Notes
Rejection letter
Today I received my fifth rejection letter for The Only Genuine Jones. It contained some encouragement: “Thank you very much for the opportunity. It’s a nice idea but I’m afraid I don’t think it’s strong enough to compete in a hideously competitive marketplace. I hope you
Words of wisdom from Professor James Forbes
Professor James Forbes (1809 – 1868) was, in many ways, the first British explorer of the European Alps. Many other British climbers had scaled Mont Blanc, or journeyed throughout the Alps and climbed various mountains here and there–but none of them, until this remarkable man came along, ever made a
Writerly thoughts for the day
It’s remarkable how tiny mistakes have the power to persist in a manuscript that’s so far been rewritten from scratch three times and edited even more often. In this age of digital wizardry, storage clouds, ubiquitous information and the ability to both produce and edit content virtually anywhere,
Review: The History Of Pendennis
The History Of Pendennis by William Makepeace Thackeray My rating: 3 of 5 stars The History of Pendennis is the second of Thackeray’s novels that I’ve read, and to my mind not quite as good as Vanity Fair. The central themes are powerful and skillfully woven into the
The ice axe as a symbol
This is the Prima ice axe, similar to the one used by pioneering English climber Owen Glynne Jones in his last few years of life. Jones was killed on the Dent Blanche in 1899 and the splintered remains of his axe, and a few other items, were discovered on the
The next step
For thirteen years I’ve been attempting to write fiction, from clumsy early attempts at fantasy novels, derivative and lacklustre, to the days when my interest in historical fiction grew and I started to put more heart into my work. Always there has been a ‘next step’ to look forward
First thoughts on the Amazon Kindle
I’ve finally got one! For several years now I’ve been an ebook convert. The tipping point happened in 2007 when, on a trip to the Alps, my brother and I ended up buying so many books to read during the month of our excursion that we almost went
First post in over three years
This blog was established in March 2007, but I last wrote in it on the 10th of February, 2009, to announce the launch of Glencoe Mountaineer. At the time I was in the middle of my first complete winter climbing season in the Scottish Highlands, and although it didn’t
I’m in Glencoe!
Arrived at the Clachaig yesterday after my epic mini-tour of England, including drinks and laughter at the Fat Cat to say good-bye to people in Norwich, and a lovely evening with Grace in Nottingham. The journey up to the Coe was a bit fraught, with double-booked seats on the train
The New Plan in motion!
After a casual suggestion made to me on a UKC thread yesterday, a new and potentially epic detour to the faltering New Plan has unfolded as a possibility. If you recall, my original post-UEA plan was to work in Norwich for a while, gain savings, then go and live near