Unsolicited writing advice, no.15555: There are no universal writing rules. There's only what works, and what doesn't work. It may not work for anyone else, but if it gets you where you want to be, that's the way for you to go.

Worth remembering that Terence Stamp was the son of a ship's stoker. Stamp desperately wanted to act, after falling in love with movies as a kid, and it was a scholarship to Drama School that allowed him to walk that path. Every time arts cuts are made, they rob us of more Terence Stamps.

It’s about to be SHOWGIRL SUMMER and I’m here for it 🧡 #taylorswift #thelifeofashowgirl

Hey, political parties, I'm a decent human being who cares about other human beings. How about pandering to me for a bit?

So very true

You may have seen a few authors posting about Waterstones 25% off preorders sale, but I have a few books in the offer too! (Even some we haven’t announced yet🤫) Enter SUMMER25 at the checkout to redeem your discount. Offer ends at 23.59 Thursday 31st July. ow.ly/VlRv50Wvp01

Pre-orders are a HUGE help for us authors, and you can get 25% off the rrp if you pre-order The Big Bad Wolf Murder from Waterstones before the end of the month! Simply use the code SUMMER25. www.waterstones.com/book/the-big... #KidLitUK #KidLit

Destiny’s Child reunite at the final show of Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ tour in Las Vegas tonight! 🚨 👏🏽

Yeah, but tell me how old your face scan thought I was, Bluesky. I’m invested in knowing whether I look in my 30s, 40s, or 80s!!!!

Today-years-old learning about Manic Pixie Dream Girls. Now wondering if Manic Pixie Bog Witches are also a thing, and if so, where do I sign up?

This is so true. Whenever I ask people about the books that really changed their lives, almost always, it's a children's book they remember. They're the ones that make the deepest impact and stay with us forever. That's why I think children's books are the most important books of all!

Stop starving Gaza.

I totally support the National Year Of Reading initiative. We desperately need a culture of reading for pleasure to replace the culture of constant testing in schools, backed by proper government funding. And we need STORYTIME to be part of the school day, every day! #literacy (Art: Chris Riddell)

8 week paid virtual internship here to learn about publishing with Orion, part of Hachette. Details below. Please share :)

Aspiring writer? Here's a quick and simple thing you can do to help yourself right now. 1. Go to your bio. 2. Remove the word "aspiring" ("emerging, budding", "trainee," "wannabe" etc.) 3. Now give yourself permission to write, and to call yourself a writer. youtube.com/watch?v=Q0I_...

Happy 50th JAWS 🦈🎂

This is my little bookshop and we are launching an award! ❤️

My map of independent children's bookshops is updated regularly. Most provide an online service and they're all run by people who can make well-informed book recommendations. If we want to keep them, we need to support them. Any missing, please let me know. padlet.com/Jon_Biddle/r...

Enjoyed #Supergrass tonight in Cardiff, even though I’m in denial that my first year at uni was 30 years ago this year #IShouldCoco

“What the hell just happened?” wasn’t the triumphant song of the contest, but it was the defining slogan #Eurovision

Lots of charities available to support aid to Gaza. Here’s one #Eurovision www.dec.org.uk/appeal/middl...

I second this! #eurovision

A relative was upset about their hair, and I said “It’s chic … it’s French!” which made them smile and feel better about it … and if you know, you know. Made my day that I got a Fleabag quote under the radar 😆

Love your friends. Unashamedly love your friends. Go for little walks. Do lunch. Go for coffee. Make spontaneous plans. Head to the pub. Phone them for five hours straight. Text them the things that make you think of them. Humans are full of so much love, share it with as many people as you can.

Today’s haul from The Book Nook in Cwmcarn 📚 #communitybookshop #secondhandbooks

The more reading influencers a child has in their life, the more likely they are to develop a love of books and stories. So how fantastic that this school used #Pyjamarama to get different year groups reading together! Sign up to join the Pyjamarama fun: www.booktrust.org.uk/support-us/p...

I discovered there’s a bluebell wood 25 mins from my house I didn’t know about, and my delight is off the scale 💙🌳 #FforestFawr #WelshWoods

Love this 🤩

There are some truly immense poetry books on the CLiPPA 2025 shortlist. It's always heartening to see children's poetry being spotlighted.

WE'RE HIRING!! Come join the @nosycrow.bsky.social publicity dream team with me, @becmason26.bsky.social and @thesianpages.bsky.social 📚 Apply here! nosycrow.com/job/publicit...

This is horrific. Bigoted book-banning has no place in UK libraries. Everyone should be able to find themselves in books - that’s where the magic lies. This kind of US-influenced rubbish can literally get in the bin! 💙📚 #BookSky #LibrariesROCK

Had a lovely time last night at Salisbury Waterstones, at the launch of #10MarchfieldSquare by @nixawhy.bsky.social

I asked my local council why the rubbish tip was closed 15 mins early, and their response was its council policy to close the tip 15 mins before the stated closing time. Erm, what now?!

I’ve made a thing. It looks like I’ve done something terrible to Big Bird, and it’s arguably hideous, but cheerful hideous. Stacey Solomon would be proud of me I reckon.

So proud of my lovely, talented friend @nixawhy.bsky.social and her brilliant debut novel #10MarchfieldSquare

Happy publication day to the talented‬⁩ @nixawhy.bsky.social for the wonderfully smart and classy #10MarchfieldSquare 🕵️‍♀️🔎 Set in London’s smallest residential square this murder mystery is a proper treat 🤩 can’t believe it’s a debut! 🥂 Out now from @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social

So here it is, finally. Me and my debut novel. I wrote my first murder mystery aged 15. There were way too many dismembered body parts for a children’s book, but we live and learn. 10 MARCHFIELD SQUARE is a contemporary whodunnit with Only Murders energy. If this is your jam, please check it out!

Moving forward

Truly disturbing to watch, but my god, the writing, acting and production of #Adolescence is superb.

Heartbreaking to see so many author posts about their work being stolen by LibGen and used for Meta AI training. The law needs to catch up to new tech fast. Big business should not get away with stealing from creators.

My debut murder mystery, 10 MARCHFIELD SQUARE, will be officially published in 10 days time! Expect: 🔍A cosy whodunnit 💂‍♂️Set in contemporary London 👵A wealthy widow and her trusty valet 🧽A capable cleaner 🖋An awkward crime writer 🔥Enemies to partners in crime-solving Available to order now!

Ah, Friday at last. How about six new #crimefiction books to surprise and delight? ⚡️📚💙 crimefictionlover.com/2025/03/on-t... Titles by @nixawhy.bsky.social, Chris Offutt , Lee Martin, @neillancaster66.bsky.social, Miles Joyner and @sandiejonesauthor.bsky.social

Unsolicited writing advice, no. #1725: Always have something to write. A story, a sequel, a diary, a piece of fanfic. Not only does it keep you mentally and creatively flexible, it also means you're never sitting around, worrying, checking your e-mails and waiting for someone to get back to you...

Still muttering the T word every time I think about Wes Streeting!! 🙄

I get the govt faces unprecedented PIP costs, but maybe think WHY the mental & physical health of the nation is in free fall, after a global pandemic, economic hardship & a housing crisis incl. millions of mouldy homes. Not diagnosing or treating sickness isn’t gonna solve anything #WesStreeting

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it, always.” Mahatma Gandhi