What is dating you really like for them? — Do you know what it’s like to be in a relationship with you? Have you ever even thought about it? Do you have any idea what dating you is like for the other person? None of us can read minds, of course, but do you know — in your heart…

And I’m not sure I’m better for it — Do you remember when the lockdowns began? We were all baking bread and singing “toss a coin to your Witcher,” whilst making glib remarks on Twitter.com? Then they dragged on. Ever deeper lockdowns descended upon us, a heavy cloud rumbling across the sky like a dark blanket. We all got…

The road to recovery after abusive relationships — It would be easier to say he’d put a gun to my head. Then other people would at least know what I was talking about. He made it seem like acting out his will was my only rational option. Afterwards I would be left with guilt and discomfort at having…

Just admit you only want/need one lover — If you have brain cells to spare I recommend this nonsense article from Vice entitled ‘Radical Monogamy’. This is a type of relationship that is broadly defined as: “…it’s a progressive alternative to the “old monogamy of our parents and grandparents [that] doesn’t really work today.” The latter doesn’t work…

Reflections from a reformed pornographer — For over the past ten years, I’ve kept a dirty little secret. Under many, many nom de plumes I wrote porn in the form of easily accessible, short digital books. I’m not talking about romance novels, I wrote graphic sex scenes, sometimes with very little romance involved. The type intended…

A 12-step program for angry fans who need a reality check — You do not have to watch the new adaptation if you do not want to. Books and TV are very different mediums. Internal monologue is impossible to film. Unless you use a voice over with nothing happening on screen… And you don’t need to be an expert on screenwriting to…

Creating beautiful things is the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted. Writing poetry that moves people. Writing novels that tell thrilling… — Creating beautiful things is the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted. Writing poetry that moves people. Writing novels that tell thrilling tales. Painting a masterpiece. It’s like trying to hit a target you can’t see. It can’t even be defined as such until after the fact. Often the artists making masterpieces…

She didn’t change the monarchy but she did change celebrity — People have short memories. Painfully short, in fact. Unbelievably short. The news cycle may be brutal for those in it, but at least it’s short. There’s no single celebrity that epitomises this more than the late Diana, Princess of Wales. I was seven when Princess Diana died. Most British adults…

What wisdom theology still holds for the un-religious — I initially started spending time in churches during my lunchbreaks to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Churches are a great place to think in quiet when the weather outside is too inclement to sit on a park bench and, unlike a café, I don’t have to buy…