As I said in a previous post, I’ve been writing on and off for (I can’t believe it) nearly thirty years. OK, so I did get a magazine article published when I was 15 but that’s still a long time! When I started, I had a manual typewriter, and then scrounged an electric one with… Continue reading More Writers now than Ever Before?
Tag: writing
Tools of the Trade
I know the old saying – a bad workman blames his tools. But the other side of coin is that you have to use the right tool for the job. (I have scars on my hands to reinforce this lesson!) In thinking about how my writing has changed over the years, I’ve realised that advances… Continue reading Tools of the Trade
The Process of Novel Writing
When I was younger (more naive?) I thought that becoming an author would go something like this. I’d write a novel, by starting at the beginning and writing through to the end. Then I’d send three chapters and a synopsis off to some publishers, one would ask for the full manuscript and I’d get published.… Continue reading The Process of Novel Writing
Burning down Hogwarts!
Apologies to those of you who don’t read Harry Potter, but I am father to three boys, aged 4, 8 and 11 so it is common currency in our house. Thinking about the series of books (and films, etc.) I realised something. By the end of the book, a lot of things that were axiomatic… Continue reading Burning down Hogwarts!
Word count and free time
Nine weeks ago I finished planning and outlining my novel. I looked at the calendar and worked out that I had eight weeks of typing available. This is because I am house-husband to three lively boys, one at pre-school and two at school. This means that most of my free time is in the morning,… Continue reading Word count and free time