There are few debates in writing that have survived the centuries with quite the same stubbornness as the Oxford comma, the eternal "said" versus "exclaimed" argument, or whether prologues are literary appetizers or the narrative equivalent of making your guests stand in the hallway for twenty minutes. Yet somehow, tucked quietly among these battlegrounds, lives another question that has consumed more coffee, more notebooks, and more collective brainpower than it probably des

Living in New Zealand has given me the chance to experience traditions that weren't part of my childhood. One of those is Matariki. For anyone reading from elsewhere in the world, Matariki marks the rising of the Matariki star cluster (known internationally as the Pleiades) and signals the beginning of the Māori New Year. It's a time to remember those who have passed, celebrate the people around you, and look forward to the year ahead with intention. Reflection, gratitude, h

I had a plan. It was a good plan. For one glorious month, I was going to travel through Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. I was going to eat food I couldn't pronounce properly, pronounce words I could barely say, while drinking local wine, wandering ancient streets, getting pleasantly lost, meeting up with family I haven't seen in years while slowly roasting in 36 degree heat, and, for once, not spend every waking hour thinking about fictional people trying to kill each other. Th

People often ask where characters come from. The honest answer? Everywhere. A stranger's smile across a café. A conversation overheard in the supermarket. Someone's nervous habit of tapping their fingers. A childhood memory that refuses to fade. A scar. A laugh. A fear you've carried for years. They all become ingredients, mixed together until someone entirely new walks onto the page. That's the magic of writing. You don't copy people. You collect fragments of humanity and br

Shit... writing a second book is hard. Before I published my debut novel Road Trip Z in 2019, I had a fairly neat set of publishing plans worked out. I mapped out release windows years in advance like I was running a very small, very fragile publishing empire of one. Book two would land in 2023, book three not long after, momentum would carry me forward neatly in a straight line. And, if I’m honest, I was a bit overconfident about it. I’d cracked the big time—at least that’s

There should be a medical term for the phenomenon where your brain refuses to solve a plot problem for three weeks... only to yell the answer at you at 3:00 a.m. Not 2:47. Not a civilized 7:30. Three. In. The. Morning. Yip, you heard me! Your brain waits until you're unconscious, barges into your dream like an over-caffeinated intern looking to step up, and screams: "I FIGURED OUT WHO KILLED THE MAYOR!" And now you have a choice. Option A: Ignore it and gamble that you'll rem

About this Event Myth & Magic in the Bay: November Book Month Panel and Book Launch presented by Tauranga Writers Tauranga Library, 91...

06 May 2020 Dark teen fantasy a winner for Matt A resurrected, first-attempt novel tucked away in a drawer for several years has earned...

When the apocalyptic downfall of the world came, it was a terrifying tsunami of tooth and claw. Two years on, and the plague of all...

Science fiction is one of the more exciting genres in literature. Not only does it seek to investigate humanity’s biggest questions, but...