Reading habits in 2016 and beyond
Only a few years ago, physical bookstores were declining and it seemed the dominance of e-books was inevitable. Yet now there are signs that this trend is stalling. Is this really true, and if so, what does it mean? The revolution so far Let’s cast our minds back four
Review: Merrell All Out Peak trail shoes
Update 2016: having now been through several pairs of these shoes, it’s important to note that they’ll probably only last you a few hundred miles. For more, read Are trail shoes durable enough? A review of Merrell’s All Out Peak trail shoes, from the perspective of a
A moment in time: November 30th, 2009
‘I can’t do it, Roddie. I’m going back down. Sorry, mate.’ It was one of those most perfect of winter mornings. The season had started early in Glen Coe, with snow sweeping the mountains before a cold snap froze everything up, bright and gleaming. In the bar the
Writing effective dialogue in fiction
As an editor, I’ve seen all kinds of dialogue in fiction: poor, excellent, and every possible grade in between. In this article I’m going to give you some basic tools to improve your dialogue. I think that writers who develop great characters write better dialogue, and that’s
2015 in review
It’s a few days later than I’d planned, but here is my review of 2015. If you’ve been paying attention you’ll already know it was a great year – but I intend to make 2016 even better. Backpacking and the outdoors I started the year in a
Aurora in Lincolnshire
On Sunday night, I saw the aurora borealis – from Lincolnshire. But part of me is disappointed that I didn’t see it in what I imagine to be its proper setting. Back when I lived in Scotland, I’d heard rumours of the aurora for years. It was described as
Starting from zero
Several times in my life, I’ve had to trim my possessions down to an absolute minimum in preparation for a move. At first this was terrifying, but I gradually began to see it as a uniquely freeing process – and even came to look forward to it. I’ve never
The next 750 miles
It’s almost the end of the year, and nearly time to look back at what I’ve achieved in 2015. But before I do, I’d like to look ahead. Scottish long-distance hikes My main Scottish objective for next year is the Skye Trail. I’ve had my eye
The photos you’ll never look at again
Twenty-five thousand. That’s how many photos I had sitting in a folder on my hard disk. Recently I set myself the task of getting my photo collection in order, and I learned some surprising things. Back in the nineties, the bottom drawer in my bedroom was where I stored
Flooding and the spectre of climate change
As I type these words, water is once again pouring into homes and businesses in Glenridding, a small village in the Lake District. Catastrophic storms at the weekend dealt the first blow, but the rain is back and the waters are rising. We are living in remarkable and scary times.