Author Archives: H.M. Goodchild
I’m on the radio!
A quick note to say in November 2017 I was the guest on Hannah’s Bookshelf, on North Manchester FM. We talked about books – mine and other people’s – ballads, biology, time, and what I’d save for a post-apocalyptic library. It was … Continue reading
Deleted chapter (The Fisher’s Boy)
This is the deleted first chapter from a spin-off from the work in progress. I’m posting it here because I doubt it will see the light of day elsewhere. The Fisher’s Boy Sometimes in later life the smell of a … Continue reading
After FantasyCon
I’m back from FantasyCon, and have had enough time now to catch up on sleep. It was a wonderful weekend – I’d had my doubts ahead of time as last year’s had felt a bit cliquey – but this year it … Continue reading
Fantasycon 2017
It’s been ages, I know, since I last posted here. I’ve ticking away in the background – revising a novel, reading up on Pliny the Younger as background for another, completing a teaching qualification – but all these are things easiest done … Continue reading
Detecting folk songs
One of my favourite authors is Dorothy L. Sayers. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve reread or simply revisited her detective novels, even though I’ve known whodunit in each of them for years. Her best known books … Continue reading
Some thoughts on writing, revisited
I wrote the following about eighteen months ago in reaction to a lot of the advice to writers I’d seen posted here and there about the internet. It started as a rant but I managed to tone it down by the … Continue reading
Imacah’s song
There are several songs in After the Ruin. Like the map, they’re there to give the impression of a world that is rather larger than the story between the covers of the book. The book was inspired by ballads so it felt … Continue reading
As I am, so shall you be (villanelle)
I know this blog has wandered a long way from folk songs and from fantasy. I’m still listening to the former and blocked on the latter. Now, and for the foreseeable future, I’ll be posting the odd (very odd?) poem here, when I … Continue reading
Pantoum: All the time there is
The prompt for this was a composite photo of many different clock faces. I can’t find the picture now (note to self: save things!) but you all know what a clock looks like! All the time there is All the … Continue reading
Ill winds are blowing
Two triolets Both say much the same thing because I wrote the first and then turned it into the second to fit the character limit for twitter. 1) Ill winds are blowing Out of the west Certainties going Ill winds are … Continue reading
