This week, the endless wisdom of Ray Bradbury and his essays on writing have truly been giving me strength and the ability to carry on with my writing. I am immensely proud to say that I am only about 16,000 words away from completing my second draft of The Dream Parade {Part One} sporting a seriously improved storyline. Finally, I am fully unstuck and ready to … Continue reading Ray Bradbury’s #1 Top Tip for A Killer Storyline
This is a question that has plagued me for some time. Writers are people who write. So, if I don’t write, can I call myself a writer? If I write badly, do I have to call myself a ‘bad writer’? Well, I want to be a ‘good’ writer! I.e. somebody whose work gets read (and maybe even re-read). So wouldn’t it make sense to go … Continue reading Should Writers Take Writing Courses?
Whilst getting inspired for writing material and stories is usually not a problem for me, I have been struggling with my ‘why’ lately. A ‘why’ is not to be confused with a goal or target. I have plenty of them and find it easy to remember what they are. In particular, my main goal (to earn a full-time living from fiction writing) is clearly imprinted … Continue reading How to Draw Inspiration from Unlikely Sources
As my friends and I, are counting down the last few hours of an exceptionally tough year, I can’t help but think about how lucky I am to still be writing. Those who have been reading me regularly since the launch of this blog will have noticed the effects of what I can only describe as a horrific sh***-storm (a dramatic reduction in creative output). … Continue reading My 3 Most Important Writing Lessons of 2016
With Christmas just around the corner, I have been YouTubing lists of dystopian reads to keep me busy over the upcoming holiday period and welcome break from my day job – aside from writing of course. Getting slowly into the Christmas spirit, I am sharing this comprehensive list of the 10 best dystopian novels. What I like best about this list is that – unlike … Continue reading Top 10 Best Dystopian Novels
I recently had to deal with an aching shoulder. Apparently this was due to writing in uncomfortable positions. Spending a lot of time commuting to and from work, I tend to write most of my fiction on trains. Whilst I don’t usually feel uncomfortable typing on my iPad during my 50 minute commute (Mondays to Fridays) I do suspect that my posture during my writing … Continue reading Why All Writers Should Train A Dragon
Stephen King is famously known to have claimed: Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt. ―Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft As an indie author currently in the throws of trying to complete my first full-length novel (planned length: 90,000 words), … Continue reading 5 Common Denominators Between Fiction Writing and Running a Half Marathon
