Let me tell you about the weird business that delivers art into our lives, and what it means for the long-term careers of artists. This piece was prompted by yet another newspaper article on how authors are paid, and the inevitable reactions from the ‘people-would-pay-if-it-was-worth-it-to-them’ brigade, but much of it applies to the arts more generally. First, it’s important…
I wanted to talk about this, not just because the making of this book has been an interesting process, but also because it gives some insight into the growing overlap between traditional and self-publishing. Publishing books is an uncertain business for all but the tiniest proportion of authors, but the story of this particular book covers a period where…
The problem with the barrage of mixed signals teenage boys receive about how to define masculinity, is that if you’re a mature, confident man, YOU’RE NOT CONSTANTLY RANTING ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN. That’s just not something most grown-ups do. This means that the strongest signals coming through online are from people who are going on…
I’m waiting for a new writing project to kick off, so I have some time to kill, and I want to talk about something that I think a lot of professional creative people will recognize, though each person might experience it differently. It’s the development of a state of mind that helps us deal with the essentially uncertain nature…
Where do I even start with this? I’ve never been particularly worried that the world will be wiped out by the singularity, that Skynet and the Terminators will come for us in an onslaught of self-replicating, intelligent machines or Blade Runner’s more-human-than-humans. I’m more interested in how technology influences our lives in subtle ways now, who has control over…
Right then . . . the Roald Dahl thing, and Is It Ever Okay to Change a Dead Writer’s Text? I’m going to focus on the idea of the deceased writer, because living writers can change their own text if they want to, and if they don’t, they can fight their own corner. First, let me say that I…
There always seems to be some controversy in the world of literature about the latest celebrity who’s decided to have a go at writing a book, or indeed an entire series, for children. It’s a trend that’s increasingly dominating the industry and is having an undeniable impact on those of us who do this for a living. I’ve never…
In just about any profession in Ireland, if you work with children or vulnerable people, you’ve probably had to go through a background check by the Gardaí – Ireland’s police force – but for children’s writers and illustrators, it can get especially complicated and repetitive. If you’ve been doing this long enough, you’ll know exactly what I mean. I’ve…
Ah, the things we do for love! I’ve seen a lot of different elements of this discussed on social media, but I thought it was time to write a proper breakdown of what you should expect if you decide to go full-time as a self-employed artist. This is aimed particularly at those of you in Ireland, and specifically writers,…
Every time a new round of Arts Council bursaries is announced in Ireland, we see a rake of people online talking about the difficulty of applying or, later, expressing their disappointment at not getting the funding after that tense wait. I’ve been applying for these things for years, I’ve read and listened a lot, I’ve been rejected and I’ve…