Hello readers! Apologies for the recent lack of posts, but I have been very busy with work – not only of the “earn-money-to-stay-alive” variety, but of the “unpaid-but-career-imperative” variety. Thankfully, I’m still enjoying my somewhat quirky real-life job, but there can be no denying its erosional effect on my free time… I’m working on the … Continue reading Updates and a Lego cathedral
Tag: novels
Free book weekend: 7th-8th June
Hello readers! This weekend, all my books will be FREE on Amazon! My current series, Highmoor, is traditional high fantasy, and the first three books are now out (with the final instalment in progress). These books follow the adventures of three brothers caught up in a conflict between the nations bordering their forest home. It … Continue reading Free book weekend: 7th-8th June
New concept art: Nia
Hello readers! Just a short post this week, announcing the addition of another character to the Highmoor series “art” collection. This is Nia, one of the four major protagonists with perspectives that drive the story. She is the most headstrong of the main characters, in that she speaks her mind plainly and abruptly, and won’t … Continue reading New concept art: Nia
Science fiction and the future: Part Two
Hello readers! In the previous post, we explored the challenges associated with setting a speculative science fiction story in a particular future year. The writer must choose a date that feels plausible to the reader, or else their credibility will be eroded, the foundations of their fictional world will be shaken, and their otherwise carefully-crafted … Continue reading Science fiction and the future: Part Two
Science fiction and the future: Part one
Hello readers! I’ve been pondering the science fiction genre again – specifically, science fiction stories which are set in our universe, with some connection to our world. I haven’t done a thorough survey, but I get the impression that most science fiction falls into this category, rather than being pure science fantasy. And within this … Continue reading Science fiction and the future: Part one
Another Lego creation: Trekja’s Rest
Hello readers! Another Lego model has joined the collection. Just like all the previous models, this is a micro-scale rendition of a fictional location from my Highmoor series – although my hope is that anyone can enjoy the intricacies of these tiny Lego pieces, even without knowing the source material. This is the first time … Continue reading Another Lego creation: Trekja’s Rest
The perils of productivity simulators
Hello readers! Just some miscellaneous waffle from me this week. I’ve been doing a fair bit of book writing recently, but I don’t have much to say about it – nothing entertaining, anyway. From an outsider’s perspective, book writing must appear to be very mundane: just a figure staring at a screen, sometimes hammering out … Continue reading The perils of productivity simulators
Laying an old laptop to rest
Hello readers. It is with great sadness that I must announce the retirement of my faithful laptop. This wonderful machine has facilitated virtually all of my creative efforts over the last ten years. However, it has really started to slow down over the last few months, and with Microsoft promising to axe all support for … Continue reading Laying an old laptop to rest
Why are so many fantasy protagonists upper class?
Hello readers! Have you ever wondered why fantasy stories so often revolve around royals and nobles? A disproportionate number of protagonists are lords and princes, rather than commoners, which suggests that we are drawn to tales of the upper classes. Many of us root for the success of fantasy royals, while remaining ambivalent towards real … Continue reading Why are so many fantasy protagonists upper class?
Free book weekend: 18th-19th January
Hello readers! This weekend, all my books will be FREE on Amazon (find them here). My current series, Highmoor, is traditional high fantasy, and the first three books are now out (with the final instalment in progress). These books follow the adventures of three brothers caught up in a conflict between the nations bordering their … Continue reading Free book weekend: 18th-19th January
C. W. Clayton 