Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com As I write this, I'm listening to Christopher Dicker's atmospheric instrumental music, and am transported to the moody mudflats of Ben Hobson's wonderful literary thriller, 'Snake Island'. The album was conceived as a soundtrack to accompany Ben's novel, and enriches his story in the most unique way. The two … Continue reading The joy of artistic collaboration
How to write a new novel when you can’t remember where to begin
My writing desk. New year, new notebook. For the last two years or so, I've been writing, rewriting, editing and polishing my latest manuscript. My baby is finally ready to pitch—exciting times—and I've tentatively started to send it out. Now that the manuscript is out of my hands, though, I need to decide on the … Continue reading How to write a new novel when you can’t remember where to begin
Edit with your ears: the value of hearing your words
Photo by Christina Morillo on Pexels.com I've spent most of the year editing my psychological suspense novel. Initially, this involved improving big-picture aspects of the story—pacing, character development, themes, tense—we're talking a big structural edit. For the last couple of months, though, I've been sweating the small stuff: the line edit and proofreading prior to … Continue reading Edit with your ears: the value of hearing your words
Small acts of validation: the importance of connecting with readers
Photo by Immortal shots on Pexels.com The business of being a writer is inherently disappointing if your mark of success is achieving traditional publication or winning prizes. Although many of us harbour these desires, these glittering goals, the reality is that few writers, even successful ones, end up collecting a pile of accolades. Or sales. … Continue reading Small acts of validation: the importance of connecting with readers
How to get published in literary journals: why you need a submission strategy
Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com Short fiction can be a fantastic way for a writer to explore new genres, build skills or just let off steam, to have a bit of fun and actually finish a piece when a novel can take years to write and polish. Publishing short fiction can also be a … Continue reading How to get published in literary journals: why you need a submission strategy
How to write purposeful dialogue
Photo by Vera Arsic on Pexels.com We've all read dialogue that pulls us out of a story. Makes us throw the book across the room because it's so unrealistic, prattles on for ages with a tedious info dump, or bores us to death with pointless banter. Considering the fact that humans spend hundreds of hours … Continue reading How to write purposeful dialogue
Hello imposter syndrome, my old ‘friend’.
Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com After years of taking writing seriously, of small successes and countless not-so-near misses, two upcoming events have triggered my fear of failure. Big time. I usually try to ignore the fear and press on, but this time I feel the need to address it. It’s time to talk about the … Continue reading Hello imposter syndrome, my old ‘friend’.
Networking 101: How to engage with the #writingcommunity
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com If you want to be a writer, you need to engage with the writing community. It makes sense to network if you want to break into a new career, and it also makes sense to find supportive friends to help you through the inevitable rejections and failure. When you are … Continue reading Networking 101: How to engage with the #writingcommunity
The new writer’s guide to creative writing workshops
Photo by Startup Stock Photos on Pexels.com A writer friend of mine recently confessed that she found the idea of a small group workshop with an established author intimidating. Although she had already self-published several novels, and was no stranger to criticism and feedback, the thought of sitting at a table with a 'serious' author … Continue reading The new writer’s guide to creative writing workshops
Why all writing competitions should publish their longlists
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com This has been a big rejection year for me. In fact, since December I've received nothing else. To be fair, I've been concentrating on a large project, so it hasn't been a big submission year either. The odds haven't been in my favour. Most of the time polite form rejections … Continue reading Why all writing competitions should publish their longlists
