My next novel That Which is Left is Lost will be released on 16 June. And, this time – unlike my debut which is only available as an Ebook only – there is going to be a paperback version! [Check out my Books & Stories Page to see when it’s live!] When we writers talk […]
Believing you can write a book is a bit like believing in fairies. You have no evidence they exist, but somehow you *want* to believe that they might. The problem is, as grown ups, we don’t believe in the same way as we did when we were kids. And that’s such a shame, because it prevents us from trying so many things.
Words can be impactful, so be careful how you’re using yours when reflecting on your writing year.
I think putting together a synopsis for a novel is one of the most challenging aspects of writing for ‘new’ writers. Even practised writers still find it difficult. How are we expected to sum up a story that it has already taken us around 90,000 words to tell in only a page or two? There […]
By exploring your character’s reactions to more generalised scenarios, you’ll be better equipped to comprehend how and why they’re going to respond to your specific plot points. Not only this, but it’s not just what they do, it’s how they do it.
You know that old saying – everyone’s got a book in them? So many people want to write a book, but never will, and if you’re a writer then I’m sure you’ve had someone tell you that they would LOVE to write a book too, but they just don’t have time. So, what makes the […]
The process of writing a novel is not something that can simply be taught. People can advise and suggest ways for you to get started or to keep your motivation going or even how to celebrate when you finish. But they can’t write the book for you, nor can they tell you what is best for the story you are trying to tell. All of that has to come from you.
One of the biggest challenges we face in this commercial, rat-race of a world is recognising when we are successful. A lot of the time we neglect to see our own success in favour of identifying it in others. We look around at our friends, family, work colleagues and beyond and think that we don’t match up – when, really, they’re all doing the same and believe you are more successful than they are!
We writers can be a mysterious bunch to other people; coming up with random ideas in strange places, for plots and characters that are so different to our current lives and personalities. But this is what I love the most about being a writer; the freedom of imagination. Most especially at the very beginning of […]
It’s almost here. Later this week is when we all start worrying about our word counts and comparing it to other people’s. In an effort to calm the impending storm that begins on November 1st, here are a selection of final tips that should help you ready yourself for the big challenge. First, let’s consider […]
