I'm a British writer and freelance web designer who requires regular doses of speculative fiction to function properly. I've also been known as a belly dancer and a kick-boxer, and I once died in an extremely low-budget zombie movie. I blog regularly at my LiveJournal about writing, rejection, reading, gaming, music and other sundry topics. A bibliography of my published fiction is available at my website.
I can also be found:
I also make websites: J. Oliver Designs.
Death Car Alley, February 2012, from Jersey Devil Press issue 27. Speculative, dark fantasy. 3,900 words.
The Clockmaker's Heart, December 2012, in Nanoism.
Ring-Ring, July 2012. Speculative, 156 words.
Robogrrrl, March 2012. Sci-fi Twitter fiction.
The Panorama, November 2012. Steampunk, fantasy, 660 words.
Dadaism and Letting Go of Authorial Control, at Paperblanks Blog.
Finding Your Author Voice, at Printsasia.
Mind Mapping for Fiction Writers, at Storyslingers.
Featured Fiction Writer, an interview with Paperblanks blog.
I dislike anything with more than four legs, but I could make an exception for this. Incredible craftwork.
Worth checking out the comment section. From Chuck Wendig’s blog:
It’s actually pretty enlightening — I’d suggest that writers and publishers and anybody peripherally related to the publishing industry poke through those comments. It’s a long read, but contains some surprising answers (f’rex, blurbs figure in more than I would’ve imagined).
You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… May you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.” ― Ray Bradbury
Is it bad of me to want one of these for my cat?
An Evening with Ray Bradbury 2001 (by UCtelevision)
I could watch this every day. He was always so inspirational.
This man is one of my heroes. I’ll read pretty much anything he writes. When I read his books, the mundane becomes magical, and for a long time afterwards, my eyes are wide open.
He’s the type of author who makes me want to hang up my keyboard and never write again, while simultaneously forcing me to analyse my stories and strive to be better, stronger, to look at the world differently, and to never give up.
Writing is physical work. It’s sweaty work. You can’t just will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it.
Short story I wrote a couple of years ago, published at the excellent Jersey Devil Press magazine. It’s a 3,900 word dark, urban fantasy with hints of a monster-apocalypse and a dash of tongue-in-cheek. You can also download a .pdf of the full issue here, which I recommend because then you’ll be able to read all the stories from issue 27 of JDP.
The excellent Topping & Company Booksellers in Bath are hosting an evening with Neil Gaiman on 14th June.
Neil will be promoting his newest adult book The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The evening will consist of an interview on stage, followed by a book signing where audience members can pick up advance copies of the book and get them personalised (which is so very, very cool). I have booked my ticket and I am excite! Find out more about the event here on the Topping & Company website.
There’s also a Raymond E. Feist event on 10th May listed here that I’d quite like to go to, but I’m still not sure if I can afford to do both at the moment. Sadface.
♫ Four Kids To A Glockenspiel by Brigade. Been listening to this a lot recently while writing.
Area 51 @ Sci-Fi Weekender 2013 (by jenniferkoliver)
Clip of entertainment troupe Area 51 taken at Sci-Fi Weekender 2013, held in North Wales, UK. These guys were awesome. Filmed on an iPhone in the midst of a busy crowd, so apologies if it’s a bit shaky at times and the sound quality varies.
For more about Area 51.
Find out more about Sci-Fi Weekender here.
Titan the Robot @ Sci-Fi Weekender 2013 (by jenniferkoliver)
This was extremely cool. A short clip of Titan the Robot taken at the Sci-Fi Weekender 2013, held in North Wales, UK. (Apologies if the quality is a little sketchy at times - this was taken on an iPhone in the midst of a buzzing crowd.)
Find out more about Titan here.
Find out more about Sci-Fi Weekender here.
HEY ALL YOU WRITERS!
So in our spare time, my friend and I run this here writing community called GET YOUR WORDS OUT. It’s a year-long writing comm with huge word count goals—the smallest goal is 150K words, and we’ve actually added a new highest goal this year of 500K! (Previously it was 350K, but clearly that is too easy for some people.)
2013 will be our 5th year running it, and I’ll admit that right now we’re planning it to be the last, though that may change. But if it IS our last, we really want it to go out with a bang!
If you want to know more about what joining entails, you can check out this post on the comm. Please feel free to reblog this and get the word around. Sign-ups are open now and will close on January 20. You can ask questions at the comm, or you can hit up my ask box and I’ll getcha there.
There are a few of you I follow who I’m eying to join up in particular, so I hope you will! :D
I really love these ladies and this comm. If you write, whether it’s fic or original, then check it out. It’s a place for making goals and sticking to them. ♥
I take part in this community and have made my word count pledge for 2013. Join up if you’re looking for a fun and friendly writing challenge.
