One of the best things about being an author is meeting and making friends with other authors. I’ve talked many times here about how authors are great supporters of each other. Most importantly knowing other authors means you’re never short of good stuff to read, and the work of Lee and Amanda Breeze is no exception. I caught up recently …
The idea of marketing yourself as an author can be understandably overwhelming, especially if you are in the early stages of your writing journey. Aspiring authors may wonder what they can do to enhance their chances of making money from their future books. Recently published authors may question what they can do to increase their profile and book sales. The …
So many of us struggle at one time or another to find where we belong. From kindergarten to university, to the communities we live in, our jobs, and in our relationships – we all want that feeling of belonging. We want to feel we are a part of something, and we can be ourselves. Even superheroes aren’t immune to this. …
So you have finished your novel. First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Finishing that first draft of your novel is no mean feat. But while it may be tempting to send it off to an agent or publisher right now, your novel isn’t likely to be ready. The stark reality of first drafts, is that they are drafts, which means they inevitably need …
Creativity has many definitions but when it comes to writing it often refers to the innovative use of the imagination or original ideas to create something. Whenever we write we’re creating something, but our level of innovation may feel like another matter. Some days we feel the muse with us, but on other days, weeks and months even, we remain in …
I love reading novels, the more fantastical the better. There’s nothing like becoming completely immersed in another world and its characters. As a writer though, I know this isn’t as easy to achieve as it sounds. Key to drawing readers into a novel is its structure. How do you create a good novel structure? To come up with a good …
Writing a novel may be hard work but it’s nothing compared to the gruelling task of editing…at least that’s my experience. You see it’s possible to get on with the task of drafting a novel, even on days when the muse doesn’t show up, you can just keep at it. If you just write, the words slowly add up and eventually …
Every writer has heard at some stage the phrase “show don’t tell”. At first I was a little puzzled by what exactly this meant. As a former journalist I was used to writing straight news stories where you needed to ‘tell’ without your own embellishments or clues. Over time though, I’ve found it a little easier. Here are some great …
Image source: http://awwccordion.com/ (memory books) Farts. Bottoms. Wee. Poo. Underpants. Just why are little boys obsessed with toilet humour? I typed this question into google hoping to find some research explaining this phenomenon and all I could find was forum after forum of mother’s asking the exact same questions and how do deal with it?To be honest Master Five’s obsession isn’t something …
This week a friend of mine told me his novel will be finished by the end of the year. He has a full-time job and three kids, but he has been super disciplined and through sheer determination and hard work…he will have finished. I’m really proud of him but…it just reminded me how terribly far I have to go. I …