Mini-story: Again
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The History Section
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Knock Knock
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Left Behind
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Dark Potentials
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
E-book Anthologies of Once Upon A Time
You can now get an ebook anthology collection of hundreds of Once Upon A Time stories, optionally with future updates too.
Mini-story: Failsafe
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Return
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: One Silver Shilling
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Awake
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Impediment
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Ministry
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Squeezed
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Decision
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Inhabited
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Lights
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Hidden
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Fluent
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Bring Her Back
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Heavier
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Chiaroscuro
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Major Arcana
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Despair was the gun
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Log of the UES Deo
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Lag
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Donkey
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Exile
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: A Matter of Perspective
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Underground
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Liberty as Resistance
The world must extricate itself from US big tech.
Mini-story: The Mirror
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
The Fallen Apple
I barely recognise the company I used to have such admiration for.
Mini-story: The Preponderance of Evidence
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Calendar
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: We Have Work
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Doing Time
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Dogma
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Passing Through
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Chibber
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Mr. Scratch
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Non-local
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Paranoia
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Symbol
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Repository
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Retirement
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Tribute
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Gift of Time
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Transport
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Fairness
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Influencers
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Faces
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Uncanny
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Stairs
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Foreign
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Ghost Streets
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Old Gods
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Aleph
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Mysterious Ways
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Timing is Everything
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Introducing TextIndex
I made a simple, lightweight syntax for creating indexes in Markdown and other text documents.
Mini-story: Past Midnight
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Last Place
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Heist
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Take Me Home
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Introducing FigureMark
I made a simple, lightweight syntax for annotating figures in Markdown, and a parser for it.
Mini-story: Check Engine
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Publishing a novel series with pandoc publish
Using my pandoc wrapper to easily build any book in a series, with shared front- and back-matter.
Mini-story: TCO
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Automating novel and anthology publishing
Using my pandoc wrapper to build genre-specific anthologies of stories, as well as novels.
Mini-story: Career Day
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Feline Fashion Show
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Long Jump
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Beauty
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
pandoc publish
A pandoc wrapper and configuration for exporting Markdown novels as ePub and PDF.
Mini-story: High Hopes
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
emacs
Decades late to the party, I discovered emacs.
Mini-story: Mice
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Rethinking
Some thoughts regarding my tech setup for writing.
Therapy
I'm in therapy. Here's a brief description of how it works.
Mini-story: In the Lounge
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Lamb
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Stop giving advice
I'm trying to use the word 'should' less often.
Mini-story: Non-conforming
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Patron of the Arts
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
80%
Aiming for the eighty percent solution.
Mini-story: The Need-Fire
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Round the Corner
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Chinese Room
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Still Looking
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Shell of the Material
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Manager's Special
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Deadworlds
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Just Block
Some brief thoughts on blocking people online.
Mini-story: Handshake
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Back to Mac
On returning to the Mac after eight years using an iPad full-time.
Mini-story: Deadfall
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Old Enough
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Natives
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Conveyancing
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Fuel
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Peace and Friendship
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Best Behaviour
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: At Your Service
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Simple As That
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Bridge
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Whatever Is Required
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Really Here
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Grease
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Shuhari
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Two hundred stories
I've written two hundred mini-stories in my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Inconsideration
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Structures
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: In Evidence
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Enlightenment
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Fire Service
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing a Novel episode: Plotting vs Pantsing
By all means get started before working out the whole plot, but reserve judgement on whether you'll need a plan for later.
Mini-story: The PuzzleUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: It Will Come To You
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Brush Your Teeth
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing a Novel episode: Finding the Idea
Story ideas are plentiful; you just need to teach yourself to notice them.
Mini-story: The ArchministerUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Jekyll Updated Content Plugin
A plugin for the Jekyll static site generator, to list posts and other content that's been updated.
Mini-story: Catching Up
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing a Novel episode: Inspiration
Inspiration is something that comes after you start, by writing the next sentence.
Mini-story: DiceUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
20 years
This site is now twenty years old.
Writing advice and story readings on YouTube
Two new video series, with advice on writing a novel, and author's readings of my mini-stories.
Writing a Novel episode: Motivation
It's normal to be intimidated by writing long-form fiction, but it's much easier if you treat it like work.
Mini-story: Reading TimeUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Natural Enemy
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing a Novel episode: Believing in Yourself
Some endeavours may need special skills or pre-existing talent, but writing a novel isn't one of them.
Mini-story: AntisocialUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Fear Shape
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: See Slow
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Nine Mile BurnUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Insurance
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Lost to Time
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Bad Colour
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Gaslight Pro
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Work Wife
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Micro blog
There's now a micro-blog, listing all updates to articles, stories, videos, bonus scenes, and the occasional social post too.
Bonus scene for Jinx: In Tandem
After the events of JINX, Aldridge and Greenwood's relationship evolves.
JINX Bonus Scene and Insider Video
There's now a bonus scene and insider video available for JINX too!
Mini-story: Point of Origin
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Repo
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Bonus scene for Toll: Keeping My Options Open
After the events of TOLL, Director Wuyts visits a secret location and the experiment which continues there.
Bonus scene for Changer: Saying Goodbye
Just after the events of CHANGER, Aldridge and Greenwood attend a memorial service.
Bonus scene for Changer: Plans for Christmas
Several months after the events of CHANGER, Aldridge asks Greenwood what her plans are for Christmas.
KESTREL Bonus Scenes and Insider Videos
There are now bonus scenes available for the KESTREL books, and behind-the-scenes videos on what inspired them, how they were written, and other secrets.
Mini-story: Body Image
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Accessibility Settings
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Suitable Pastimes
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: In the Presence of the Dead
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: In the Ground
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Hands Remember
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Advantageous
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Three At Most
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Sympathy
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Need a Lift
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Pathogen
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: For Starters
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Takeback
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Reset
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Too Sweet
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Be The Adult
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Culture Fit
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Prayer Room
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Trilogy sets of KESTREL books
The first three KESTREL books are available as an ebook trilogy set, including an autographed option.
Mini-story: Target Demographic
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Teletype
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Inheritance
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Living Outlines
An evolved and simplified outlining strategy for novels, after having written a few.
Mini-story: In Endless Abundance
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
JINX reviews are in
A quick round-up of readers' reviews for JINX.
Mini-story: Next Day Premium
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
JINX is finally here
After a long wait, the third KESTREL book, JINX, is out at last.
JINX is out now!
JINX, the brand new third book in Matt Gemmell's KESTREL technothrillers series, is out now!
Mini-story: Menagerie
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Banshee
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Addicts
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Naughty List
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Flickers
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: No Response
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Value of Things
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Kindle Scribe Planner
A simple day planner template I made for use on Kindle Scribe, or other tablet notepad devices or apps.
Mini-story: Role Model
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Second Screen
My much-belated epiphany that I still need a notepad even when using an iPad as my computer.
Mini-story: Talking to the Lights
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
An Update
What's going on with KESTREL these days.
Mini-story: Cautionary Tale
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Thumb Keys
Give your strongest digits more responsibility, and embrace the thumb cluster for layers, modifiers, and whitespacing.
Home Row Mods
Combine your home-position keys with modifiers for better ergonomics and more accurate typing.
Mini-story: The Quiet Carriage
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Lighthouse
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Mr. Hideaway
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Early Breakfast
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Monkey Mask
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Big Boy Bed
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Award
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Flags
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Preservative
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Women's Studies
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: When the Lights Came On
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Cover Design
How to meet the reader's expectations and give your book its best chance.
Mini-story: Chicken
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Accuracy and Precision
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Front and Back Matter
What to include before and after the story itself.
Mini-story: In the Desert
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Themes and Subtext
The arty parts of writing don't need to be engineered up-front.
Mini-story: The Gifted
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Editing
How to edit your manuscript, and why you'll need other pairs of eyes to help you.
Mini-story: God's Taxi
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: The First Draft
The best way to approach your first draft, and guarantee you'll finish it.
Mini-story: Good Causes
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: One Kind
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Railway Station
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Window to Winter
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Outlining
How to outline your story before starting, to make the writing process easier.
Mini-story: Choose Your Curse
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Michael Backwards
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Truth
Stories should tell lies that are truer than real life allows.
Mini-story: On the Lightning
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Research
Details in fiction aren't about adding information, but rather creating the appearance of knowledge and truth.
Mini-story: A Lot In Common
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Chapters
You should only start thinking about chapters after you've written the first draft of your book.
Mini-story: Salinity
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Prologues and Epilogues
There's no need to avoid prologues and epilogues, as long as you don't let them get in the way of the story.
Mini-story: Heisenbug
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Plot and Structure
Stories have a common and intuitive structure, and it's a useful tool for writing a novel.
Mini-story: Nudge
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Tools
Always use the right tools for each stage of the creative process.
Mini-story: Sweet and Sour Pork
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Feeds for this site
There are several new RSS feeds available for this site.
Mini-story: Innocence
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Routine
The deep magic of writing consistently is to make the task very boring.
Podcast episode: Plotting vs Pantsing
A full plan, or no plan at all, can each be appropriate for different authors or works.
Mini-story: Two Lifetimes
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Podcast episode: Finding the Idea
Noticing story ideas is a skill you can learn, as is finding the emotional centre of a tale.
Podcast episode: Inspiration
Inspiration is something that comes after you start work, not a prerequisite for it.
Podcast episode: Motivation
Getting into a working mindset, and striving to be a writer every day.
Trouble With Writing Podcast
I've started a podcast, called Matt Gemmell's Trouble With Writing.
Podcast episode: An Introduction and a Pep Talk
What the Trouble With Writing is about, and why you can absolutely write a novel.
Mini-story: Fuzzy
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Rose Window
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Authorship
Faux-AI can do many things, but it cannot confer credit for creation.
Mini-story: Baby Roberts
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Birthday Money
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Q-icide
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
How To Like Things
Sometimes you might want to like things you don't like. With some thought and effort, it can be done.
Mini-story: The Ferryman
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Identifying as an Artist
The most liberating thing an artist can do is lay claim to that title.
Mini-story: The Etymology of Magic
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Prose Echoes
Be vigilant for unintended echoes in your writing.
Mini-story: Dear Sir
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Series Bibles
If you're writing a series, make an investment in your productivity and sanity by creating a canonical reference right from the beginning.
Mini-story: Let's Get Started
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Makers
Some people just need to create things.
Mini-story: A Magnificent Resonance
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Write Less
Give yourself permission to write less, and keep ownership of your words.
Mini-story: Ray Cats
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
New Gods
Praise and emulate behaviours, but worship no-one.
Mini-story: Tags
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Chain of Evidence
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Learning How To Learn
The oldest pandemic is that of flawed thought, and an inability to rectify the problem.
Mini-story: Making Things
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
The Comma Dot Key
Wherein I propose combining two common punctuation symbols into a single key.
Mini-story: Daughters of the Moon
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
The Problem With AI
All technologies bring opportunity and threat, but the scales are rarely balanced.
Mini-story: What You Seek
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Atomic Thoughts
The key to understanding is to make thoughts irreducible, then connect them into larger structures to produce insight.
Mini-story: The Rehearsal
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Four Bars
Do just ten minutes of focused work, at a chosen time, and let the larger project handle itself.
Mini-story: The Confessional
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Practice
Modest but regular effort yields rewards far beyond the time invested.
Mini-story: So Clearly
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
One Hundred Tales is out now!
The third compendium volume of 100 Once Upon A Time mini-stories is out now as an ebook.
Mini-story: My Business
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
An evolved 34-key layout for iPadOS
The latest iteration of my iPadOS-focused layout for a 34-key ergonomic split keyboard.
Middleshade Road for Hallowe'en
A Hallowe'en-themed sale which frankly missed Hallowe'en by several weeks.
Mini-story: The Portrait Gallery
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Sell A Cat To A Mouse
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Dot Scot
On cultural identity, and the sharing of web links.
Mini-story: Consequences
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Decisions, Decisions
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Going Once
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Bordertime
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Where the world is broken
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Tea
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Barrier Concept
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Encounter
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Orchard
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Getting Older
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Maybe We Could
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Five Possibilities
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Undiscovered
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Hitmaker
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Warm Rain
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Night Clinic
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Winner
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Editing
Editing a draft of a novel is easier than you think, and shouldn't be something to fear.
Mini-story: Bubby
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Psychosomatic
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
There's no perfect time
Use the time that you have, just to do a little bit of the thing you want to do. Don't wait for later.
Mini-story: Madness
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Write a crappy first draft
Your only job is to produce words. Any words.
Mini-story: Goat Paths
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Accent shame
I was embarrassed by my own accent when I was growing up, which is only one of the smaller casualties of unequal cultural representation.
Mini-story: Blank
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Prologues and Epilogues
Learn to use them properly, and you'll find that prologues and epilogues are a valuable part of your storytelling toolkit.
Mini-story: More Time
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Supernatural Objects
Conceiving of something beyond our understanding can be creatively instructive.
Mini-story: Worship
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Verisimilitude
Authenticity in fiction comes more from economy of mundane details than from exhaustive research or accuracy.
Mini-story: Pretend
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
30 Keys
My continuing adventures in designing keyboard layouts, this time for a 30-key split keyboard.
Art as Study
You learn to make art by making art.
Mini-story: How It Is Around Here
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Naming Characters
A few considerations to keep in mind when naming your characters.
Mini-story: Renewables
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Faces and Places
A quick and easy tip for getting the details right when writing long-form fiction.
Gaslighting
To instil doubt in a person's perception of their own mental faculties is an abusive act.
Mini-story: Compatibility
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Getting Ideas for Stories
We tend to treat creative inspiration as a nebulous, spiritual thing, but it's just a skill that can be acquired and developed like any other.
Mini-story: Assembly
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Non-Zero Every Day
Use Focus modes and Shortcut Automations on iOS to get started with your work.
Mini-story: Tactical
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Use the Right Tools
You should use as many tools as necessary when generating and refining your ideas, because different modes of thinking require a different type of organisation.
Mini-story: Late
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Content Creation
As a creator, you should call yourself what you are. Content is a trivialising and demeaning term for your work.
Mini-story: Paradise
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Once More Upon A Time is out now!
The second compendium volume of 60 Once Upon A Time mini-stories is out now in ebook and paperback.
Mentioning the War
It's your own choice whether to deal with real-world events in your writing, or build a different world instead.
Mini-story: Erase
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing Dedications
Seeing your words in print is wonderful, but for me the best part of writing novels is the dedication.
Mini-story: From Below
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Levelling up as a writer
On the phenomenon of feeling that your writing improves only between books, rather than during them.
Mini-story: To the Bones
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Writing Techno-thrillers
Some tips and techniques for writing techno-thrillers and getting the details right.
New ebook version of Once Upon A Time compendium
There's a new ebook version of the previously paperback-only first compendium of 60 Once Upon A Time mini-stories.
Mini-story: Musicianship
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Scenes Now, Chapters Later
A simple technique to create page-turners by deferring the decision about where the chapter breaks go.
Once Upon A Time Volume 6 is out
The sixth ebook volume of Once Upon A Time mini-stories is now available.
Mini-story: Transformations
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Any Similarity
On the fluctuating line between creativity and catharsis in fiction.
On Proofreading
I was interviewed for Reproof about how I proofread and edit my writing.
Mini-story: Chugger
A short story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Welcome to the new mattgemmell.com
Introducing a fresh new design for this site, with a focus on books.
MIDDLESHADE ROAD is out now!
MIDDLESHADE ROAD, the new horror / supernatural mystery novel by Matt Gemmell, is out now in paperback, on Kindle, and on Apple Books!
Mini-story: Therapy
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Renewal
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Exempt
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Sleep
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Attaché
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
A split 34-key layout for iPadOS
Designing a split, ergonomic, ortholinear keyboard layout in 34 keys (5x3 plus 2 thumb keys per hand) optimised for iPadOS.
Mini-story: Opting Out
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
The Corne Keyboard
Creating a layout for a 42-key ortholinear ergonomic split keyboard.
Mini-story: The Way of Things
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Joy
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Gone
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Samaritan
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Lens
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Just What I Wanted
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Ornaments
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Neighbourhoods
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: To Me, You Are A Window
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Customs
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Letter E
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Me Time
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Stakeholders
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Infringement
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Poignancies
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Twitcher
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Retrogenesis
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Patrol
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Tradesman
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Compressing Your Keyboard
Moving to a smaller keyboard without losing functionality.
Mini-story: Beautiful Walls
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Undeserving
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Like / Follow / Kill
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
40% Keyboard Layout for Writing
Some useful keyboard layout customisations for writers using a 40% keyboard, particularly with the QMK firmware.
The Planck Keyboard
Using a 40% ortholinear mechanical keyboard, and how I've customised my layout.
Mini-story: Down Deep
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Tesseract
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Divergent
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Paper
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Biometrics
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Famous
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Enantiomorph
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Familiar
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Monsters
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: I Remember Everything
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Slow
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Look The Other Way
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Ignite
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Magician
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Next Stop
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Aliens
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Forest
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Your Heart's Desire
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Burrowers
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Piety
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The Hotel
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Regarding My Work
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Justice System
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: DNR
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The PuzzleUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: The ArchministerUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: DiceUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Reading TimeUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Not Yet
On the birth of my son.
Mini-story: AntisocialUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Mini-story: Nine Mile BurnUpdated
A weekly story from my Once Upon A Time series.
Free weekly short stories via email
My new free weekly short story newsletter.
Once Upon A Time autographed copies
Just in time for Christmas, I'm offering autographed copies of my new print anthology of flash fiction, Once Upon A Time.
Publishing paperback novels with an iPad
Creating and publishing paperback (and ebook) novels using only an iPad from start to finish.
Beautiful paperback novels with Ulysses
My iPad-only workflow for creating paperback novels.
Once Upon A Time Volume 3
Once Upon A Time — An anthology of flash fiction in genres like science fiction, horror, and more.
Tools versus work
On reminding myself that the tools are less important than what you do with them.
Custom Prompts for Drafts
Two open source custom prompts/dialogs for Drafts on iPadOS, iOS, and macOS.
Using Drafts as a local Wiki
Keeping an offline knowledge repository in Drafts for iPad, iPhone, and Mac.
Keyboard-Driven Cross-Linking in Drafts
An action I wrote to make the Drafts app's cross-linking feature usable entirely from the keyboard.
Pointer Control
On the ability to use a traditional pointing device with the iPad.
In Theory
On having children.
Once Upon A Time Volume 2
Once Upon A Time — An anthology of flash fiction in genres like science fiction, horror, and more.
Once Upon A Time Volume 1
Once Upon A Time — An anthology of flash fiction in genres like science fiction, horror, and more.
An incredible gift
The story of one of the most thoughtful and moving gifts I've ever received.
Cover reveal: KESTREL Book Three
The title, cover artwork, and some tantalising details about the third book in the KESTREL technothrillers series.
My new office
Creating a home office for myself in our new house.
40
I’ve been alive for forty years.
The Second Book
What I learned while writing my second novel.
TOLL reviews are in
TOLL has been well-received, and what I've learned from the reviews so far.
Mechanical Keyboards
On the joy and percussiveness of typing on a noisy mechanical keyboard.
TOLL is out now!
TOLL, the second novel in the KESTREL technothriller series, is now available!
Beautiful ebook novels with Ulysses
My iPad-only workflow for creating ebook novels.
Using the iPad for: autographed ebooks
My iPad-only workflow for making autographed ebooks, customised for each reader.
Autographed ebooks
With the help of iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, I can now offer autographed ebooks.
The Big iPad
I upgraded to the 2018 model 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Points of View in Ulysses
Using coloured keywords to track points of view in a novel in Ulysses.
Cli-Fi
On climate-change novels, and KESTREL book two.
A Big Phone
The iPad is a larger version of everyone's main computer.
Breath of the Wild
My thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Locations: The Cuypers Library
Behind-the-scenes notes on a location from CHANGER: The Cuypers Library within the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Project Structure for a Novel
The project structure I use to organise a novel, and its related materials.
Cover reveal: TOLL — KESTREL Book Two
The cover for TOLL — KESTREL Book Two.
Decaf
Why I drink decaf coffee.
Laptop Replacement
On the preoccupation with laptop-tablet equivalence.
One Year On
It's been a year since CHANGER was released. Here's a new edition, and a teaser…
Using the iPad for: Taking notes and planning
My iPad-only workflow for taking notes, planning, and replacing a paper notebook.
Designing for iPad Power Users
Thoughts for iOS app developers who want to cater to iPad power users.
Thoughts on Ulysses and Scrivener
My reflections on the two premier writing studios on the Apple platforms.
Using the iPad for: Writing Novels
My iPad-only workflow for writing long-form fiction.
Using the iPad for: Web Development
My iPad-only workflow for web development.
Lifting the Mouse
Reflections on the role of the iPad, and why it holds such an attraction for a jaded user of computers.
Using the iPad for: Blogging with Jekyll
My iPad-only workflow for blogging with the Jekyll static site generator.
Rediscovering the iPad
After several years without a tablet, I'm going iPad-only.
CHANGER bonus chapter: Saying Goodbye
A bonus chapter for my novel, CHANGER. Contains spoilers!
Regulars
On people-watching, and seeing someone else instead.
Jangled
A recollection from childhood.
Omen
On the cover of my first novel, twenty-five years ago.
CHANGER paperbacks are now available!
My novel CHANGER is now available as a paperback.
Reviews are in for CHANGER
My new action-adventure novel, CHANGER, is getting some great reviews.
Stranger than fiction
That feeling when you release a pro-Europe action novel two days before the UK votes to leave the EU.
CHANGER is out now!
My novel CHANGER is now available.
Announcing CHANGER
My novel CHANGER will be available this month.
Shelf 7
On the place I'm always drawn to in bookshops.
Writing in Markdown
My new mini-ebook, Writing in Markdown.
Conduit
On the power that names hold.
Superstition
On growing up surrounded by belief in the supernatural.
Elsewhere
On the one morning each year when our living room door led to another place.
Remember
Sometimes, I can almost remember how.
Emotional
There's nothing shameful about feeling.
Sharing your words
On the natural fear we feel when allowing others to read what we're written.
Autumn
On the season that heralds change, and reminds us of the work we've yet to do.
Obsession
On the spark of fresh inspiration, as both the ally and nemesis of creative output.
Eulogy
If you have praise to give, don't wait until it's too late.
Voice Two
The other voices inside us, and the one I turn to in times of trouble.
Sci-Fi
On science fiction, and how it embodies hope.
Points of View in Scrivener
Labelling scenes with points of view in Scrivener.
Bailing
My shifting relationship with money, during the major changes in my life.
Junctions
On the points in life when we make decisions that define our future.
Façades
We show versions of ourselves to others, to help us hide.
Whisky
There's no finer substance than single malt whisky.
On blogs
Thoughts on what blogs are, and how our words for them are trivialising.
Mask
On death, and its true face.
Smoke
The power that smoke has to evoke my memories.
Permalinks
Why you should get rid of the cruft from your site's URLs.
Work
When you're doing what you're meant to do, it doesn't seem like work.
Patronage
If we don't support the artistic output we enjoy, it will inevitably vanish.
Heroes and Miracles
We need stories.
Haunted
On the interplay of imagination and fiction.
Aurora
Chasing the Northern Lights, and finding wonder in our world.
Craft
Some thoughts on incorporating themes, symbolism and motifs into writing.
Formerly
I wasn't always called Matt Gemmell.
In Winter
My dark dreams as the year draws to a close.
True
A writer's job is find the lie that's truer than real life.
Sultans
Sultans of Swing has accompanied me through my life.
Fan Fiction
On the importance of fan fiction as literary output.
Anthologies in Scrivener
Using Scrivener to create ebook anthologies of essays, short stories, poems, etc.
Raw Materials: Collected Essays
An anthology of my personal essays, on the Kindle Store.
Writing a novel: resolving plot issues e-book
The new e-book version of my technique for resolving plot issues in fiction, and tackling the second draft.
Writing a novel: resolving plot issues
My technique for resolving plot issues in fiction, and tackling the second draft.
Genre shame
Coming to terms with writing in a pulp genre.
Writing a novel: first draft
My experiences writing the first draft of a novel.
Relative
Lessons I've learned about pain.
Letting go
Finding focus by opting out of distractions and negative experiences.
Staying creative
Maintaining creativity over long periods.
Thinking slowly
Analogue tools apply a drag force that helps us think before creating.
Working from home
The challenges of working from home full-time, and some tips on how to do so effectively.
Taking credit
Taking credit can also mean taking responsibility.
Paths
I am one possible version of myself.
Profanity
In defence of the judicious use of profanity in writing.
Own your words
Publish your words on your own site, not someone else's.
Empathy
Everything is about other people's reactions.
Raw materials
Writing about what you know isn't always easy.
Making changes
I'm making a big change to my career.
Structuring Your Novel
A chart of the advice in K. M. Weiland's book on Structuring Your Novel.
Wishes
It's easy to disdain wishes until you have something to wish for.
Fear
My experience with anxiety and panic attacks.
Nets
Our nostalgia traps us.
Fiction Style Guide
A brief summary of my preferred style guide for formatting fiction.
Content as Medium
Whether digital or print, publications are most appealing when they respect the content and reader, not the medium.
Writing tips
Some tips on writing fiction.
Legacy
My compulsion to leave something behind, and be remembered.
How I Write
Notes on my own writing process, including planning, editing, and dealing with block.
Staying Afraid
Reading (and writing) horror fiction controls the fears we already have.
My Stories
Rediscovering the short stories I wrote as a teenager.
Writing Fiction Online
Tips for formatting your fiction.
The Unconsoled
Thoughts on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, The Unconsoled.