At work today, literally said one of the best things I've ever said, and I was utterly serious: "I don't have capacity - I finish at 4pm, and need to sort the space time continuum before then!' Think I might've peaked.

I just turned in my revisions for my 2026 @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social novel WORRY BOX. This thing is unlike anything I've written before. I'm excited. I'm scared.

This weekend, I shall be KILLING MY DARLINGS

My friend @carolinehardaker.bsky.social, who is one of the most talented writers I know, has a new blog series where authors dissect their first drafts. For some reason, she wanted me on to break down the first draft of SHITSHOW. 😂 So here it is! carolinehardakerwrites.com/2025/09/17/d...

Been building up to reading this one for a while, just waiting for the right moment 💓 Can't wait to dive in!

*NEW BLOG POST*! And I'm branching out! In the first of this series, I'm inviting some author pals to spill the beans on wrangling their crazy story ideas onto solid first drafts. First in the line-up is the ever-womderful @scribeofhades.bsky.social ! carolinehardakerwrites.com/2025/09/17/d...

Another day, another weird bunch of madcap characters by my 4 year old🤔😬🧐 Name suggestions, please👍

Never tire of being up-close to these beauties. I feel like 2026 might be the beginnings of my octopus era and I'm so here for that🐙🐙🐙

Signed 🦋MOTHTOWN🦋 copies at @blackwells.bsky.social Newcastle 👍👍 Get 'em while they're... Mothy?

David will always have a place in my 🖤. Strange, the place these protagonists live in us. Of mine, Norah and David are the only two out there in the bookshops. But I hope you get to meet more of them. Little Maudie. The Ritualkeeper. Violine. So much more to come📚📚📚📚📚📚

Imagining everyone blowing conches like Krishna signaling that its time to kill some relatives

Some of the inspo images from my new WIP... I'm over the 20,000 word mark now. Knee-deep. I have to say, I'm bloody loving this one👀🖤👌📚

Spotted by the keen-eyed @frith_jones in St David's, Pembrokeshire... I always thought I was a good'un, but I didn't know I was SAINTLY! Saint Non - that's me😇🪽

And so the new novel continues✍️📚It'll be a while before I know the fate of the 🌊🐚sea book🐚🌊 I finished in June, so I've jumped right into a new story. It's strange, because I was determined to wait, to have a little break. But this was one I couldn't resist...

The bond between a cat and her blanket😺💓🛏️

My origin story💀☠️🦴🩻

Last chance to get the Best of British SF/F bundle, ending TODAY! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books, $20! With @aptshadow.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social @tomlloydwrites.bsky.social and more, plus raising money for @locusmag.bsky.social! Re-posts appreciated!

Just 3 days left to get the Best of British SF/F 2025 bundle! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books for $20! with @aptshadow.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social @tomlloydwrites.bsky.social and more! +raising money for @locusmag.bsky.social! Re-posts appreciated!

Just 9 days left to get the Best of British SF/F 2025 bundle! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books for $20! with @aptshadow.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social @tomlloydwrites.bsky.social and more! +raising money for @locusmag.bsky.social! Re-posts appreciated!

Note to pals: if I seem out of sorts at the moment, I am. My 4 year old is obsessed with watching The Fox and the Hound so my heart is breaking on a daily basis and I just CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE😭🎬🦊🐶

It's Friday, treat yourself with a book bundle! Try the Best of British SF/F 2025 bundle! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books for $20! with @aptshadow.bsky.social @lavietidhar.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social + plenty of others & charity partner @locusmag.bsky.social

*NEW BLOG*! This time, how to ‘show not tell’ in fiction, and why it's sometimes OK to tell! carolinehardakerwrites.com/2025/07/14/h...

Need some good reads? Try the Best of British SF/F 2025 bundle! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books for $20! with @aptshadow.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social @tomlloydwrites.bsky.social and more! +charity partner @locusmag.bsky.social! Re-posts appreciated!

I'm in here! ⬇️MOTHTOWN⬇️

I'm delighted to launch the 2025 Best of British SF/F bundle today! storybundle.com/bestof 10 books for $20! with @aptshadow.bsky.social @adamroberts.bsky.social @carolinehardaker.bsky.social @tomlloydwrites.bsky.social and more! +charity partner @locusmag.bsky.social! Re-posts appreciated!

While planning the next ⏳BOOK⏳I've been suddenly taken over by a new idea but it's a crazy one. It might be a novel. It might be a novella. Or even just a short story. But I feel like I have to do it now. It's a worm on my head and it's tickling too much. Who wants to read my take on zombies??

New story checklist for the weekend. Slower pace for me, having finally submitted the 🌊SEA BOOK🌊 back to my agent and hopefully for good. Ready for a new challenge. A new story📚📖👍😊

#WritingCommunity , please help me settle a debate! I've been reading a bit about readers' preferred tenses, and 3rd person past tense comes out top, whilst third person present seems to drive loads of readers a bit barmy. Is this right? I love present tense!

Early morning train to the Big Smoke for an agent brunch, book chats, the Arthur C Clarke Awards with some publisher peeps, and to see the lovely @gabrielahouston.bsky.social ! See you soon, the North!

Here I go again. PLANNING THE NEXT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Been trying to limit my book-buying recently, as it's got a bit ridiculous🤭😬so I'm working through books from ages ago. My books are 3 rows deep on our shelves so I'm discovering some old surprises. I'm shopping my shelves, and loving it. #onmyreadinglist

My roses are back! Who understands the mystery of nature? Not I. But I'm thankful as I head out to write at the bottom of my garden🏵️🏵️🏵️

New blog, where I deepdive into the world of #whump ! carolinehardakerwrites.com/2025/06/07/w...

Editingeditingeditingeditingeditingeditingeditingeditingediting

Another weekend of @dndbeyond.com adventuring with this fantastic crew and our wonderful DM⚔️ Already can't wait for the next one!

Also: “Granny had a philosophical objection to reading, but she'd be the last to say that books, especially books with nice thin pages, didn't have their uses." ― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites

Monthly Dispatch #24 — ft. Emily Lu @unpaginated.bsky.social @zebulonhourse.bsky.social @kimchimarx.bsky.social Benjamin Robinson, Anna Lidia Vega Serova (tr. @robmunb.bsky.social) Diane Seuss @benlibman.bsky.social Jon Cone @carolinehardaker.bsky.social +++ minorlits.substack.com/p/monthly-di...

💜🐱💜

ICYMI — last week @ minor lits ... — new fiction from @zebulonhourse.bsky.social minorliteratures.com/2025/05/20/t... — @carolinehardaker.bsky.social on Zdravka Evtimova minorliteratures.com/2025/05/21/t... — Benjamin Robinson on Pádraig Ó Raghallaigh minorliteratures.com/2025/05/22/t...

featuring Emily Lu, @unpaginated.bsky.social @zebulonhourse.bsky.social @kimchimarx.bsky.social Benjamin Robinson, Anna Lidia Vega Serova (tr. @robmunb.bsky.social) Diane Seuss, @benlibman.bsky.social Jon Cone @carolinehardaker.bsky.social & more ...

Back in the world of edits, and my head is spinning. When you receive a bunch of notes, it feels overwhelming. Almost impossible. Where to start? Where to end them? But every edit makes things better. I have a month to complete this book and then... Who the heck knows😬🤞🌊

Maybe it's called a corpse flower because that's a dead ballerina stuffed in a bucket.

"Moments of beauty. Of clarity. Of seeing through the grime and poverty to a moment of light ..." The Wolves of Staro Selo by Zdravka Evtimova (trans. Yana Ellis) — @carolinehardaker.bsky.social minorliteratures.com/2025/05/21/t...

Such an honour to read and review this one!

The Wolves of Staro Selo by Zdravka Evtimova (trans. Yana Ellis) — Caroline Hardaker (@carolinehardaker.bsky.social) minorliteratures.com/2025/05/21/t...

and coming up this week ... — new fiction from @zebulonhourse.bsky.social — @carolinehardaker.bsky.social reviews Zdravka Evtimova — Benjamin Robinson on Pádraig Ó Raghallaigh

☺️☺️☺️

Next up!🌸🌹🌺🌼💐💀 Definite Midsommar vibes going on, here. Anyone else read this one? #onmyreadinglist

Love seeing 🦋MOTHTOWN🦋 still out there in the bookshops! Hoping that there'll be another one next to it on the shelf at some point soonish🤞