It’s become traditional for a lot of us writers to start our latest blog entry by apologising for our lack of blog entries. I’ve decided not to do that anymore, because it’s just tiresome. I used to always feel guilty for not blogging enough, but I’ve given up on that to, because – as useful as blogging is to tell folk about signings I’m going to, events I’ll be attending or what I’m working on – it’s not the business of my job. Whenever I blog, I always feel guilty of somehow neglecting my ‘real’ work, the writing of stories. And, you know what, it is neglecting it. Now, there are those who’ll tell you that blogging is real work, but I’m afraid that after many years of this, I don’t agree. The job of a writer is to write, and I don’t think blogging counts. It feels strange writing that, as a self-confessed former slacker, where the idea of work was about as welcome as root canal work. Nowadays, I get antsy if I’m not working, feeling some low-grade Scottish, Calvinist work ethic eating away at me and telling me that I’m being lazy if I’m not spending every waking moment at work.

Over the years I’ve sat and listened to panels that harp on about the necessity of blogging, and I agree with a lot that gets said. To a certain extent. With social networking on the rise in all manner of formats, it’s said that a writer needs to engage with his audience to a greater degree than he ever did before. Again, that’s true to an extent, but there comes a point when it becomes all about the interaction online and not about the writing. I’d rather folk read my books and talked about the things I do, because they’d read them (and hopefully liked them) or met me in person. I’ve grown tired of feeling that I ought to be blogging all the time, like I’m letting myself down if I don’t. Well, no more. I will blog as much or as little as I see fit, and if that means I need to go for a while with no posts so I can get on with my real work, then so be it.

There are writers who manage to blog frequently, and more power to them. Mark Newton is a great example of this. His blogs are a perfectly balanced mix of self-promotion, interesting nuggets from the wider world, discussions on writing, digressions into music/art/politics and the state of the SF/Fantasy world. I drop in on Mark’s blog most days, as I can usually expect a new and interesting post. As Mark himself will tell you, that’s the key to get folk coming back to your blog. I tried the ‘little and often’ approach, but found myself posting nonsense or stuff that felt as though it was put up for the sake of having something to put up. How Mark keeps his blog up to date, holds down a full time job, writes novels and maintains a life is a constant wonder to me. So clearly it can be done, but I think I’d prefer to spend my time in front of a keyboard telling stories.

Of course, the fact that I’m typing this entry seems to be oxymoronic, but then again, I just finished writing another novel yesterday and have some time on my hands before the next project. I can’t tell you what this finished novel is, as it hasn’t been announced yet by the good folk who’re publishing it. But I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out and, I’ve just noticed, it’s my twentieth novel, which is no small landmark by my reckoning. Once the cat’s out of the bag, I’ll be sure to big it up (in-between real work, of course…).

With that project out of the way, I need to get my thinking pants on to write up my synopsis for Sons of Ellyrion, the long-awaited concluding part of my High Elf tale begun in Defenders of Ulthuan. Then it’s thinking up cool things to include in the next audio drama, plotting out my next Horus Heresy novel and coming up with a pitch for my entry for the forthcoming Horus Heresy Anthology. All of which brings me neatly to this…

Horus Heresy Giveaway

The lovely Amanda Rutter over at Floor to Ceiling Books, is running a competition to win all the Horus Heresy Books released to date. Everything up to and including Nemesis, together with The Dark King/Lightning Tower and Raven’s Flight audio dramas. That’s not a bad prize at all, so get over there and find out how you can win those thirteen novels and two cds. What are you waiting for? Go. Now!

Right. To work!