Controversial opinion maybe but … I love the rain and I’m excited for candlelit cosy autumn. It’s the perfect season for writing and, what do you know but I somehow shot right past the halfway mark in my rewrite. Less than 100 pages to go!

I’ve been reflecting on how when I first started my WIP it was the most fun I ever had writing anything. Now the honeymoon is over and I have to learn to love it again with every chapter. I mean this in good way though. Dedication, devotion. Bringing mature love to it now.

It took me literally 5 seconds to order this because zeppelinmoon’s silly/profound animal illustrations make me feel SO much. Like faith, love, beauty, joy… 🥹 You may well need this in your life too 👀📚

It’s UK pub day for this chonky little beauty by the brilliant Caroline Lawrence 🙌 (*Sorry US friends, it’s not out until late October there) And I believe you can get £5 off at indie bookstore heroes Bookshop.org with the code PAN5 🏺

Lately it’s been a slog. Low motivation, high levels of imposter syndrome, struggling to feel inspired by anything. However, I’ve hit the 2/3 mark of my WIP and I’m taking this low point as a nudge to be extra nice to myself 🌱

Two words not to confuse: Intern: to confine within prescribed limits, e.g as prisoners of war. Inter: to bury a body in a tomb or grave. (Of course, I totally knew this, though … just needed to check 🧐)

Since we moved office, I now share a desk bank with some (unofficial) Tolkien publishers. And all day their chat is like, and I quote, ‘hobbit hole, hobbit hole, Sauron, flying eagle’. Utterly delightful 😂

Perfect autumn equinox weekend. The coal barge came yesterday – just like last year, on such a beautiful day – and we had maybe our last braai. Today, rain and writing and Countryfile. 🍂

Wild autumn weather to begin October. The river is flowing so fast at the moment, but my clever ducks are happy because they’ve found a spot by my boat where the current is slower. Meanwhile, the seven remaining cygnets are practising flying every day, more beautiful than ever.

If anyone’s wondering if #Gormenghast is the kind of classic fantasy trilogy that’s aged ok, I would go one better than that: it is great. Titus Groan is my perfect autumn novel – eccentric characters in a sprawling castle, told with so much personality, and Angela Carter vibes.

You know the autumn is upon us when the morning river is invisible in a white mist that slowly fades to smoke as the sun burns through it… Can I get a hoorah for the sun, meanwhile! Hoorah for the river slowing down, and hoorah for Friday and a weekend of writing ahead 🌞

Guys, if I haven’t tweeted much lately it’s because I’ve been really focused on writing. I’m in some zone and making the most. Sorry … not sorry 😘

Hello friends! Do please join me in wishing a very happy book birthday to Annie Gray whose fabulous book about the history of the high street is published TODAY. This one will appeal to lots of the inhabitants of this little corner of the internet👇 uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-bo…

Great to hear Han Kang has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I found The Vegetarian profoundly unique and beautiful – and The White Book extraordinary. Greek Lessons is on my TBR 📚 theguardian.com/books/2024/oct…

I’m loving my library-borrowed Titus Groan so much that I bought myself the trilogy. Who could resist these Penguin Modern Classics editions? 😍 #amreading #Gormenghast 📚

This would be a good time to leave Twitter? I’m heading to Bluesky and hope to find you there 🩷 Still writing the grim, hopeful stuff and living much the same 🌱