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Writing

Introduction

I've been a writer for as long as I've been a reader, in the sense of simply putting words onto paper. I wrote a "novel" at Quilters Infants School in Billericay which featured dinosaurs climbing out of the trenches at the side of the games field and attacking the school. I was less than seven years old and I remember filling an exercise book. I'm sure that it was truly awful and not as long as it seemed at the time, but at least I had felt the need to create something, even back then.

I've dabbled here and there ever since, but started taking writing seriously after reading an article by Jerry Pournelle on writing (jerrypournelle.com). I began a daily writing project I called The Million Word March that was designed to improve whatever talents I had as a writer, by following Pournelle's advice to write, write, write; to finish what I started; and to reach a million words.

While I shifted away from that focused project after a while, I never shifted away from its goal. I have no idea when my word count clocked past the million mark but it got there. I believe that my writing reached the point of quality where I could be deemed a Writer in March 2010 while reviewing films at Apocalypse Later Film Reviews (apocalypselaterfilm.com). I've lost count of the millions since then and count books instead (six in print, more to come).

I do often cringe when looking back at what I wrote years ago, but then that's precisely the point. We're always learning and we have to hone our craft.


Books

Home page for Apocalypse Later Press, which publishes my books.

ALP001: Huh? An A-Z of Why Classic American Bad Movies Were Made
ALP002: Velvet Glove Cast in Iron: The Films of Tura Satana
ALP003: Charlie Chaplin Centennial: Keystone
ALP004: The International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival: The Transition Years
ALP005: A Hundred in 2016
ALP006: The Awesomely Awful '80s, Part 2

A Hundred in 2016 won the Alan Black Book of the Festival Award at Cirque du Livre 2017 (anthology.org).

My Author Page at Amazon (amazon.com), where you can buy my books.


Special Projects

Home page for Special Projects (apocalypselaterfilm.com), which have ended up as books or are likely to do so.

Doc Savage Runthrough (apocalypselaterempire.com), reviewing a Doc Savage novel a month in the original pulp publication order.
Hugo Award Runthrough (apocalypselaterempire.com), reviewing Hugo Award-winning novels in the order they won.


Film Reviews

Home page for Apocalypse Later Film Reviews (apocalypselaterfilm.com).

Indexes:
By Title | By Year | By Director | Arizona Films

Centennials:
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016

Other Special Projects:
Charlie Chaplin Centennial
Cinematic Hell
Dry Heat Obscurities
Horror Movie Calendar
The IMDb Top 250 Project
Make It a Double
Weird Wednesdays


Book Reviews

Home page for Apocalypse Later Book Reviews (apocalypselaterempire.com) which I write for The Nameless Zine (thenamelesszine.org).


Music Reviews

Home page for Apocalypse Later Music Reviews (apocalypselatermusic.com).

Index to all my music reviews at Horns Ablaze (hornsablaze.com).


Blogs

Live:
Apocalypse Later Now! (blogspot.com).

Archived:
Home page for The Poe Station Blog.
Captain's Blog (archives): May 2002 | June 2002 | July 2002.


The Million Word March

Home page for The Million Word March, my daily writing experiment in 2001.

Most Popular Piece: Pubic Hair in a To Go Box
My Favourite Piece: This Aphorism Affliction
Best Piece (Maybe): Grand Subtleties and Evil Gods


Major Articles

Norman F. Astell and the Raiding Support Regiment
Why the RIAA is Obsolete and You Don't Have to Care
Setting Up a Watched Film List in MS Excel


Scribbles

Home page for Scribbles, my short stories, poems and peoms.


Culture

Home page for Hal and Dee at the Movies.
Home page for The Musical Box.
Home page for The Last Page Bookshop.


Travels

Home page for North American Tour '99.
Home page for Millennium Roadtrip.


(Auto)biography and Family History

Home page for (Auto)Biography and Family History.

Norman F. Astell and the Raiding Support Regiment
Names in the Mist


Guest Poetry

Home page for Guest Poetry, works not written by me.



Creative Commons License
Last update: 9th April, 2020