That Jamie Bloke

Iron and Ink: How the Gym Saves My Writing (and Vice Versa)

I could start this blog with a laboured, cliché metaphor. Something like, “You don’t just walk up to a 100kg barbell and expect to lift it, so you shouldn’t expect to write a book in a day.” But let’s be honest: that would be rubbish. Instead, I want to talk about how a heavy liftingContinue reading “Iron and Ink: How the Gym Saves My Writing (and Vice Versa)”

Overcoming Fitness Struggles: My Transformation Journey

So, I’ve set myself a challenge that I’ve mentioned before – to do a fitness photoshoot later in the year. And I’m still very much on the road to it. It started really at the beginning of the year when I really felt bad about the way I looked and my gym really didn’t help.Continue reading “Overcoming Fitness Struggles: My Transformation Journey”

The Art of the Teaser: Narrative Openings and ‘The Phantom Mask’

The opening of a book is its most critical component, serving as the gateway to the narrative world. This is why I strategically introduced the beginnings of “The Phantom Mask” in my previous work, utilizing a technique similar to a cinematic end stinger or post-credits scene to bridge the transition between stories. It poses aContinue reading “The Art of the Teaser: Narrative Openings and ‘The Phantom Mask’”

One Epic Year: The Story So Far (And How to Join the Crew)

The Concept One Epic Year isn’t a standard anthology. It’s a living story that features on the holidays it represents. Each day having a different genre. The goal was to create a gritty, real-time reading experience that stays with you throughout the year. So far, the journey has been intense, and we’re only just reachingContinue reading “One Epic Year: The Story So Far (And How to Join the Crew)”

Why I Published My First Book For All The Wrong Reasons But It Gave Me Back My Passion For Writing

This is not one of those stories of lifelong dreams, a perfectly executed plans, nope, this is a story about accidents, a little bit of panic and basically learning everything the hard way. Let’s be honest: my first self-published “book” wasn’t actually a book. It was a rushed screenplay I whacked onto KDP because IContinue reading “Why I Published My First Book For All The Wrong Reasons But It Gave Me Back My Passion For Writing”

Training for the Lens: Why the Gym is Part of the Script

The Context I’ve spent most of my life behind a desk or buried in a draft, but as I’ve started building the That Jamie Bloke YouTube channel, I realized something: Confidence is a creative tool. It’s easy to give advice from the shadows, but showing up as a “Big Brother” figure for other self-published authorsContinue reading “Training for the Lens: Why the Gym is Part of the Script”

A Different Kind of Mystery: The ‘Who Saved It’

Most noir stories start with a body and a question: Who did it? While The Phantom Mask has its share of shadows and secrets, I’m approaching this draft from a slightly different angle. The Premise: The city of London is a place that has learned to look away. Especially after The Battle of London atContinue reading “A Different Kind of Mystery: The ‘Who Saved It’”

The Day I Realised She Was the Brand

The Day I Realised She Was the Brand — And Why It Changed Everything Introduction When I started Aunty Sadie Reads, we hid behind the character.She was warm, playful, and instantly recognisable — but the face wasn’t real. Even if the voice was. I thought that was the safest, most professional way to build aContinue reading “The Day I Realised She Was the Brand”

What Writing a Trilogy Taught Me About Leadership

What Writing a Trilogy Taught Me About Leadership – And It’s Not What You Think It Is Introduction When you think “leadership,” you probably picture boardrooms, team meetings, and quarterly targets — not an author hunched over a laptop, juggling fictional characters. But after writing and publishing the One Epic Year trilogy, I realised theContinue reading “What Writing a Trilogy Taught Me About Leadership”

Why Most Self-Published Authors Struggle With Marketing

Why Most Self-Published Authors Struggle With Marketing (and How to Fix It) Introduction There’s a common strategy in self-publishing that I like to call “Write, Publish, Pray.”You pour months — even years — into writing a book. You upload it to Amazon. You post about it once on social media. Then you sit back and…Continue reading “Why Most Self-Published Authors Struggle With Marketing”