Author of contemporary romance
They did what?! Non-writers don't seem to understand the associated joy and frustration attached to character development when penning a novel. They tend to look at you funny when you're explaining how your latest characters aren't doing exactly what you want. You can come across as slightly insane: "So, I'm at that critical point and …
Continue reading "When your characters won’t behave themselves"
Why do you write? I regularly ask myself this question! For those that have completed the arduous journey of completing a novel, you'll know it's not for the faint hearted. It can be addictive, exciting and deeply rewarding; it can also be extremely frustrating, lonely and soul destroying. So why do we do it?! There's …
Continue reading "Insanity or God complex: why writers write"
Writing is not a sport, right? No, it's most certainly not. It's also highly likely that if you are a fiction author reading this, you're traditionally not the competitive type. A writer's life consists of many solitary hours spent in our own head, hammering out our make believe lives on our keyboards and then many …
Continue reading "Writing competitions: why you should take part"
No, I'm not referring to a piece of computer hardware. As I recently discovered, the term 'beta reader' refers to a person who reads a written work, such as a novel, with the intention of providing constructive feedback regarding everything from grammar and spelling to story structure and plot, prior to the story's official publication. …
Writing ideas first require a seed to grow Formulating ideas for a full length novel isn't easy. A lot of people think it is. How many well meaning friends or relatives have started a conversation with: "How about this for a novel idea?" The problem with ideas are that they are just that - ideas. …
