For me, this, the third week of the National Writing Month, has been the most difficult to date.On Friday after I'd reached 25,000 words and got myself another badge (hurrah), I decided it was time to have a bit of a celebration. After a very late night with friends, Saturday's word count was the … [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...]
That thorny old issue
The point of view (POV) in a novel has been something of a hobby horse of mine since I took an MA in Creative Writing a few years ago. Whether it's my analytical brain, or my natural tidiness (no comments needed by people who know me - in my brain I'm tidy...), but I've always … [Read more...]
I’m in love, again.
You may have noticed that I've been a little absent from the interweb community lately. It's partly due to my travels to Helsinki and London, but largely it's due to a new project.Yes, it's official: I'm writing a new novel.I can't say too much about it yet, I might break the spell of a new found … [Read more...]
Am I in love with writing or is writing in love with me?
Writing a novel is like a love affair. When at first you get the idea for a novel you are attracted, not able to think about anything else, but still only partly seduced by the plot. Then you start to be obsessed with the characters and worry whether you can carry the idea through to the end. You do … [Read more...]
