echoes of the other.” I find beauty in the stark brevity of novellas and prefer the sharp stab of emotion to the drawn-out torment of longer-form novels. Then again, I also rip off plasters and dive into freezing water…so my reading preferences reflect my life-style perversities.

When I consider my favourite reads from the last few years many of them are novellas:
To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

None of this is to say that I don’t like reading novels or even sagas, I do, but I prefer the shorter form. I’d rather read a series of short books set in the same world / universe, than a seemingly endless saga rolled into an enormous single offering. I’m easily bored and often skim-read large swathes of a saga to leap from one action scene to the next. Whereas, I'll cling to every nuance and word of a well-crafted and perfectly formed novella.

As a writer, the novella has given me the freedom to be innovative in how I use words to create emotions and responses. In the Ghost Assassins of Bijou novellas, I’ve made use of songs and haiku to invoke a sharper emotional response than could be achieved with even the most beautifully crafted paragraphs of prose and dialogue. I've also experimented with different points of view.

I don’t consciously follow formats such as the Hero’s Journey or the 3-Act Structure when I’m writing a novella. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a flow to the storyline or a lack of tension, it just means the points of high emotion, high tension and relief occur organically and often in ways that aren’t expected or anticipated. When read as a series, the high points hit differently.

Like Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries and Nnedi Okorafor’s Binti Trilogy, the Ghost Assassins of Bijou is a series of novellas. In this way the series offers the complexity of a novel — deep world-building enriched by multiple points of view and subplots weaving through an overarching storyline — with the artistry of a poem.

Novellas offer a deeper exploration than a short story, while being more focussed than a novel. Our minds are busy, and our senses overwhelmed. Every day we’re assailed by an avalanche of unfettered information that we must critically assess to determine what's true, what's important, and what's critical. When I read a book, I want to escape and be distracted from the horrors and mundanities of our increasingly dystopian world.

So, when I write a book, I write it for me. And this is why I write novellas.

0 Comments

Oh to be Infamous!

4/28/2024

0 Comments

The best way to sell books is to already be famous or famous adjacent.

That’s my takeaway from a recent article* discussing the state of the publishing industry. And, to an extent, that’s not even true but already being famous is the best way to make money as a writer. The bigger your name and fame, the bigger your advance. This tiny portion of the writing community command 6- to 7-figure advances and 5-figure marketing budgets. The chances of a writer like me making that kind of money are about the same as winning the lottery. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. Yet, despite the odds, I keep trying on both counts.

On a recent holiday with the extended family-in-law, my accountant nephew asked how many thousands of copies of ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ I’d sold. I laughed so hard, I almost cried. Then he complained about how expensive the book was and suggested that was why it wasn’t selling. I was confused because I deliberately kept the price low to maximise sales. When he said he’d looked at it on Mighty Ape, I was even more confused, as I don’t sell through them.

Of course, I looked myself up on MA, and sure enough both my books were listed, along with ‘Remains to be Told: Dark Tales of Aotearoa’, published by Clan Destine Press. Shockingly, ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ and ‘Rose Moon’ were listed at three times the price they sell for on all the usual platforms I list on.

So, just for fun, let’s imagine someone is stupid enough to buy ‘Letters From Elsewhere’ on MA. They pay $39, MA pays $10.99 probably to Amazon, and in turn Amazon pays $1.84 to me.

Even if I do manage to sell thousands of copies, I’m not the one making the money out of my writing.

Despite the odds, I live in hope. I also buy tickets in the lottery and look for ways to become famous – or, more likely in my case, infamous! So, if my name ever pops up in the headlines for the wrong reason...just know it's a publishing ploy.

* read the article on the state of the publishing industry HERE

0 Comments

A Leap

3/1/2024

2 Comments

It’s a leap year!
An entire extra day to do whatever I want with…except…I’m on a mission.

I’ve received an expression of interest from an Australian publisher of speculative and dark fiction for a five-book series of speculative feminist novellas/short novels. The five manuscripts are to be delivered late 2024, early 2025, for quarterly release. I’m so excited, but also a bit daunted.

One of the novella’s is complete, the second almost half written and the remaining three are planned out. So, I’m on a mission to write like the wind…not the turtle of habitude!

One of the joys of writing them all before delivery, is having the ability to tweak details. I’ll be able to adjust each of the individual stories as the over-arching plot is revealed. It also gives me laser focus on writing to a schedule – something I’m not very disciplined at.

For readers, this approach will guarantee the series is complete. There’s nothing worse than committing to a series only to discover it was never completed. It will also mean the books will be published on a schedule close enough together, so the story remains fresh.

So, my focus is on writing. I’ll still do my best to write a blog at the start of every month, and in between will send out a newsletter (Click on the Contact tab to subscribe).

Wish me luck!

2 Comments

Growing My Tribe

12/21/2023

1 Comment

Writing can seem a very solitary existence, but it shouldn’t be.

There’s nothing worse than struggling away on your own, with no idea whether your writing is great, good, OK, not so good, or bloody awful. We all need feedback and support. From the very start of my writing career, I actively searched for support.

The first critique group I joined was ERWA, an online forum for readers and writers of erotica (https://www.erotica-readers.com/). Through them, I was introduced to the craft of writing, how to critique other writers’ work, and, even more important, how to take criticism. Along the way, I made some good friends who continue to support me and my work (and vice versa!). I started to build my tribe.

My next experience of collaboration was with a group of writers publishing erotic novellas. Every two months we’d publish a themed collection of four novellas. I learned a great deal about self-publishing, writing fast, editing and the importance of a good contract! I never saw a single cent from that exercise but did add to my tribe.

The issue with building a tribe on social media is that when apps go out of fashion, or collapse under the weight of their own hubris, friends and contacts melt away or are lost overnight. Sometimes they turn up in new places, but not always.

Having gained some confidence on the internet, I ventured out into the real world of Melbourne and joined Writers Victoria. This is a large organisation, not designed to provide or set up individual critique or writing groups. What they do well, is offer superb workshops for their members. While in Melbourne, I did my best to enrol in two of their weekend workshops per year. Despite my best efforts, I was never able to convert great rapport with other participants into an ongoing mutual support group. I did follow the workshop presenters on various social media platforms though, and some of those have grown into friendships and opened doors to publishing possibilities. So yay, my tribe grew in an unexpected way.

I also started going to writers’ conferences and festivals to network in person. Friends I made at my first ever writers conference, have been of invaluable help in promoting my stories over the last few years. Sometimes, the reward takes years to arrive, but the effort is worth it.

When I left Melbourne in 2019, I had low expectations for literary support in my new home, Tauranga. I was very wrong! Tauranga Writers Group is the longest running writing group in Aotearoa / New Zealand, only a few years younger than me!

For the first time, I have an in-person critique group, and it’s made an enormous difference to my writing. I’ve had more stories published in the last four years than I had in all my time in Melbourne.

I’ve also joined SpecFicNZ and the NZ Society of Authors, both organisations offer support and learning opportunities.

Writing isn’t a competition. I’d be horrified if my success came at the expense of someone else’s career! Along our writing journey, we learn our craft, share our successes and our failures, we teach, we nurture talent, and we offer our advice. We should promote each other’s work, share opportunities, and offer relentless support to each other.

I’m grateful to my tribe and everything they’ve given to help me grow and improve. I do my best to pay forward what I learn and share my experiences.

If you’re feeling isolated – reach out. You’re not alone.

1 Comment

Villainous Authors

Why Write Novellas?

Oh to be Infamous!

A Leap

Growing My Tribe

Archives

Categories