Happy National Science Fiction Day!

Posted on January 2, 2021

Happy National Science Fiction Day! Yep. 2nd January is Science Fiction Day, a non-official holiday which celebrates everything science fiction, like… Natural events and disasters Scientific discoveries Societal evolution Technological innovations Um….sound familiar?! Nothing can be crazier than our reality right now, can it? CAN IT?!?!? Put it to the test and try some/re-read some classics like: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Foundation by Isaac Asimov Most of Margaret Atwood’s collection 😊 I’m not going to attempt to try and suggest this is a top-ten quotes, but for your geekery pleasure, here’s a few quotes from some stone-cold legends, and if you think I’ve missed any important ones – let me know! “It is good Read more…

Avoid transvaginal ultrasounds and other fun things this Cervical Screening Awareness Week

Posted on June 10, 2019February 17, 20203 Comments

You may not be on the pulse of what’s moving and shaking in gynaecology circles, folks, so in case you’re unaware, it’s Cervical Screening Awareness Week starting from today (10 – 16 June 2019). Though it’s not my usual blog-fodder, I wanted to share my personal experience of how I overcame doctors wanting to burn cells off my cervix, to being given the all clear.

I learned a lot in my experience, and my choices and routes might not be for everyone, but I hope the below serves as a reminder that…

A #ClimateEmergency has been declared…now let’s hold them accountable

Posted on May 2, 2019February 17, 20204 Comments

The swell of urgency around climate change since my last blog post has been stratospheric. Now a #ClimateEmergency has been declared in the U.K., perception is starting to shift and finally, hopefully, we can make significant national progress which will translate to the rest of the world.

When I started writing Adaptive Consequences about three years ago, I was inspired (in the worst possible way) by the horrors of the world’s destiny if we perpetuated our same behaviours.

If it ‘aint broke don’t fix it…but what if it is?! Why are we so reluctant to stop Climate Change?

Posted on March 18, 2019February 17, 2020Leave a comment

I’d like to live safe in the knowledge we’ve not completely fucked up the planet. I’m sure you would too, but, alas, the compounding evidence suggests otherwise. Though there are the deniers out there (some even run countries!), latest polling from YouGov confirms 70% of the UK agree the weather has changed in their lifetime. The reason for experiencing 20-degree heat in February and snow in March isn’t rocket science. Though I can’t deny I prefer sunny weather to dismal, my priority is an intact planet, thanks.

Knock Knock…who’s there?

Posted on March 10, 2019February 17, 2020Leave a comment

‘Get your hands off my miscarriage!’

Series 2, Episode 1 of Fleabag. Since watching this a few days ago, I haven’t been able to shake that line out of my head. Reading it back in isolation, it seems a bit disturbing. But such is the skill of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s writing – a quasi-comedy delivery which tempers the impact, while simultaneously heightening its emotional poignancy. The potency of the (dark) humour in that scene is why I’m thinking about it still, days afterwards. It’s also why I’m considering writing a comedy myself, as well as inspiring this blog.

Laughter and laughing is a massive priority to me, and I think most people would agree with it’s emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits. That naturally extends to when we’re in ‘entertainment mode’, whether reading, watching a programme or a film; we seek out and appreciate laughter in those spaces too. When executed well, comedy truly elevates writing/a story into something immeasurably more gratifying. My sense of humour bends towards darker, obscure, satirical, situational, and character-based, and screenwriting offers a much richer and diverse landscape than fiction.

Thank you!