Your plot is in place, your research is solid and your characters are ready to go. It's time to write the first draft. Writing is what you love so this part should be easy, right? Well not always. Read on for some advice on tackling your first draft. Accept your first draft will be rubbish... Continue Reading →
Want to write a book and don't know where to start? Well, you're in the wrong place! No, but seriously, in this six-part series, I'm going to share some advice I've gleaned over my years as a writer. But, I'm not a writing expert and this is NOT a definitive 'How to write' guide -... Continue Reading →
There's no fool-proof formula to being a successful writer (no matter what anyone says) - and of course, "success" differs for everyone anyway. I often post advice and tips about writing on this blog, but these are never must-dos - they're suggestions to try out. That's what advice is meant to be. That being said,... Continue Reading →
The latest in my "3 Things" series - this time the humorous genre. 1) Er... how to be funny Yeah ok, I know this is obvious - but as I've mentioned in a previous full blog post, I think all stories no matter their genre or subject matter can benefit from humour. Even if it's... Continue Reading →
At their most basic, stories are made up of two things - description and dialogue. What, how, and when your characters speak can do a lot for your writing. Dialogue can say something about the character, drive the story, unlock a twist, be part of how all your characters interact - In other words, it's... Continue Reading →
A lot of writing advice focuses on how the story begins. The first line, the first paragraph, the first chapter - these are all important to grab your reader and get them to keep reading. And whilst this is vital part of your story, you shouldn't overlook the ending. This after all, is the last... Continue Reading →
In the new year, many people think about new beginnings, perhaps having a go at a long-held dream. And for some, that dream is to write. It might be to finally write a specific book they've had in mind for years. Or maybe it's just starting to write full stop. Whatever you want to do,... Continue Reading →
The second in my "3 Things" series about what writers can learn from various genres and today we're onto romance. I'm not much of a romance reader specifically but as you'll see romance informs a lot of books out there. 1) How to write relationships Relationships are at the heart of romance books. Romantic ones... Continue Reading →
When you're a writer, you may well occasionally feel guilty. In our driven society, it's not unusual to feel like this if you're doing anything that isn't "work" but is vaguely important to you. So how do you cope with it? Here are five common writing "guilts" and how to manage them. 1) Spending too... Continue Reading →
I worked on my first book for three years. And at roughly 45,000 words it wasn't exactly War and Peace. But there were reasons for the length of time it took. It was my first book for a start so I was learning a lot. On top of that, it had to be put into... Continue Reading →
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