You're a writer so you would spend your lockdown writing a story, right? Well, yes, in theory... A Good Writing Routine I have worked from home for quite a few years now, and have a well- established routine for my writing and coaching business. On the other hand, my husband's job involves … [Read more...]
Advice for New Writers Part 6: Traditional or Self-publish?
In this series of posts on Advice to New Authors, I've talked about writing the 1st draft, about editing your work, how to increase the speed of your writing, how long it takes to publish a novel, and about ways in which you can learn your craft. Today I'm going to talk about self-publishing versus … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Learn Your Craft: Advice for New Writers Part 5
In the previous posts I wrote about how practise makes perfect, but I also said that writing, like any form of art is something that can be taught. You need aptitude and talent too, but these two alone may not be enough to make you into a successful author. Learning you Craft In this post I will … [Read more...]
Advice for New Writers Part 3: How Long Does It Take to Write and Publish a Novel?
This is number three in a series of posts about writing and publishing fiction. You can find the previous posts here. How long does it take to get your novel into print (or out in ebook form)? Writing a novel takes time. How long a first draft takes to produce is highly personal, but at … [Read more...]
Advice for New Writers Part 2: I’ve Completed the First Draft – What Now?
Last time in this series of posts about what to do if you have an idea for a book, I talked about reading in your genre and writing as much as possible. Today, I'm going to talk about what to do when you've finished the first draft. What to Do When You've Completed the First Draft? When you've … [Read more...]
Advice for New Writers Part 1: I have a great idea for a book – what should I do next?
I must be getting old, because I am often asked for advice about writing by young (and not so young) authors, who are just starting out, and wondering what they should do to get a book out and published. Last week, I was speaking to yet another one. She had an idea for a book, which she was … [Read more...]
Summer House with Swimming Pool
As soon as I began reading this novel, I was struck by how much the prose reminded me of Vladimir Nbokov's Lolita. There is the narcissistic narrator, almost proud of his repulsive character, there's the sense of sexual wrongdoing, there's the plot, which constantly makes you question your … [Read more...]
Scotland votes ‘No’!
Out of a hap-penance, the Englishman and I have been in Scotland during this historic time when the country decided on its future.We'd been invited for a weekend of fly fishing on the Scottish Borders (him on the river, me tucked up in the house by an open fire writing), so I decided to kill two … [Read more...]
Read my books with Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited
There's a new way to buy and read e-books. Last Friday Amazon launched its Kindle Unlimited subscription service in the US (only, for now) where readers can upload as many books as they wish for just $9.99 per month (that would be about £7.50 in the UK). This service seems a good deal for readers … [Read more...]
