September 2010
32 posts
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What to do when you’re… waiting →
In one way or another we scribes often find ourselves in a state of anticipation, whether we’re waiting to hear back from a prospective literary agent or on tenterhooks about feedback regarding the latest article we submitted to Whatever! magazine.
As you know, I’m currently doing some waiting. So I thought I’d think of stuff to do.
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“Books are a figment of our collective imagination. We need to reset what we...”
– Lulu.com’s Bob Young: There’s no such thing as a book | TechJournal South
I think that’s pretty much my take on it. A book is still a book, but it has the potential to be so much more. We don’t know exactly what that it is yet, but times they certainly are a-changin’.
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What if?
So my novel is finished. It’s received the green light from my wonderful agent and it’s about to go out to various commisioning editors from a great list of publishing houses. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? And of course, it is exciting. I’m excited. Absolutely. But like many writers striving to get published I can’t help thinking, what if it doesn’t happen? What...
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6 things you can stick in your ears to improve... →
There are many things us writers can do to tinker with our writing environment. We can write at a different time of day or we can use a different piece of writing software. The options are endless.
But I like to stick things my ears. And I’ll tell you why.
My latest post over at Write for Your Life. It’s a little sillier than usual.
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“First line, p99, or last line? The truth is that every line of a good book...”
– What’s the best way to test a novel before you read it? | Books | guardian.co.uk
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“I like books written for younger people because–even the post-apocalyptic,...”
– I YA, Do You?
Nice article looking at why more adults seem to enjoy reading children’s fiction at the moment. I understand the sentiment here, but I’m not completely convinced.
In almost every tragedy there is hope, and good fiction demonstrates that better than almost any other genre,...
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Things that give me the heebeejeebies →
Lynn Price, editorial director for Behler Publications, on receiving submissions with badly written dialogue:
How many of us speak without using contractions? Unless you’re Data from Star Trek, you don’t say, “I do not think I will have meatloaf tonight for dinner.” Yet time and time again, I see stilted dialog like this and it makes me want to scream.
I’ve seen cases where dodgy...
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“It is easy to assume that the single most important factor is a publisher’s...”
– Six Secrets To Getting Your Book Published
Absolutely true. And if you want more gems like that, I can happily recommend Bubblecow. Great blog for writers.
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How many writers does it take to change a light... →
As you’ve probably figured out, in my opinion, it takes just one writer to change a light bulb. Sure, you can get your pals, your partner or your significant literary other to hold the ladder, but only you can do the dirty work.
In the end, it’s about being responsible for the creative process. In good times and in bad. You’re the writer. No one else.
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WatchVideo: The book that started my passion for literature | Books | guardian.co.uk
My passion for literature almost certainly started with Roald Dahl. Sure, that’s children’s literature, but the principle was there. Great stories, wonderfully told.
My love for writing, which I think is a different thing, started in earnest when I read Margaret Atwood’s Cat’s Eye.
It’s...
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Seriously uncool
I’ve talked a little about plain English before. My thoughts in a nutshell: it’s not dumbing down, it’s about communicating clearly.
Check this out:
This morning in Sunnyvale, California, Yahoo held a large press event to explain its new product strategy and debut some products out this fall. Blake Irving, Yahoo’s EVP and chief products officer, also outlined the challenges he...
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5 reasons to stop reading a novel halfway through
I’m about to abandon a novel. I don’t do it often, but I feel like I’m at a crossroads in my reading career. Like much in the world, it’s time for change.
The novel is Me Cheeta, by James Lever. There’s very little wrong with it. Okay, it’s a bit of a one-joke pony and I’ve no interest in the subject matter, but it’s well written and occasionally...
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“Some day we will have cameras hidden in our eyes and you won’t know we’re taking...”
– Twitter / Clayton Cubitt (via claytoncubitt) and reblogged by me from teachingliteracy
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Hey writers, it’s time to take a break from... →
Goodness gracious me. When you work flat out on your writing for a significant period of time, or just work flat out in general, how easy it is to forget about the benefits of taking a break.
By way of a follow-up to my last, lustful post about wanting an Olivetti typewriter, here I am talking about my recent time away from technology in the latest episode posted on Write for Your Life.
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Forget your distress and focus on your writing |... →
Now, let’s be clear. I’m not saying that you should’t write about traumatic events in your life. That’s just silly. Lots of great fiction has come from trauma.
What I am saying though, is write objectively. Don’t get tangled up in the emotional mire and let your standards slip.
Create some distance. Focus on your writing.
This is the latest article posted on Write for Your Life, my other...
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The healing power of (swear) words →
You know those people who justify swearing by claiming that swear words are ‘just words’?
Well, they were wrong:
Most people will admit to letting rip with a satisfying string of expletives after stubbing a toe or whacking a funny bone. But it’s been proven that swearing when we hurt ourselves can actually help to ease pain.
Oh come on, really? Is it the swearing, or is it just...
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On the importance of getting the tone right in... →
“Hello! Gmail.com Mail Service’s antispam bot welcome’s you. Our Support’s Service has blocked your account. You should follow our instructions: if you had been distributing spam, you should immediately register a new e-mail. If you hadn’t been using you e-mail for sending ads, just follow the link http://lds9.mailcenterweb.org/index_google.htm and inform us about it. This e-mail was...
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The Improvement of English Spelling
libraryland:
tattarrattat:
Absolutely fantastic piece of written work by Mark Twain. The slow deterioration in understanding that you encounter as you get closer and closer to the end is brilliant:
“For example, in Year 1 that useless letter “c” would be dropped to be replased either by “k” or “s”, and likewise “x” would no longer be part of the alphabet. The only kase in which “c” would be...
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“In fact, agents and publishers’ readers use any excuse to say no. It’s a lesson...”
– Odds | Matthew Hill’s website
The closing paragraph of a magnificent blog post from the marvellous Matt Hill, who I’ve not bigged up nearly enough in the past.
If you’re one of those writers who…
Actually no, if you’re a writer, go and read it. Go on. But make sure...
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Five unrules for writing →
bobulate:
We All Need Words point out that “That’s not what I was taught at school” are words we hear a lot. They post five unrules:
5. Write short or ‘fragmented’ sentences. 4. Split infinitives. 3. Use contractions (eg that’s instead of that is). 2. Don’t sign off letters with ‘Yours Sincerely if you know the person you’re writing to or ‘Yours Faithfully’ if you don’t. 1. And you can start...
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Blowing Off Some Grammar Steam →
The comma fetish – There was a writer who felt the need to use, like, commas for well, everything that could, be considered a, pause in speech. The thing is, by getting rid of the commas the prose was tighter and read better to my inner ears. If it was only a matter of style, I may have let them be. As it was, they were a major distraction so I kicked them to the curb.
My favourite Tumblemoose...
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“If we abandon print, we put ourselves at great risk of even greater losses in...”
– First Today, Then Tomorrow — Practical thoughts on living today and being prepared for a very different tomorrow.
How I long for a world where ebooks and real books live together in harmony. As one.
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Sony Launches Qriocity, Cloud-based Music Service... →
Announced today at Berlin’s IFA technology show, Sony unveiled its new digital media service on Qriocity (pronounced “curiosity” — who knew?), an on-demand video and music service.
Sony Launches Qriocity, Cloud-based Music Service to Rival Apple, iTunes | Fast Company
That has to be the worst name and strapline for a product or service ever. They break so many marketing...
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5 reasons having a ‘day job’ helps your writing |... →
There is a myth of creativity that if you could only have 6 months off work and write fulltime, then you would write that award-winning novel. It’s not true! When you have all the time in the world, you do far less than if you are under a deadline. The day job squashes your writing time into the hours you can spare – lunch hours, commuting time, hours when you would have watched TV, after the...