So many books, so little time
I find myself regarding the ever growing pile of "books to read" and castigating myself for being such a slow reader. 'What have you read recently? Really? You just slob in front of the telly.' Well there is a lot of great stuff to watch at the moment, it's true. Add...
Just a few good reads of 2015
I have to admit to being a bit of a nerd when it comes to books. I like lists of books. I like to hear what other people have read. I'm always interested in other people's thoughts about their own reading habits. After all, if you want to be a writer, you have to...
Show don’t tell. Rules and more rules
There was a fantastic adaptation of one of Agatha Christie's best novels on TV over the festive period: "And then there were none" (which has been reissued with several titles, the original having had the n- word). I immediately sat down to re-read the original, and...
Descriptive writing: do you need it? How to make it work
I'm currently writing a book which is set on a mythical island somewhere in the South Pacific. (Albatross is the working title of the novel). I want the island to be large enough for the islanders to be self-sufficient, but small enough so the rest of the world would...
Is fiction easier than non-fiction?
I've had a reasonable level of success writing non-fiction. As my agent reminded me a few weeks ago, non-fiction is "where the money is" and I have to agree that my experience to date suggests that most writers will only make money through ventures other than writing...
Holidays are for reading
I love being on holiday. It's great to be somewhere new, with different food, climate, scenery... but to some extent it doesn't matter where I go because the thing I most enjoy doing on holiday is working my way through an enormous pile of books. As I always have more...
Pantser or Planner? A month before Nanowrimo
Nanowrimo is less than one month away. So if you are intending to take part, do you spend October planning out your novel in meticulous detail, or do you wait for 1st November, switch on the PC and see if inspiration strikes? Last year - which was also the first year...
Narrators – reliable or otherwise
The aspect of writing fiction which is perhaps hardest to grasp when you are starting out, is that you have to choose someone to tell the story - and that person might not be you. In fact, it may well be easier if it isn't. I was walking in the mountains recently with...
Truth is stranger than fiction
You've probably heard the saying, "Truth is stranger than fiction." Creative writing tutors, in their wisdom, caution against justifying an outrageous plot twist by saying, "but that really happened!" My favourite writing book, How NOT to write a novel, devotes at...
Seasonal writers. Do you work better at a certain time of year?
My agent told me that in her experience, writers don’t tend to do much writing in the winter months, but are far more productive in the spring and summer. I found this really surprising. Surely it’s easier to hunker down when the weather outside is cold and...