Writing Blog Number 2 (continued) (Book) https://www.Writing.Com/main/profile.php/blog/steven-writer Reading Writing Out Loud This came up in an email after my last little trip to the local radio station. For those unaware, for the past 4 years I have been doing monthly (mostly) sessions on my local community FM radio station where I read some of my writing for the entertainment (?) of the listeners. To be honest, and I donât like tooting my own horn, on Writerâs Corner, the programme I appear on, I garner the most listeners when they adver...[Read Full Post] Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:56:19 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121434 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121434 External Writerings July2026 Yes, sorry, it is that time again for me to please ask very nicely for you to read my alleged work in the external columns! No simple song lists, but in memoriam lists and best of a previous time period of 2026, and a concert review. [Link: ' Another covers band I caught at the pub.'] [Link: ' My favourite wrestling big shows of the start of 2026.'] [Link: ' The new release albums from the second qu...[Read Full Post] Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:15:38 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121310 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121310 Book Clubs Brief one here. Basically, Are book clubs worth it? For those unaware, a book club is where a group of people come together and discuss a book all have read. They are usually once a month (giving the readers 4 weeks or so to read). There are online groups and in-person groups. Generally, the members of the group have enough similarities that the books chosen will suit everyone. Well, statistics I have recently seen from ...[Read Full Post] Fri, 14 Aug 2026 00:54:47 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121148 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121148 Novel #61 And we come to one of my better novels of the past few years. At least, I thought it was a better one until it got itself a beta read... Still work to do, I'm afraid. (Always trust your beta readers; I cannot emphasise this enough.) From Above is an out-and-out creature-feature horror tale, set in outback South Australia, using a stereotypical Aussie cryptid (note â it is pronounced âOzzyâ, like Ozzy Osbourne, not â...[Read Full Post] Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:55:30 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121037 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1121037 Video: Character Introductions So, weâve had two videos, letâs make it three and look at how to introduce characters when writing: [Embed 7siUON2DmhU] Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:13:13 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120936 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120936 Video: Character Names Another video which I think is done so much better than anything I could do â a way in which writers can name characters in fantasy (science fiction) tales: [Embed ikdyuJVq_p8] Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:15:10 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120749 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120749 Video: Tropes That Annoy Readers BookFox does this far better than I ever could, so here is the video: [Embed //www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1lOKwRgBag] And then thereâs the extras from the comments. So you donât have to read thousands of them, hereâs the best of the rest: * âOne I hate, and is huge in action films and novels, is when the heroes have no problem killing dozens of henchmen and minions to get to the main bad guy but then t...[Read Full Post] Wed, 05 Aug 2026 01:34:20 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120648 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120648 Novel #60 Before I hit the next novel, a novella â Our Own Characters. At 38k words I really like it. It is a middle-aged romance story and involves the music industry and old love rekindled. But who wants that? The next novel is the last in the speculative humour cycle of short novels. Mummyâs The Word is a horror humour story about a mummy that is brought to England, kills some people, and ends up working for the rich guy w...[Read Full Post] Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:17:19 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120532 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120532 Personal Eponyms/Neologisms A couple of posts ago I looked at potential new religions based on famous peopleâ so what about regular words? These words based on people are called eponyms, and if the words are new they are eponymous neologisms. Now, we know that quite a few words have been based on the names of people: * Aphrodisiac is from Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love * Bechamel sauce (used in lasagne), from Louis de BÃchamel, who was...[Read Full Post] Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:10:10 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120328 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120328 Fantasy Employment So, youâve got a fantasy world. You know there are people there and that they have to do something to earn money. But there are only so many bakers, butchers, inn-keepers, guards, tailors, tanners, smiths and street-cleaners that a town needs. What other occupations were there in the past that you can use to populate your fantasy world to make it more realistic and to give everyone different work to do? Letâs have a quick l...[Read Full Post] Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:59:05 EDT https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120234 https://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/1120234