I have a series of seminars on Story Principles in train for 2011 to take place at literary festivals and Picture House Cinemas around the country. Confirmed partners also include The Script Factory, and I have a monthly column in The Writer Magazine through 2011 in promotion of the seminars and book. A place on one of my seminars makes an ideal present for that special person...

2010 sees two books coming out - 'Oopsie - I Forgot' (children's illustrated book) and 'The Principles That Lie Beneath All Good Stories' - my academic work on story theory. This latter work has already brought me work as a story consultant on two novels, a movie and a couple of jobs with film producers, and I hereby admit to loving it all.

I'm also delivering a number of personal appearances in bookshops and at events, and giving more seminars on Story Principles. Hit the contact me button if you want to get details, as I can't seem to be arsed to keep this website up to date.

Some foreign rights have been sold, and Jumping Ships and Ocean Boulevard have now been translated into Korean.

I will also complete my first album as a music producer for the indie rock band 'Alice' this year. Take a listen to what we've done at www.myspace.com/alicehq .

Sandi Toksvig and Radio 4

July 09: I've done a few radio shows, but this weekend is the biggy - Saturday 11th at 10.00am, I'm on Excess Baggage on Radio 4 with Sandi Toksvig, no less. I am excited, not because the show has 1.4 million listeners, or because I'm being interviewed by the wonderful Ms Toksvig, but the BBC are sending a car to pick me up.

John Sullivan

June 09: Met the diamond geezer himself, John Sullivan (Only Fools and Horses; Just Good Friends; Citizen Smith...) to talk Story Principles. He's invited me to the set of the filming of the one-off special that takes us back to Del-boy's childhood in the sixties... Can't wait...

Story Seminars

May 09: Delivered a series of seminars for Euroscript across the south of England on 'The Principles That Lie Beneath All Good Stories'. Great fun, with interesting people and a topic I love.

Willy Russell

May 09: Met with playwright Willy Russell (Educating Rita; Shirley Valentine; Blood Brothers...) to talk story principles. What a wonderful man. Learned a great deal from Willy - he writes from the heart and knows how to generate and harness urgency. (All such secrets revealed in the book...)

Lee Child

May 09: Met with massive selling novelist Lee Child to talk about story principles. Another interesting meeting with a man who knows how to turn a story and sell 15 million novels... Jealous? Bitter? Me?! He thinks he's been no help, but he was excellent. Actually, he was a pain, because he made me change some of my seminar content the day before I began delivering them...

Jumping Ships

April 09: Jumping Ships goes into the shops on April 6th. It's had a few delays along the way, but it's well worth the wait. Really pleased with the book, and it's getting some great reviews.

Mark Williams

March 09: Met with Mark Williams to talk about story principles from an actor's perspective. Can't tell you how fascinating it was. Actually, I can. It's in the seminars and the up-coming story principles book.

Los Angeles

January 09: Trip to LA to visit my production company and work with Bob Gale (Back to the Future) on my Story Principles book. A fascinating and rewarding trip.

October 08: Kepple the Kite flies into the shops!

September 08: first delivery of my series of six seminars on 'The Principles That Lie Beneath All Good Stories'. So far going well... get in touch if you have a club or such like what would want to know how to write proper like.