I recently read The Missing One by debut novelist, Lucy Atkins, which comes out on 16 January. It is a compelling and at times uneasy read, about a woman looking for the truth about her mother, and I couldn’t put it down. I enjoyed it so much I asked Lucy to explain how the story […]
Ten things not to say to a writer
1. Wow, you’ve got a publishing deal! I bet you’re raking in the cash now. Yes, absolutely. In fact I’m struggling to type this, so bejewelled are my fingers. 2. Will you dedicate your book to me? I’ve only met you about three times. I don’t even like you. Why on earth would I dedicate […]
The Book With No Name
I am writing the Book With No Name. It will have one, I hope, at some point between now and the moment it hits the shelves, but for now it is the Book With No Name. I finished it last year, and the last twelve months have been mostly spent writing it all over again. […]
Back-stories, characterisation, and dancing in the kitchen
A novel can have the most powerful story-line in the world, but if the characters are not well-rounded the story will stay on the page. It won’t haunt your day-dreams, or follow you to work, running through your subconscious until the next time you pick up your book again. Characters are everything. As I tackle […]
Why I've changed my mind about writing courses
I’ve always been a bit dubious about writing courses. Not because I don’t think you can learn to write – on the contrary, writing’s a craft, like any other – but because I have a deep-rooted fear of wasting time and money. I don’t want to spend time on ice-breakers, coffee breaks and introductions, when […]
Ten inspiring ideas to try instead of NaNoWriMo
As we hurtle through October towards November, writers’ thoughts turn to NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. The NaNoWriMo challenge is to complete the first draft of a novel (a minimum of 50,000 words) in just thirty days, and fans of the annual event maintain it is perfect for bashing out early drafts, pushing through writer’s […]