The world ends at least five times in season four of my writing group’s monthly book corner. Either it was accidentally about apocalypses, or we’re a very dark group. The season concludes with: What is the book corner? Each month the group takes a break from critiquing our WIPs to examine a complete, published novel. […]
Tropes abound as the second trio from season four of my writing group’s monthly book corner takes in feminist speculative fiction, a classic of SF satire and a contemporary fairy tale: What is the book corner? Each month, our writing group takes a break from critiquing WIPs to examine a complete, published novel. Everyone picks […]
It’s time for The Book Corner season 4, part 1, loosely themed around books that had shaped our writing journeys. With nine very different titles, I’ll give my tuppence-worths in three instalments. What is the book corner? Each month, our writing group takes a break from critiquing WIPs to examine a complete, published novel. Everyone […]
Plottr is my latest bid to find a story outlining tool that will tame my excesses as a discovery writer and help me to work faster. I’ve looked at how I hoped to use it with three different projects, now it’s time for a deep dive into the experience. Navigating the Plottr interface When you […]
I’ve been away for a while [DRUM ROLL] writing a new novel in my Nightmare Vacations series. It’s also been an opportunity to test drive Plottr, a visual tool for story planning. For a lazy pantser like me, outlining can be a chore that gets in the way of turning that great new idea into […]
I’ll try and begin to…ah, see how easy it is? This week’s zombies, neatly corralled in five words. The “tried to”/“began to” habit is another instance of distance words that push readers away from your story. If you’re looking for an inspirational truism in the vein of “just write something, it doesn’t matter how good […]
You’ve set up the perfect writing space, found a pen that channels Poe, a coffee shop fit for Camus and a chair good enough for Chandler. With a few chapters complete, you’d like some feedback, tips on how to improve or something more in-depth. You need education, editors and readers. Educating writer Writing a novel, […]
How much does it cost to write a novel? Surely, writing costs nothing more than time and something to write with, whether that’s pen and paper, a computer, or a secretary to take your dictations (if you’re Barbara Cartland). Right? Wrong! Most successful novelists employ editors and readers at different stages. That’s particularly important for […]
If 2021 was a year of change, 2022 was a year of new adventures: I published my first novel. I got to grips with living in a new country. I started a new business. I turned 50 (that still hasn’t sunk in). And I became a doggy daddy. Writing a novel is hard, publishing is […]
What is a critical reader? You’ve crafted a killer first chapter and finessed your final draft. The question remains: is my novel any good? And who can you ask for an unbiased opinion? Friends? Family? Other writers? I’ll give you a fourth option: ask The Good Reader. I’m here to provide the unbiased, independent opinion […]