Tag Archives: fantasy

Milford Writers’ Retreat, May 2024

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Jacey Bedford

I’m starting to write this on Saturday 18th May 2024. I’ve just returned from the Milford Retreat Week at Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, North Wales. I’m still giddy with excitement. It was such a great week, spent in the company … Continue reading →

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Scene Analysis – Winterwood

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Jacey Bedford

This was first written for Tiffani Angus’ blog when she was teaching creative writing and publishing. Story interspersed with my comments in bold italic. This first scene pretty much sprang into my mind fully formed. When I started to write … Continue reading →

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Corwen Silverwolf Speaks

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Jacey Bedford

Corwen Speaks: Denby Hall, September 1803I don’t usually get the opportunity to say much. It’s not that I’m henpecked, you understand, but—well—my author is female and she lets my beloved, Rossalinde, tell the story. So it’s nice, for once, to … Continue reading →

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My Debut Novel – What I Know Now That I Wish I’d Known Before Publication

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Jacey Bedford

My first book, Empire of Dust, a space opera, came out in October 2014. I was excited, pleased and nervous all at the same time. A week or so before publication my author copies arrived, all packed up is a … Continue reading →

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My Publishing Journey

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Jacey Bedford

I started writing my first novel when I was fifteen, longhand in an old school notebook. I didn’t have a typewriter in those days. It was long before personal computers, and anyway, I couldn’t type. My characters were thinly disguised … Continue reading →

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My 2023 reading

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

A fair amount of my reading this year was via Audible audiobooks. I like to read myself to sleep at night but my other half is disturbed by light, even kindle-light when it’s switched on to white text on a … Continue reading →

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Milford SF Writers’ Week

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

On 16th September I’m heading off to North Wales for a week of workshopping stories and novels with 14 other published science fiction and fantasy writers. We all submit up to 10,000 words in one or two pieces in advance … Continue reading →

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The Magic of Titles

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

I’m on Karen Traviss’ mailing list and her latest missive dropped today. I like Karen. She’s an ex-journalist, down to earth, prolific, and writes some excellent SF, whether it’s a franchise novel or an original. If you’ve never read any … Continue reading →

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Cutting Overused and Filler Words

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

I’ve finished another edit of my Tam-Lin novel, The Midnight Rose. It’s almost ready to send off to my agent, so I’ve spent a few days cutting specific words, i.e. fillers that take up space without contributing to the meaning … Continue reading →

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Retreating

Posted on May 18, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

I’m at the Milford Writers’ Retreat in North Wales again. This will be the fourth retreat that Milford has run and I look forward to it each year. It’s a week of tranquility with no domestic duties or distractions. We’re … Continue reading →

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Retreating to Gladstone’s Library

Posted on March 13, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

During the first weekend in March, I went on a weekend writing retreat run by Shona Kinsella of the British Fantasy Society. The venue was Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, North Wales. Yes, THAT Gladstone – William Ewart Gladstone, politician and … Continue reading →

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Happy Valentines

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

I don’t write romances, but all my books have an element of romance because – hey – humans are human and that means there’s going to be some attraction. In Empire of Dust, the first volume in my Psi-Tech space-opera … Continue reading →

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Hello 2023

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Jacey Bedford

Family plans were interrupted when our grandkids came down with a tummy bug and were unable to travel so 2023 didn’t start out so well for either us or them, but on 6th January my mum, Joan Lockyer, celebrated her … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction and fantasy: when Germany seems farther way than Alpha Centauri or Narnia – a guest blog by Ju Honisch

Posted on November 23, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Thanking Jacey for her kind invitation to write a guest blog entry I would like to tell you a little about German (language) SFF literature. This does not claim to be in any way complete, of course. We have quite … Continue reading →

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Movies Move Me

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

I love going to the cinema. My Best Beloved? Not so much. He’s set up a home cinema in the recording studio (his domain) and prefers cinema to come to him. So my cinebuddy, H, and I go to the … Continue reading →

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Digging Deep into Characters and Viewpoint

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

I’m currently writing a YA adventure set partly in the real world, present time, and partly in the land of faerie (not a nice place to be unless you happen to rule it or be a favourite of the one … Continue reading →

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It Hasn’t Gone Away.

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Dear Aunt Polly,I hope you are well. And so began the letters we were taught to write as a child. It was boilerplate stuff. We didn’t actually care about Aunt Polly’s state of health. As children we all believed that … Continue reading →

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Milford 2022

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

I’m in North Wales in the middle of another Milford Writers’ Conference, a workshopping week for 15 science fiction and fantasy writers from all over the world. This year people have travelled from Japan, California and Nigeria, as well as … Continue reading →

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Critiquing and Milford

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Milford is coming up in September, a week-long workshopping and critiquing week for fifteen published writers of speculative fiction, which covers science fiction, fantasy and horror. Those of us who are going are already sending out our pieces for critique. … Continue reading →

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Saying the Unsayable

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

This is a blog post full of questions. I don’t have any answers. If you do, then I’m sure you’ll be right. Everyone is right from their own point of view, just like everyone is the hero of their own … Continue reading →

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Best-of Lists

Posted on July 19, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Over on Goodreads there’s a fantasy and sci-fi celebration, each genre list contains 72 books that have ‘ruled’ the field in the last three years. I’m always wary of best-of lists. What good do they do? Sure, they promote a … Continue reading →

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What I did on my (not quite) holiday

Posted on May 24, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

In May I took a week off from real life and went to the Milford Writing Retreat in North Wales. It’s held at Trigonos, a centre for conferences, courses and retreats on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. We … Continue reading →

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Behind the scenes – or – Why I did not write two new books during lockdown.

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

During lockdown I had the time/opportunity to write two novels. Did I do it? Of course not. Why not? I guess the reason is multi-layered and complex culminating in writerly inactivity. I didn’t exactly stop writing, but I ceased to … Continue reading →

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Happy Endings or Not?

Posted on April 29, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Do stories really have happy endings? They do if we choose to stop the tale at the point where the prince slips a golden ring on Cinderella’s finger, or where Beauty kisses the beast, or the princess kisses the frog … Continue reading →

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What I’m reading (March 2022)

Posted on March 15, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

You absolutely can’t write science fiction and fantasy without knowing what’s being published. It’s always better not to reinvent the wheel unless you can make your wheel very different. Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education begins a new trilogy about the … Continue reading →

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Viewpoint

Posted on March 8, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

I’m in a Facebook writers’ group for writers of all levels. Someone asked what the POV (point of view) limit was on a traditionally published debut novel. The answer, of course is: there isn’t one. Sometimes you find prescriptive pieces … Continue reading →

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Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories

Posted on February 22, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

My favourite short SF story ever is ‘They’re Made out of Meat’ by Terry Bisson. It was published way back in 1991, but it hasn’t aged. It’s short, less than 800 words, but it perfectly encapsulates what a short story … Continue reading →

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Does it Need a Map?

Posted on January 30, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

I should have asked this question earlier in the process of publishing, but I left it until the last minute. The answer from the office was, ‘No. If Sheila had thought it needed a map she would have said so.’ … Continue reading →

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The Amber Crown is published today – 11th January 2022

Posted on January 11, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

After what seems like an age, the Amber Crown is out today. I’d already written a first draft before I sold my first book to DAW in 2013. That sale led to six books (two trilogies), so I didn’t have … Continue reading →

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Countdown to The Amber Crown – One Week to Go

Posted on January 4, 2022 by Jacey Bedford

Only one week to go to publication of The Amber Crown, and there’s still so much to do. I’ve been writing blog posts for John Scalzi’s Big Idea, and Chuck Wendig’s blog, plus a piece for Jean Book Nerd, Paul … Continue reading →

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Books Read in 2021

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

With the year drawing to a close, here’s my list of books read in 2021. There are 73 in total, including re-reading a couple of my own. I’d like to give a quick shout-out to T Kingfisher/Ursula Vernon, particularly for … Continue reading →

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Countdown to The Amber Crown – (less than) 2 Weeks to Go

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Happy New Year to all. This is my last post for 2021 and the penultimate post leading up to The Amber Crown. If you already have it on pre-order, thank you very much. If not, you can pre-order it now … Continue reading →

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Countdown to The Amber Crown – Three Weeks to Go!

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

The Amber Crown is out on 11th January and TODAY my author copies arrived. Whoo-hoo. I have so many people to thank for this book. I only wrote it. Luckily I get the opportunity to name names in the book’s … Continue reading →

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Countdown to The Amber Crown

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

It’s here is just four weeks! Published by DAW on 11th January 2022 my seventh book is already getting some good reviews/previews, and I’m revving up to do a blog tour. It’s available in Trade Paperback or e-edition, with the … Continue reading →

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David Barnett: Gideon Smith and the Mechanical Girl – for your reading pleasure

Posted on December 14, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Gideon Smith, son of a Whitby fisherman from Sandsend is an aficionado of the true adventures of Captain Lucian Trigger, Hero of the British Empire, so when his father’s fishing boat is found floating, abandoned, with all the crew lost, … Continue reading →

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Seanan McGuire: Every Heart a Doorway – for your reading pleasure

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Nancy is sent to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children because her parents can’t cope with her. They think she has a screw loose and don’t believe that she’s been through a portal into another world, a world of the … Continue reading →

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Paul Cornell: Five Lychford Novellas – for your reading pleasure

Posted on November 16, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I read each of these novellas as they were published. Each one stands alone, but together the five novellas make a complete story cycle. The Witches of Lychford A neat novella set in a sleepy Gloucestershire town threatened with the … Continue reading →

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How to Write a Speculative Fiction Book

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I’m not going to be able to teach you how to write a book in the twelve hundred or so words in this blog post – even presuming I have the skills. Yes I’ve written books, seven published so far … Continue reading →

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C.E Murphy: Heart of Stone – Negotiator Trilogy/Old Races Universe #1 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Loved this.Margrit Knight, a lawyer and negotiator in New York City gets involved with a world she never knew existed when she meets Alban – a gargoyle and one of the Old Races. Someone is killing women in Central Park … Continue reading →

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Terry Pratchett: the Shepherd’s Crown – Discworld #41 – Tiffany Aching #5 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

Ah, the very last Terry Pratchett and a farewell not only to the author but to one of his most endearing characters, Granny Weatherwax who sets her affairs in order, cleans the house, weaves her own coffin and meets Death … Continue reading →

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Tom Pollock: The City’s Son – Skyscraper Throne #1 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on June 29, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

A gritty, smelly, enthralling original which races around a hidden version of London introducing an assortment of bizarre nonhuman characters here in a supporting role from the pavement priests (living statues entombed in marble) and the street-lamp dancers (the orange … Continue reading →

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Brent Weeks – The Way of Shadows – The Night Angel Trilogy #1 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

I discovered Tanya Huff in 2003, Lois McMaster Bujold was a couple of years after that and Patricia Briggs in 2008. Brent Weeks become my discovery of the year in 2009. His Night Angel trilogy is riveting. Having bought the … Continue reading →

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Kari Sperring: Living With Ghosts – For your reading pleasure

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

This is a gorgeous multi-layered work with a cast of characters which includes the city of Merafi – as much a part of this as are Gracielis, failed Tarnaroqui assassin-priest now courtesan and spy; Thiercelin, husband of one of the … Continue reading →

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Patricia Briggs: Steal the Dragon – For your reading pleasure

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

There are no dragons in this book – well there is one, but not a significant one and it only appears on the page once, in a dream.  So having got that out of the way, this is early Briggs … Continue reading →

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Lois McMaster Bujold: Legacy – Sharing Knife # 2 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on February 2, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

The continuing adventures of Lakewalker, Dag Redwing Hickory and his ‘farmer’ wife Fawn Bluefeld, following on directly from the events in ‘Beguilement’ which ended with Dag and Fawn’s wedding at the Bluefeld farm, having more or less overcome her family’s … Continue reading →

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Lois McMaster Bujold: Beguilement – The Sharing Knife #1 – For your reading pleasure

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Jacey Bedford

All the reviews said: ‘Good, but not as good as Curse of Chalion,’ so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. On the whole I would agree, but to my mind it will be a very exceptional book that is … Continue reading →

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Lisa Shearin’s Raine Benares books – for your reading pleasure.

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

I’ll be perfectly honest, though I liked the first Raine Benares book, Magic Lost, Trouble Found I wasn’t 100% in love with it. Luckily I liked it enough to get the second book, Armed and Magical, which picks up just … Continue reading →

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Scott Lynch: The Lies of Locke Lamora – for your reading pleasure

Posted on November 10, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

Thoroughly absorbing, interesting characters who are changed by events that happen to them, great backstory, twisty plot in the front-story leading to nail-biting tension. Highly recommended. Trying not to give away too many spoilers we get to see the formation … Continue reading →

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Liz Williams: The Snake Agent – for your reading pleasure

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

Any book which opens with the main protagonist swinging by his heels in Hell has got my attention from page one. This grabbed me and never let me go. Det. Insp. Chen is the cop whose responsibilities include the underworld … Continue reading →

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How Long is a Piece of String?

Posted on June 30, 2020 by Jacey Bedford

Chopping and Changing – Revisions, Cuts and Additions. How long should your story or novel be? A piece (story, novel or poem) should be as long as it needs to be – but that’s not always as long as you, … Continue reading →

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