Mike Mitchell's Blog
September 17, 2017
Being Down and Out
Have finished reading 'Down and Out in Paris and London' by George Orwell. Glad I was never in that position... I've heard before about attitudes to hygiene in some restaurant kitchens, but hopefully it's not as horrendous as in Orwell's pre-war experience!
September 13, 2017
First short story
I've published a short story (it's free on Smashwords). It's about an arrogant man who meets an untimely end waiting for a bus.
I'm going to try more like this, all involving travel and a sticky end.
It's called "Park and Die - An Unsafe Journey"
Download it at:
Park and Die
I'm going to try more like this, all involving travel and a sticky end.
It's called "Park and Die - An Unsafe Journey"
Download it at:
Park and Die
Old Posts from 2014 to 2015
25 Mar 2015
Just Read ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More
Another classic I always meant to read, but sadly I was disappointed, as it was a bit boring. All the same, it’s amazing to think that Thomas More wrote this in the 16th century!
31 Oct 2014
Helping at Literature Fest
In October, helped out stewarding at local Arts & Literature Festival. Checking tickets, moving chairs around, etc. Nice to feel a part of it all.
Just Read ‘Utopia’ by Thomas More
Another classic I always meant to read, but sadly I was disappointed, as it was a bit boring. All the same, it’s amazing to think that Thomas More wrote this in the 16th century!
31 Oct 2014
Helping at Literature Fest
In October, helped out stewarding at local Arts & Literature Festival. Checking tickets, moving chairs around, etc. Nice to feel a part of it all.
Old Posts from 2013
20 Sep 2013
Asimov’s trilogy
Just read the three books in Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ trilogy (last read many years ago). It’s old-fashioned language, eg. most of the men seem to smoke cigars, and women are almost absent, but amazing what he could think up in 1948, long before the invention of laser printers, cellphones, DVDs etc.
28 Jul 2013
Free book promotion
I’m doing a free promotion of my kindle book “Deadly Contract” August 7 to 11, on Amazon. Never tried it before, so here goes!
19 Jul 2013
Goodbye Mr Chips
Just read novella ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ by James Hilton (in 1934). Saw the old black and white movie years ago, and always thought it was an interesting mix of happiness and sadness. The book brought it all back.
9 Jul 2013
James Patterson’s Sail
Just read ‘Sail’ by James Patterson. A thick paperback, but what with 125 chapters, only about 72,000 words. Great page turner. Loads of subplots and mysteries ‘planted’ for the reader. Very clever writing!!
21 Apr 2013
George v Higgins ‘On Writing’
Just read Higgins’s 1990 book ‘On Writing’. Out of print so got it second hand. Quite heavy going, but some interesting advice for writers. One depressing fact: he had 16 years of rejections before he was successful with ‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
10 Feb 2013
Thinking about Novellas
Read ‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’ – put review on GoodReads and Amazon. Just read an old detective novella involving the detective Sexton Blake. Apparently 4000 of these stories were published! Makes me think seriously of the novella format, and having a linked series… esp in eBook format.
3 Jan 2013
Deadly Intrigue published!
I’ve just published my second novel as a Kindle book on Amazon.
The starting point for ‘Deadly Intrigue‘ is property fraud, but the hero of the story finds there’s a lot more to contend with than that. Like a seductive sister-in-law…
Asimov’s trilogy
Just read the three books in Asimov’s ‘Foundation’ trilogy (last read many years ago). It’s old-fashioned language, eg. most of the men seem to smoke cigars, and women are almost absent, but amazing what he could think up in 1948, long before the invention of laser printers, cellphones, DVDs etc.
28 Jul 2013
Free book promotion
I’m doing a free promotion of my kindle book “Deadly Contract” August 7 to 11, on Amazon. Never tried it before, so here goes!
19 Jul 2013
Goodbye Mr Chips
Just read novella ‘Goodbye Mr Chips’ by James Hilton (in 1934). Saw the old black and white movie years ago, and always thought it was an interesting mix of happiness and sadness. The book brought it all back.
9 Jul 2013
James Patterson’s Sail
Just read ‘Sail’ by James Patterson. A thick paperback, but what with 125 chapters, only about 72,000 words. Great page turner. Loads of subplots and mysteries ‘planted’ for the reader. Very clever writing!!
21 Apr 2013
George v Higgins ‘On Writing’
Just read Higgins’s 1990 book ‘On Writing’. Out of print so got it second hand. Quite heavy going, but some interesting advice for writers. One depressing fact: he had 16 years of rejections before he was successful with ‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
10 Feb 2013
Thinking about Novellas
Read ‘The Friends of Eddie Coyle’ – put review on GoodReads and Amazon. Just read an old detective novella involving the detective Sexton Blake. Apparently 4000 of these stories were published! Makes me think seriously of the novella format, and having a linked series… esp in eBook format.
3 Jan 2013
Deadly Intrigue published!
I’ve just published my second novel as a Kindle book on Amazon.
The starting point for ‘Deadly Intrigue‘ is property fraud, but the hero of the story finds there’s a lot more to contend with than that. Like a seductive sister-in-law…
Old posts from 2011-2012
16 Nov 2012
Novel #2 Coming Soon
After yet another revision/redraft, I finally think Novel #2 is ready for publication.
Now for the title, the cover, and the blurb/description for KDP and CreateSpace.
Then the formatting etc.
Hope to have it available on Amazon by end-2012.
20 Oct 2012
Relaunch of First Novel
I’ve not done well on Kindle Direct Publishing with first novel ‘Pit of Corruption’ so I’ve revisited the manuscript, and made some improvements, and now relaunching as ‘Deadly Contract on KDP.
Thinking about CreateSpace for paperback print on demand…
20 Oct 2012
Just read ‘Postcard Killers’
Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
Thick paperback but large font used with lots of spacing so only about 65,000 words. Divided into 145 chapters (including 5 in the Prologue!), which seemed a bit too much, interrupting the flow. Some chapters were less than 2 pages.
Loads of hook and little mysteries, as you read through it, so always one or two things you wanted explained, to keep you reading. Two odd bits in chapter 36 (in Stockholm): ‘…and the western piece was inherited from the same Soviet era as the suburb he and Dessie had passed …’ and further on ‘The entrance was in the old communist part of the complex.’ It made it sound like Sweden had been under Soviet/communist rule at one time.
Pace was good throughout, and an occasional surprise to catch you unawares. Good action ending, and wrapup.
21 Oct 2011
Third Draft of Second Novel
I’ve just completed the third draft of my second novel (Fraud as main plot, with a good dash of sex, …). It’s a challenge to know when to stop redrafting, and try for publication, but I know there’s at least another draft needed. For this novel, in getting to the third draft, I made LOADS of small changes, and rewrote a couple of scenes. I’ll take a break from it now for a week or two, then get back to it.
Novel #2 Coming Soon
After yet another revision/redraft, I finally think Novel #2 is ready for publication.
Now for the title, the cover, and the blurb/description for KDP and CreateSpace.
Then the formatting etc.
Hope to have it available on Amazon by end-2012.
20 Oct 2012
Relaunch of First Novel
I’ve not done well on Kindle Direct Publishing with first novel ‘Pit of Corruption’ so I’ve revisited the manuscript, and made some improvements, and now relaunching as ‘Deadly Contract on KDP.
Thinking about CreateSpace for paperback print on demand…
20 Oct 2012
Just read ‘Postcard Killers’
Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
Thick paperback but large font used with lots of spacing so only about 65,000 words. Divided into 145 chapters (including 5 in the Prologue!), which seemed a bit too much, interrupting the flow. Some chapters were less than 2 pages.
Loads of hook and little mysteries, as you read through it, so always one or two things you wanted explained, to keep you reading. Two odd bits in chapter 36 (in Stockholm): ‘…and the western piece was inherited from the same Soviet era as the suburb he and Dessie had passed …’ and further on ‘The entrance was in the old communist part of the complex.’ It made it sound like Sweden had been under Soviet/communist rule at one time.
Pace was good throughout, and an occasional surprise to catch you unawares. Good action ending, and wrapup.
21 Oct 2011
Third Draft of Second Novel
I’ve just completed the third draft of my second novel (Fraud as main plot, with a good dash of sex, …). It’s a challenge to know when to stop redrafting, and try for publication, but I know there’s at least another draft needed. For this novel, in getting to the third draft, I made LOADS of small changes, and rewrote a couple of scenes. I’ll take a break from it now for a week or two, then get back to it.
