I’m in the top 10%

Earlier this year I entered my first feature screenplay, The Waiting Room, into the Page International Screenwriting Awards.

Now celebrating its 16th anniversary year, the PAGE Awards is, according to their website (and who am I to argue?), widely regarded as one of the industry’s top sources for new screenwriting talent. Each year some of Hollywood’s most influential producers, agents, managers, and development executives judge the contest and read the winning scripts, and as a result, dozens of past winners have secured representation, landed script assignments, signed option agreements on their work, and many now have movies and television shows in production, on the air, and in theatres.

Today I heard that I had made it to the Quarter Finals! That’s the top 10% of entries. Now, that’s still a big old field, more than 700 scripts, but I’m still delighted to have made it this far. Being in the top 10% of anything is a good thing, right? I’ll hear if I’ve made it through to the semi finals next month. Let’s see what happens from here.

Designing the cover for Arkship Omega – Vlog #010

You can pre-order Arkship Omega here:
https://getbook.at/Arkship6

Out now: Arkship Prophecy

It’s here! Arkship Prophecy, book 5 in the Arkship Saga is available to read now!

As the Church of the Infinite forces its doctrine on the survivors of humanity, the battle-weary Prince Halstead finds himself torn between his desire for peace and the growing tide of resistance, led by his estranged wife Bara. As the survival of humanity hangs in the balance, Halstead must finally decide what the Infinite Gods want him to do, a decision that could change the balance of power across the Cluster forever.

Meanwhile, the followers of the prophet Gofal, in hiding from the brutal forces of the Church’s Inquisitors, work towards a better future, one that may demand the ultimate sacrifice of their outlawed cult.

Now, I’d better get writing book 6, Arkship Omega.

My week: finishing my 10th book!

It’s been a busy start to 2019, with me frantically working on Arkship Prophecy, the 5th book in the Arkship Saga, and my 10th novel to date! I can’t quite get my head round that, it’s such a weird concept. When did I write ten books? Like any big achievement, its only possible by breaking it down into lots and lots of little tasks. It’s taken me almost ten years to get this far, and it’s been a lot of hard work, but I’m really glad I did it.

Arkship Prophecy, book 5 in the Arkship Saga, is now available to pre-order. It’s due out next week, and you can get 25% off the launch price if you grab it today!

As the Church of the Infinite forces its doctrine on the survivors of humanity, the battle-weary Prince Halstead finds himself torn between his desire for peace and the growing tide of resistance, led by his estranged wife Bara. With the survival of humanity hanging in the balance, Halstead must finally decide what the Infinite Gods want him to do, a decision that could change the balance of power across the Cluster forever.

Get 25% off the launch price of Arkship Prophecy

New Year, New Books

It’s 2019, the year of Blade Runner! It’s time to go buy yourself a flying car and book a trip to the off-world colonies to get away from the constant rain. (I live in the UK and I’m used to rain, so I’ll be fine right here.)

January is a good time to plan for the coming year. Here’s what I aim to do:

More books!
No big surprise there, right? Arkship Prophecy is on pre-order right now, due out at the end of next month. Then there’s book six to think about. That’s the last volume in the main run of the Arkship Saga, although there are three prequels planned as well as several side stories.  
There’s also the prospect of me writing two separate licenced titles but those are not yet confirmed. They’re both science fiction but very different beasts. 
I plan to return to Tobin Artichoke later in the year with two more adventures, so I’m going to be busy.

Screenplays
I’m in the middle of writing a post-apocalyptic love story which I hope to finish in the summer. I’ve really enjoyed doing this and I hope I can do more of this sort of thing as well as writing books.

Events and talks
I’ve been doing less public events so that I can focus on writing, but I’ve not abandoned them completely. I’ve got a few school events coming up as well as some industry talks to writers and publishers.

Animation
I’m still working as an animator in between writing. There are more Doctor Who blu ray box sets coming out which include work from me.

My aim this year is to be productive but to avoid being the busy fool I’ve been in recent years. How about you? What’s your goals for 2019? Let me know what you’re up to.

Arkship Prophecy revealed!

The Arkship Saga continues with book five, Arkship Prophecy, which is now available to pre-order! Members of the Arkship Saga Facebook page have already seen the cover, but if you’re not a member then you can see it for yourself now! Just click this link!
See the cover for Arkship Prophecy
What’s it all about? Well….

As the Church of the Infinite forces its doctrine on the survivors of humanity, the battle-weary Prince Halstead finds himself torn between his desire for peace and the growing tide of resistance, led by his estranged wife Bara. As the survival of humanity hangs in the balance, Halstead must finally decide what the Infinite Gods want him to do, a decision that could change the balance of power across the Cluster forever.

Meanwhile, the followers of the prophet Gofal, in hiding from the brutal forces of the Church’s Inquisitors, work towards a better future, one that may demand the ultimate sacrifice of their outlawed cult.

Past and future collide in this fifth volume of the explosive Arkship Saga. If you liked Battlestar Galactica, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series or The Expanse then this might be the series for you!

“Aren’t you Trevor Hoyle?”

Yesterday, I was in Manchester for the Society of Authors Annual General Meeting. I’ve been on the committee of the Authors North sub-group for the last few years and, until yesterday, I was its Chair. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a story about how I got kicked off the committee, I was due to step down and hand over to the new Chair, the excellent Rhoda Baxter. My tenure as Chair was, thankfully, without incident. (Nothing was proved.)

I was helping to look after the registration desk when I heard a familiar name mentioned: Trevor Hoyle.

My brain began to buzz. How did I know that name? Then it came to me: Trevor Hoyle was the writer of one of my favourite books from my childhood, the first novel based on the BBC TV series, Blake’s 7.

“Aren’t you Trevor Hoyle? You wrote a Blake’s 7 book!”

I left the registration desk and caught up with a somewhat startled chap, as captured in this aggressive-looking picture taken by Colin Shelborn.

“Aren’t you Trevor Hoyle?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied, with all the nervousness of a man being accosted by a scary stranger.

“You worte a Blake’s 7 book!” I declared, like an idiot.

Trevor chuckled. “Well, I wrote three, actually.”

My collection of Trevor Hoyle books

Indeed he did. Here’s a selection of my own copies of those books, a mix of the UK and US editions. In fact, Trevor is an incredibly varied and prolific author:

“Trevor Hoyle has published fiction with John Calder: The Man Who Travelled on Motorways, Vail (a dystopian vision of Britain as a police state) and Blind Needle, a chase thriller set in the Lake District. His novel The Last Gasp is currently under option in Hollywood. In 2003 Pomona reissued Rule of Night (originally published in 1975), about skinheads in a northern town, which was Time Out’s Book of the Week and was highly praised in the Guardian and City Life. More recently Trevor Hoyle has written for BBC Radio 4. His first play, GIGO, won the Radio Times Drama Award, and another, Randle’s Scandals, about the rude Wigan comedian Frank Randle, was critically acclaimed. He also wrote and presented a feature for Radio 4, The Lighthouse Invites the Storm, in memory of the writer Malcolm Lowry.”

My chat to Trevor was brief – the registration desk was calling me – but it was a genuine thrill to meet someone who was part of my childhood. That copy of Blake’s 7 was well-read and fondly remembered.

My week: slow progress

The fifth book in the Arkship Saga, Arkship Prophecy is coming soon. No, really! Hey, I mean it! I’ve just been sidetracked by other work, which means that Arkship Prophecy might not appear until after Christmas. I really wanted it out before now, but hopefully you won’t have too much longer to wait.

And the third audiobook, Arkship Alliance, is also on its way. Mike Robinson is working hard to get this finished, and I’m sure it’s going to be worth the wait.

But right now, it’s my wedding anniversary. We’re celebrating 24 years together, which I can’t quite believe! Look, I had hair back then! As Delmore Schwartz put it (and Star Trek Generations immortalised) time is the fire in which we burn. But just make sure you burn brightly, and for a long, long time.

Celebrating the Arkship Saga

Exactly one year ago I released Arkship Obsidian, the first book in the Arkship Saga. Now the saga is four books and growing, and I can’t quite believe that I’ve managed to write and release over a quarter of a million words on the subject of big spaceships!

The saga so far consists of:

There will be a sixth book which will wrap up some of the story threads, then I’ve plans for a prequel trilogy which will explore the events leading up to the destruction of Earth and the exodus of humanity. So, lots of story still to tell.

Thanks to all the readers of the saga for your feedback and support over the last year, it keeps me writing! And if you’re new to the Arkship Saga then go grab Arkship Countdown and see what it’s all about.

Out Today: Tobin Artichoke And The Queen Of Heaven

Today’s the day! Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven is out now, and you can read it here.

What’s it about?
When an ancient artefact – The Queen of Heaven -is found in the junk of a flea market, Tobin Artichoke and his decapitated brother Drake find themselves on a quest that takes them from London to a secret cave under a nuclear power station, to Hell, the Afterlife and beyond.

In a race against time, Tobin becomes the reluctant representative of a distracted deity, and the fate of all humanity rests in his hands. But Tobin couldn’t care less about other people, and saving every living soul might just be the death of him!

Tobin Artichoke and the Queen of Heaven is the first book in a new urban fantasy series. If you like Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin and Terry Pratchett then this might just be your cup of tea!

Copyright © Dandelion by Pexeto