Writing should be simple - pen, paper, write (or screen, keyboard, write). But like pretty much everything in life, we humans have tried to make it complicated. We've put up barriers that prospective writers have to vault over in order to be considered "proper" writers. And whilst I think there are some things you do... Continue Reading →
We all have a comfort zone in life - and in our writing. And people often talk about pushing outside of it. But with writing, people (as in readers) are pretty accepting of the comfort zone. We don't mind that Stephen King has found his groove in horror, or that Jane Austen only wrote romantic... Continue Reading →
The characters in your books are the heart and soul of your story. As a writer you need spend time on them or your book won't have the same impact. There are plenty of novels out there where the characters are used as fleshy footballs, kicked around by the dominant plot. But I'm not going... Continue Reading →
Storytelling is the backbone of being a writer, whether it's fiction or non-fiction. And there are many places to learn storytelling; books (obviously), but also art, music, films and TV. But there's another a genre you might have overlooked - video games. The computer games industry is a relative newcomer to the world of entertainment.... Continue Reading →
Editing your writing is a long process. There's no magic wand for it, nor a whistle that blows when your done. But before you send it off, hit print, or self-publish, it's good to do one last sweep to make sure the basics don't let you down. Here's a checklist to help. Spelling Your built-in... Continue Reading →
I like to do end of year/new year posts. A lot of people do them. But this year - this year I'm sure everyone will want to do one, focusing on the once(maybe) in a lifetime events the world has experienced. Even this post is going to be influence by them.From a writing perspective, there... Continue Reading →
Writers need inspiration. Sometimes we get flashes from no-where. But often it's the places we go, the people we meet and the things we experience that provide the exciting idea. Unfortunately short days, longs nights and cold, wet weather don't lend themselves to getting out and about. Add in the current health situation and we've... Continue Reading →
There's plenty of writing advice out there. But getting tips about the kind of things writers should do to be well, good writers is only one side of the coin. Understanding what to avoid is also important. Mistakes are part of how we learn of course, so you couldn't (and shouldn't) try to stop making... Continue Reading →
It sounds simple. Writers write. It kind of goes with the territory. And if we didn't like, nay love, nay were obsessed by writing we wouldn't do it. But the things we can love we can also, at times, dislike, nay hate, nay want to hurl out of the window. But there's a train of... Continue Reading →
Every form of artwork comes with it's own set of critics. It's an odd sort of thing we humans have created - a group of people to decide what art is "good" or "bad", what's its "meaning" and where it should stand in comparison to other artwork and artists. There's nothing wrong with this, but... Continue Reading →
