Blog Posts

  • What if the Bad Guys Read Books Too?

    What if the Bad Guys Read Books Too?

    Like many people, I imagine, I’ve been thinking of the Handmaid’s Tale over the past week. I think its fair to say that most people…

  • And then they start flying…

    And then they start flying…

    One of the signs that a story has jumped the shark is when characters who previously couldn’t do so suddenly gain the ability to fly. …

  • Getting Around in Doom Emacs

    The following post is part of my new Emacs Writing Setup. You can find the complete setup here on GitHub: https://github.com/ballantony/emacs-writing A big part of…

  • The Time Traveller’s Wife

    The Time Traveller’s Wife

    I visited my wife’s childhood home last week, clearing out the last few things following the death of her father. The house lies in a…

  • Your Day on a Page

    Your Day on a Page

    For many people, going to College means freedom. Freedom to try new things, to do what you like, when you like. Well, not quite. You’re still…

  • The Right Stuff

    The Right Stuff

    Someone said that a Science Fiction story was one that wouldn’t work if you removed the science element I was struck by this watching an…

  • Live Notes and Archives

    Live Notes and Archives

    Suppose every year I plan a birthday party for my good friend, Jean Petite. I have separate notes containing lists of presents, guests, food and…

  • The Path of a Story

    The Path of a Story

    There’s a story that turns up every so often where one of the characters wonders what things would have been like if x hadn’t happened.…

  • Todos and Agenda Views

    The following post is part of my new Emacs Writing Setup. You can find the complete setup here on GitHub: https://github.com/ballantony/emacs-writing On my original Emacs…

  • Cargo Cult Science Fiction

    Cargo Cult Science Fiction

    There’s too much Cargo Cult Science Fiction.  The term “Cargo Cult Science” was first used by physicist Richard Feynman in 1974. It focuses on the…

  • The Machine Stops

    The Machine Stops

    Then she generated the light, and the sight of her room, flooded with radiance and studded with electric buttons, revived her. There were buttons and…

  • The Professional Side

    The Professional Side

    I’ve written a lot about the tools I use to handle the creative side of writing. But what about the professional side? It’s a principle…