All the books on writing suggest waking an hour early to write. Although I’m a “morning person”, meaning that once I’m awake, I tend to stay awake and get my best work done in the early part of the day, …
A New Perspective on Publishing Credits
When I created this website, I had done a lot of reading around “publishing credits“, and felt the self-inflicted pressure to get myself published, including writing things that I didn’t really enjoy. Aside from the short pieces I’ve attempted to …
Writing Exercise: Characters
“I’d love to write a novel.” I’m hearing this phrase more and more in my life. Last week, my mother said it on the phone. And I snapped. The Conversation K. R. : “Yeah? Then write one.” M : “Oh, …
Stereotypes: The Short Story
Whenever I’ve read advice or interviews from published authors, they’ve often begun writing short stories; which they have submitted to magazines. A part of my mind still thinks “that’s what you need to get into writing”. As publishing credits, this …
Prioritising
Every writer is different. Some people plan a story, then outline, before drafting it and then editing. They work on the same piece for months or years and then they have a wonderfully finished piece to begin showing to the …
Hopeful Endings: What Readers Want
As a writer, the advice is constant: create conflict. We are to make our characters overcome one obstacle after another, after another… Because readers want hope. Think about your favourite books or movies. Why do you re-read/watch them? I personally …