How to sell books in your local library — This may seem an oxymoron: selling books in libraries. After all, libraries are where people go to borrow books for free, not pay for them. But for the last few years, I and a few other local authors have successfully held Meet The Author events in our local library and…

A 4-mile circular walk around one of the Lake District’s glorious lakes. — The Buttermere Circular is one of the UK’s Lake District classic circular routes. It’s a four-mile, non-strenuous route that all the family can tackle, especially if it is savoured. Visit it on a day when the air is still and it’s not a lake you’ll circumnavigate, but a mirror.

Diary of a Dogsitter — Future Double Trouble Cuteness Alert! I’ve not been needed for dog-sitting duties for a few months because . . . well, Betsy has been rather busy . . .

How a Pembrokeshire limestone outcrop has adapted over the centuries — It stands on guard, protecting Tenby’s Castle beach from . . . well, these days, not much more than easterly winds attacking the Pembrokeshire coastline. …

AKA — Two different ways to play Kiss Chase — I’ve just spent a glorious week in the UK’s fantastic Lake District. And I completely lucked out on the weather. It rains a lot in the Lake District (hence why the region is called the Lake District). England’s wettest place, Seathwaite, is located in the Lake District. So when it’s…

How to sell your self-published books, before you’ve finished writing them. — This article first appeared in Writing Magazine in June 2022. (*= affiliate link: I sometimes use affiliate links in my posts. This won’t cost you anything, but if you go on to buy from a link I may earn a small commission.) Picture the scene: your readers have devoured your…

How to get more travel feature ideas from your trip — Over the years, I’ve judged many travel writing competitions. I’ve also tutored on a creative writing distance learning course, where the travel writing module was always one of the most popular. One of the most common mistakes I came across with travel pieces in both these situations was that they…

Fourteen ways to be your human’s best friend — Pop into your master’s bathroom when he’s not looking. If he sprinkles whilst he tinkles, be a sweetie and lick clean the seatie. It’ll save him getting the disinfectant out and keep him in his girlfriend’s good books. Teething can be a painful experience for a dog, so chew on…

Why non-writers just don’t get it — “You’re cutting the grass now?” I look down at my hands gripping the lawnmower and about to press the power button so that I can decapitate another quarter of an inch off the top of every blade. You have to admit. As observations go, this was pretty astounding. “It looks…