I wrote last year about The Book With No Name. The book which is due to be published later this year, which has been written and rewritten more times than I can count. Choosing a name is a hugely difficult process. It needs to take into account the story itself, as well as the intended […]
Writing
How do you procrastinate?
Poet Edward Young famously called procrastination ‘the thief of time,’ although I can’t imagine the distractions available to him in the 1700s were on a par with my own favourite online diversionary activities. I thrive on deadlines, so when I’m really up against it you won’t catch me procrastinating at all: I’ll have my nose […]
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 […]