Sandra's Blog

What Not To Write

2012-01-29T11:47:00.000Z

I recently finished a collection of marvellous short stories, Give Me Your Heart by Joyce Carol Oates, tales of obsession and twisted psychology written with such skill they leave you breathless with admiration. At the same time there's a sinking feeling that whatever you try to write pales by comparison, but it's a sign of a great writer that you're immediately propelled to the writing desk yourself. There is nothing more inspiring than reading something that really speaks to you. For that is where the artistry lies - knowing just how much to say and how much to leave out.

I think this is where writing becomes art above craft, knowing how much to leave to the reader’s imagination. Because writing is a two way street; it's never all about the author, just as any communication relies on interaction of parties. The skill lies in drawing the reader along with you. It's hard, and all the harder for being invisible. You don't see it on the page, because it isn't there. You feel it in your gut.

Of course you can take inscrutability to extremes. We've surely all read a book, most probably a set reader in full time education, which made us mad with frustration. But what does he mean? The critics may have orgasms over the brilliance of the metaphors but no one else can make sense of it. At the other end of the spectrum you have dull pedantic prose lacking any mystery or nuance. But somewhere in between is the sweetest communication, a real insight into the world of another human being, a true meeting of minds.

"Too much information" was one of those buzz phrases a while back. You know, the casual enquiry about someone's health met with a detailed description of the finer points of their rectal exam. Well, it's the same sort of thing. Some stories, particularly horror and crime thriller, ladle it on like treacle. But for me a lighter touch is more engaging. I always remember a line from Truman Capote's In Cold Blood; "There was blood and hair on the walls." Says it all.

Don't Get Me Started on ....Writers' Forums

2012-01-22T14:16:00.001Z

The other day someone on one of the bazillion writing forums I belong to asked what everyone thought about An Other writing forum. Although I belong to An Other forum I didn't reply. Whenever these sorts of questions crop up it can be a cue for a flame war and I didn't fancy getting involved.

Forums are odd entities. They tend to bring out territoriality in their members, even though they don't even exist in a physical sense. The idea that you can belong to a forum is really silly when you think about it. A group of people post comments on a web page; everything about it is mutable: for a start, the members may not even be real people at all. Unless you have met them in the flesh how can you know for sure? Sock puppets and fake IDs are more common than you'd expect. And if they are real, what is it that binds you to them other than some half baked opinions?

I've been trolling around the Internet for - well, too long. I've been a member of many writers' forums and I've noticed characteristics they all share, although they invariably claim to be unique and special:

They all claim to be the best and rubbish the competition.
They all have cliques even if they strenuously deny it, and they usually do.
They all have trolls and flamers even if the strenuously deny it, and they usually do.
They all demand loyalty to the forum and frown on any individualistic behaviour that threatens it, like making negative comments elsewhere online.
They all have some sort of pecking order despite claiming to be democratic, which they usually do.

It never fails to amaze me what people will put up with for the dubious benefits of belonging to a forum. Tin pot dictators abound on these boards, self-appointed experts laying down the law as if they had some say over anything, when the reverse is patently the case. The world of writing and publishing is not some highly organised conglomerate but a melee of competing individuals. There are no rules other that What You Can Get Away With. But it doesn't stop some trying to impose their own regulation and others accepting and parroting it in a self-perpetuating cycle of delusion.

Not only do we buy this, we lap it up - we go looking for it. Human beings seem to need the discipline of a set order even if it's only illusory. Perhaps that's the reason we're only too happy to give up our freedom; anything is better than the chaos of reality.

But the worst aspect of forums is the Groupthink, that zombie trance of blind obedience where people act as one monstrous entity. Somehow the monster grows, feeding off mutual flattery, steered by a few dominant personalities until the members find themselves collaborating in behaviour they wouldn't dream of doing in real life. Bullying is the most obvious expression of this, but it can take many forms.

A kind of swaggering one-upmanship can come into play. I've witnessed Monty Python's Four Yorkshiremen-style contests on the most bizarre topics, like who was the most abused by a former boss, or who's written the nastiest Amazon review. At some point you hope they will wake up and have a "what was I thinking?" moment, but I wouldn't bet on it, especially if they've taken the precaution of hiding their true identity to give themselves carte blanche in the bitchiness stakes.

I was warned off writers' forums some years ago by a published author who noted that she didn't know any successful writers who bothered with them. And it's true, the people who really could give you useful help and advice don't seem to inhabit these enclaves. These days I do more lurking than posting - some kind of sentimental attachment stops me deleting my accounts altogether, and they are after all a fascinating study in group behaviour and self-delusion. But I no longer believe in the Rules, the grand sounding promotional material, the self-aggrandisement. Writers shouldn't belong anywhere if they truly want to have their own voice.

On Book Reviews

2012-01-14T11:58:00.001Z

The Internet, God Bless It, has brought many things, one being the ability to thrust our half baked opinions onto an unsuspecting world. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. What is a blog if not an egofest?

Everywhere you look people are voicing opinions. Twitter, Facebook, that new one Google started - not to mention forums (don't get me onto them). Everybody and his Auntie are telling you what they think of just about anything.

Not that that's necessarily a bad thing. If you buy a faulty kettle and you want to save others from annihilating themselves you are duty bound to post a warning in the customer feedback.

But books are not appliances. No one ever died from reading a book - well, maybe of boredom, but you can always bin the bloody thing before it gets to that stage.

So this is why I cannot understand the reasoning behind negative book reviews. You didn't like it - so what? I don't like lime marmalade but I wouldn't give it a bad review. Why would you want to slash and burn someone else's work unless there was some darker motivation than warning off an unwary public?

When it comes to reviewing our peers we have an advantage over Joe Public. We know just how hard it is to write a book. All the endless revisions, all the subbing and rejections. Contrary to popular belief it ain't a walk in the park, unless you're a celeb of course but that's a different argument. Getting a book into print is hard, and whatever you think of the end product you should respect the achievement if nothing else. And it's not just the author's work invested in a novel. Editors, publishers, agents, beta readers, cover artists....

Of course being versed in writerly skills ourselves we are more likely to spot the flaws and weaknesses. But that's another reason for keeping our opinions to ourselves. If you are a writer trying to get published you are in competition with other authors. At least that's how it seems. If I read a negative review written by another author I immediately think the worse of them and so will other readers. You might think you're being clever and constructive but to the Rest of the World it looks like nobbling the competition.

But what if you hide your identity? True, that might shield you from the outrage of the majority, but don't think you can fool everyone. What many reviewers fail to realise is their reviews, like all of their online posts, reveal just as much about themselves as their opinions. And true anonymity is very hard to maintain.

I've only ever given a handful of reviews on Amazon, and they've all been good ones. It's never occurred to me to give a negative review of a novel, mainly because if it was that bad I'd give up and bin it before reading enough to make an informed opinion. Novels, like all art forms, are subjective. What I hate many others would love. Chalk it up to experience and move on.

It's just too easy to rubbish another novel and people know it. What have you to gain? OK, you get it off your chest, you get to show how clever you are that you spotted a couple of research bloopers or that you know what third person omniscient means. But you lose far more. You run the risk of looking like a bitchy competitor or a frustrated wannabe, especially if your own writerly skills aren't up to par. You run the risk of alienating the very professionals who could one day help you up the ladder a step or two.

But what if you really really hate a book and feel compelled to say so?

Well, say it. I'm all for free speech. But before you do stop for a moment and ask yourself what good would come of it. Your review will last forever, long after your annoyance or urge to show off are a distant memory. What goes around tends to come around, and you might not like the consequences, whatever they may be.

In With The New, Out With The Old

2012-01-05T12:17:00.000Z

I've just had a good clear out. Something about a new year always brings out the declutterer in me, you see. I'm not one of nature's tidiest creatures normally but there comes a time when you can't see your desk for piles of miscellaneous clutter and the bookcase is groaning with so many once read books there's no room for the boat load of new ones you just ordered.

I'm under there somewhere

So I get to work with a vengeance. Time was I couldn't part with books - and I still find it hard, but so does every bookaholic (check the Three Step Recovery Process below) - but now I realise it's me family or the books and me family have to come first, don't they? Well, usually.

So it's get the bin liners and clear out those shelves. And it's not just books. Old manuscripts, computer print outs of those helpful hints you saw on a website and wanted to keep for reference, scribbled notes about projects that never seemed to take off. It's actually frightening how much clutter you can accumulate. Getting it out of the way soon becomes a mania after you overcome your initial tentativeness. But you have to take care. It's easy to toss out that very useful gadget for propping up a notebook when you're copy typing in the mistaken belief that it's just another pile of junk. Be unsentimental, but pragmatic. Maybe you could sell it on Ebay.

Anyway, that's my study tidied up for the New Year. It does help clear your creative blocks and I can heartily recommend it.

The Bookaholic Three Step Recovery Programme:

Take book off the shelf.
Ask yourself this: If I'm drowning and this is in my pocket, would I throw it away?
If the answer is yes, bin the book. (If no, you need intensive therapy.)

Farewell then, 2011...

2011-12-30T11:49:00.001Z

Thirty year old government papers published this week reveal that Thatcher's Tory Government were considering drastic measures to cope with civil unrest in 1981. Just goes to show nothing changes.

And this being the end of a year, it's only natural to take stock and look forward. Given that nothing much changes, here are Mystic Sandra's predictions for 2012:

There may be some very cold weather, either in the early months of the year, or towards December.

Books, films and tv programmes about the Mayans will be very popular.

We're all going to get sick to death of hearing about the Mayans.

We're all going to get sick to death of hearing about the Olympics.

Given it's a leap year, there will be an extra day, probably in February.

More publishers will go under, despite claims from industry insiders that the Kindle is just a fad.

There will be hot weather during the Summer months.

Apple will announce the development of a new computer which is so small it cannot be seen.

The BBC will commission another fifty series of Doctor Who, including one in which B list celebrities ballroom dance.

Prince Harry will announce his engagement to Lady Gaga.

It will rain a lot in April.

Professor Richard Dawkins will publish another book about how God doesn't exist.

God will retaliate by making a ten part documentary about how Professor Richard Dawkins doesn't exist.

Amazon will invade China and replace all bicycles with Kindles.

There will be a prevalence of hangovers on the first day of the year.

Whatever 2012 brings, a Very Happy New Year to you all!

About tomorrow...

2011-12-24T15:23:00.000Z

I heard a tiny rumourette that tomorrow is some sort of religious festival, not that you'd have much cause to think of spirituality from the rampant spending spree going on. As I speak it's standing room only on my local High Street, so it looks like no busking carols for me this year.

Instead here's something to give you a warm Christmas cheer:

I wish you all a smashing Christmas!

It's Tweak Sunday

2011-12-18T15:53:00.000Z

They say you should have a web presence, and for most people that means a website. It's great having a website, but it does mean I have to tweak it from time to time. Gradually you get used to the formatting and the process of tweaking gets less scary.

Anyway I've given it a tweak or two and added some of my own photographs, so please go take a look if you haven't already. All feedback welcome.

Bad Reviews

2011-12-11T19:34:00.000Z

Everyone gets them. If you don't believe me, check out some Amazon customer reviews. Can you believe that these pairs of reviews are for the same book?

I hated the story and mostly I really hated the characters. I wanted every one of them to die and wished they had done so sooner. And, honestly, I don't think it's very good writing.

This is an absolute masterpiece, and I feel confident in saying that it is the best book I have ever read. I'm stunned that the average rateing is not five stars. This book is an amazing work.

I struggled with this book. I had expectations of the greatest novel ever written. What I got was a laboriously worded love story with shallow characters that tested my patience to the limit.

Anyone who believes in the power of Art, especially Literature, must buy and read this book. I promise it can change your life. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

I am about a third of the way into it, and literally hundreds of characters have been introduced. NOT ONE of them has done anything interesting, so I am finding it nearly impossible to keep them straight. I am the type that will be more or less satisfied reading the back of a cereal box, but this is BAD. I mean bad. The mystery is dull. The who done it is more like a who cares.

This is a superb novel and impossible to put down. Utterly stunning. Probably the year's best book.

So what do we learn from this? That people are different? That books affect people in different ways? That reviews are flawed?

Well yes. But mainly we learn that relying on the praise of others is ultimately futile. As writers we write for ourselves first and foremost. Chasing popularity never works and as these reviews show it's an elusive prize. If we write something we like and feel proud of, anyone else liking it is really just a bonus.

Bit of a Rag Bag

2011-12-05T16:28:00.000Z

Sorry, not very focussed this post. Christmas preoccupations and all that. But I have a couple of things to mention.

First is to give a plug to this particularly beautiful piece of music: Richard Harvey's Concerto Antico for guitar and small orchestra, soloist John Williams. Here is part III Cantilena courtesy of Youtube, but it's worth listening to the whole recording if you can. It's not terribly often a piece of music brings tears to the eyes so this is something special.

Next, if you are looking for an image manipulation programme for your family photos or cover art you could do worse than download GIMP. I've been playing around with this for the last few weeks and it's great, not least because it's FREE. Here's a picture I made earlier. It seems to go quite well with the music.

Last Day of Nano

2011-11-30T12:17:00.000Z

Today is the last day of November, and therefore the last day of Nanowrimo. For those of you who have easily sailed past the 50k word count, Hearty Congratulations. For those of you still scribbling frantically to reach the finish line before midnight, Keep Going, You Can Do It! And for those of you who, for whatever reason, didn't make it and gave up along the way, Don't Feel Like A Failure. I mean it. Nano is not about winning or losing, passing or failing. It's about empowerment. And the fact that you tried at all makes you a winner. Whatever word count you achieved is so many more words better than none.

Of course Nano isn't the B-all and End-all. Even if you make the word count you still have all the revision ahead of you, and I suspect that's what has put a lot of people off doing it. A crappy first draft isn't much help to you if your normal style of writing is measured and deliberate.

If you can easily achieve high word counts I would suggest Nano is probably not for you. Speaking for myself, Nano was a useful stepping stone in my writer's development, helping me to overcome the initial anxiety of writing something longer than a short story. I had been dreaming stories for a long time, to the point where my focus was lost. I needed something to make me sit down and do it. My stumbling block was fear - fear of writing crap. What I needed to learn was first drafts are generally crap anyway and that's OK.

But I confess Nano doesn't have the same appeal to me any more. Once you get a bit of confidence in your ability you probably don't need all that cheerleading and camaraderie. In fact, it can become yet another distraction.

Story Obsession

2011-11-25T10:24:00.002Z

This week there has been a lot of attention on the press itself as the Leveson Inquiry garners evidence from various people, including JK Rowling, Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and some other less well known victims of press intrusion, like the parents of a murder victim whose son committed suicide in response to tabloid stories about his dead sister.

Every day this week the evidence has been televised, giving a unique insight into how the press, or certain sections of it, conduct themselves in pursuit of story material. The spectrum ranges from exaggeration to outright lies. In fact the most outrageous the lie the better the story, in the minds of some. What is most appalling is the lack of responsibility for the consequences of these lies. It may sell a few more papers, or get more attention for a website, but what about the aftermath?

And why do these stories sell papers?

As human beings we are obsessed with making up stories. If we weren't we wouldn't be writing novels, telling jokes, penning screenplays. Gossip is most people's favourite pastime because there's nothing more satisfying than painting the people we know into scenes. But we can get carried away with it, as this Inquiry is showing. Malicious gossip, filled with half truths and distortions, can have devastating effects.

So where is the line between public interest and intrusion to the point of stalking? What is acceptable in pursuit of a story? How do you protect an individual's privacy while allowing a free press?

It will be interesting to find out.

Nice Surprise

2011-11-20T11:25:00.000Z

In the weeks since finishing latest draft of WIP I've been in a kind of doldrums. It's a familiar pattern, but gets no easier to deal with. By the time I limp over the finish line I am so drained and weary it's a relief to put it to bed, but with it comes the loss of confidence. I'm not sure why this happens, or even if it happens to others as well as me. It feels like everything I write is stilted and crap, every idea is contrived or cliche. I feel like a complete fraud and wonder why I'm even trying.

But then a little time passes and for some reason I take a look at something I wrote and forgot about. Last night I opened a piece I began during the summer, a couple of thousand words of an opening chapter. I read it expecting nothing, so it was nice to find it wasn't half bad. It drew me in. It stirred me to want to imagine more. It made me think, not with arrogance but astonishment, 'I really can do this'.

And this has happened time after time. Just when I've written myself off as useless I get a nice surprise that keeps me going.

What I've Learned from Eastenders

2011-11-16T17:37:00.000Z

I've discovered another little gizmo to play with. It's a handy application called Aeon Timeline which enables you to keep track of events and arcs over the course of your story. At least that's what it says in the blurb. I'm still trying to figure it out for myself. Anyway, it's a free app in beta so there's nothing lost in giving it a try.

It occurred to me this morning as I was trudging the muddy forest floor with Theo that there are two elements in story telling; the context and the scene. All the planning and research set up the context. That's the donkey work that writers spend much of their time over, because without a proper context the scenes won't have any point of reference and the characters won't have the history and motivation to drive the story. Once the context is decided the scenes should be plain sailing. After all, that's where all the drama happens. It's the easy part; people interacting. And people are basically the same in any time and place.

That's what I think I've lost sight of lately. In my obsession with context I've let it overwrite the scenes, which should be simple and light and easily identifiable. Scenes are the soap opera element, the bit that makes the reader stop flicking through channels and watch what's going on. The context is there, like the Queen Vic in the background, but it's the emotion and drama viewers are grabbed by.

Living in the Material World

2011-11-13T19:44:00.000Z

I don't usually do reviews, but then I don't usually find things on TV that are worth watching. Not saying that to be cruel, it's just when you get to my age you've seen it all, or most of it, so the latest soap story line or new character in Doctor Who doesn't hold the same fascination.

But it's nice to find a programme that's so well made and says something genuinely new that you can slide into it without effort. That's how I felt about Martin Scorsese's Living in the Material World, a two part documentary about the late George Harrison, part one of which was broadcast last night. Part two airs later this evening so no prizes for guessing what I'll be doing then.

The appeal, for me at least, is partly nostalgia. That's another thing about getting to my age - your distant past becomes endlessly fascinating. I was a little girl when the Beatles burst on the scene, lighting up stuffy British culture like a Catherine Wheel. Somehow they appealed to everyone; old ladies and little kids like me were equally smitten, not just the hordes of young women who screamed hysterically at their concerts. These four fresh faced lads brightened post-rationing Britain and made everything seem possible as they conquered the world.

I was smitten by Paul in those days. He seemed the least threatening of them in my estimation. John was my older sister's crush, but not many fell for the quiet one, George. Yet as the years went by it was George of all of them who seemed least affected by the fame they accrued. Every interview shows the same thoughtful young man who was never afraid to speak his mind, whether it was telling George Martin he didn't like his tie, or, in a studio debate on spirituality, declaring that the only 'mysticism' in meditation was down to ignorance. He was always content to go his own way, never looking for acclaim or the limelight, pursuing his own quest for spiritual growth in spite of popular skepticism. And he became a hero of mine when he put up the money to fund Monty Python's Life of Brian after the film's original backers pulled out at the last minute.

Living in the Material World contains fascinating clips and interviews with those closest to Harrison, all new and giving a unique insight into this most interesting man. And of course there's lots of music too. Just to prove he was no slouch in that department, I've posted one of his songs below.

I'm looking forward to watching the conclusion of this film and recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in its subject matter.

New Project Planning

2011-11-07T19:30:00.000Z

Well, it finally happened. I'm starting to get an idea forming for a new project. It's that nebulous feeling of ideas floating around in a vague soup that is at once enticing and frustrating. But I'm determined to leave the writing as late as possible this time. I want to get the plot worked out, the characters developed, the scenes sorted. In the past I've rushed in with just a vague idea and a mouthy cast of characters with their own ideas and no respect for their author's opinions. The result has been chaos and a lot of waste. I'm hoping to avoid that this time (!).

November, November

2011-11-01T17:07:00.000Z

November, November. Something odd happens to the light at this time of year; the low rising sun in Scotland makes dawn and dusk particularly eerie times. It changes perceptions. Colours deepen; the sun, so bright on the horizon, blinds the eyes and casts darker shadows.

November is an important month for me. My first born came into the world on 11th day, twenty-five years ago. I remember sitting on my hospital bed, watching the brilliant sunshine illuminate stark window pane shaped rectangles on the ward wall. Intense as search lights, with no hiding place.

This is a time of reflection, a time of taking stock. Yesterday, walking out early with Theo in the first light, I encountered what I assume was a crow when it collided with the back of my head as I climbed up the cliff slope of the golf course. Stunned by this event, I was more surprised that the bird made no sound at all, before or after. It simply flew on.

Then this morning, on the narrow metalled road that slopes up to a small car park on a vantage point beside the beach, I encountered a hare. At first, the dazzling sunshine lighting up its cream and gold fur, I thought it was a dog. But then I saw a black labrador in pursuit. The hare turned and sideways on I realised what I was seeing. It saw me and hesitated, turned away and climbed the steep grassy cliff face at the side of the road. The lab pursued. Both darted here and there among the gorse and rocky outcrops until the hare got the better of the terrain and reached the summit. Within an instant the hare was gone, the dog still bouncing bewildered among the foliage.

This afternoon a magpie tapped on my living room window. Wildlife seems to be getting in my face at the moment, don't you think?

Nano, Nanot

2011-10-30T10:08:00.000Z

I've enjoyed this week. Pottering about relaxing me writing muscle has helped me de-stress. It's a funny thing how you don't notice you're stressed until the pressure is off. There's a certain joy in doing nothing, thinking random thoughts and mucking about with things you don't usually have time for. Even the dusting has been more fun than usual.

I had thought this week might give me a chance to come up with a brilliant idea for a new project, but it hasn't. And to be honest the thought of churning out a frenetic load of new material so soon after finishing the last one doesn't fill me with unbridled enthusiasm. So sadly I'm stepping down from this year's Nanowrimo.

But those of you who are giving it a go, especially the Nano virgins trying it for the first time, I will be cheering you on and may drop into the website from time to time to see how you're doing. Feel free to buddy me as flyingtart. And remember the most important thing is taking part - everything else is a bonus.

Thank God

2011-10-25T11:43:00.000+01:00

Now I'm on hiatus I at last have a chance to catch up with the serious business of social networking. Don't you just hate the way your writing interrupts all those interesting forum discussions and Liking someone on Facebook? And now of course there's Google+, not to mention Twitter. It's a mad whirl of socialising. If only that pesky writing didn't get in the way.

I struggle with forums, I really do. For all my intentions to stay off the bloody things I find myself inexorably drawn back. However much they wind me up with pointless arguments, over developed egos and plainly bad advice every attempt at staying away only results in me joining a few more. And there are lots of them these days.

So when I do get back to the writing I may disconnect the internet, that great Thief of Time. But for the moment I'm enjoying my little holiday and wasting time to my heart's content. It's so interesting to know where minor celebrities buy their underwear. Don't know how I managed for years without knowing little titbits like that.

Yay...?

2011-10-23T11:55:00.000+01:00

I should be celebrating. Yesterday I finally stamped 'finished' on draft 3 of WIP and just to prove the point printed the whole thing off. (At this stage I'm done with major plot tweaks so I reckon it's worth having a hard copy for future read throughs). Yes, I know, I should be jumping up and down, kissing the cat (if I had one) and lining the living room with bunting. But I'm not.

Maybe it's just me, but when I limp across the finish line I'm so sick of the thing it's more of a relief than a joyful starburst. Now I just feel flat and at a bit of a loss.

With nine days till the start of Nanowrimo I am still dithering about whether to start something new. But I'm torn. I really feel exhausted and the thought of having to churn out 1700 words every day for a month doesn't fill me with unbridled enthusiasm. But who knows, this time next week my juices might be flowing again. You never know.

My Stationery Fetish

2011-10-18T12:44:00.000+01:00

I wrote recently about my word fetish - how's yours going, by the way? Are you filling the OED with lots of spurious words like I told you to?

Well, words aren't my only fetish. I also have a fetish for stationery.

Of course it matters very much what is written on paper, but how much of buying books is to do with the feel of it? When I was a teacher we were conscious of the importance of books as sensory objects. The feel and smell of paper is just as important as the words in getting kids reading. And what is true for kids is undoubtedly true for the grown up variety.

There is nothing more seductive to me than fresh smooth pages in a book. This is why library books - and I'm not knocking libraries for a moment, I'm too scared of librarians - are never as satisfying as buying a new paperback. Old books can't seduce us like new ones.

And in my case it's not just printed books. From my youngest years I've loved notebooks too. Those little glossy red Sylvine memo books were my idea of heaven. I've recently discovered Moleskines - not made from moles after all, but never mind - and they have that satin sheen my fetish lusts after. What is it about clean new paper? I wish I understood.

The Last Scene

2011-10-15T14:19:00.000+01:00

So I have made it to the last scene. But it's not as simple as that. Of course not.

I now have two more scenes to add earlier on. And there will be more revision later. BUT I think I finally have a story that hangs together well enough to justify the effort.

Sometimes getting the words out is like wringing a wet towel. My muse is resisting this job, as she does when I've been at it for a while. She gets bored and longs for something new and shiny to play with. But I have to be the Editor from Hell and force her to go on. I don't particularly enjoy it, but that's the way it goes.

So happy feelings that the end is nearing, and spurred on by the prospect of thinking about something else.

Great Writers: Cormac McCarthy

2011-10-10T09:41:00.000+01:00

I can't remember whether I already mentioned it, but I'm having a Cormac McCarthy binge. So far I've read The Road*, No Country for Old Men, Blood Meridian, Child of God, Suttree and currently on Outer Dark. His books are like nothing I've read before, and proof that the rule book of writing is there to be ground into the dust. On the face of it he does everything you're advised not to do. When I first started reading The Road I was painfully conscious of his lack of punctuation, lack of speech tags, repetition and odd grammatical - even poetic - structure. But the odd thing is once I got past the first few pages I stopped noticing all that and became immersed in the story.

He writes in a cinematic style that drives the narrative forward like a freight train. There are no coy niceties here. He deals with the horrific underbelly of human nature - characters lovingly drawn warts and all in extremis, facing or causing death, indulging the worst depravity, living on the edge of human endurance. His images of poverty stricken America belie the American Dream and he doesn't shy away from reality or try to glamorise it. At once it is absorbing and fascinating, repellent and disgusting.

I love it!

*Just watched the film version of this and it's terrific. Every inch as bleak as the book but terrific and true to the story.

Nano, Anyone?

2011-10-07T09:46:00.000+01:00

Nights are fair drawing in, eh? October already. How did that happen? And now autumn is definitely with us the prospect of Nanowrimo looms on the horizon. Are you taking the plunge this year?

Last year I finished the second draft of WIP during Nano, so it was useful for me although I seem to remember being beset by illness and snowstorms. I'm currently nearing (hopefully) the end of third redraft of same. If I manage to get it done and have time to outline something new I may give Nano a go. But part of me feels the need for a break so I may just stand on the sidelines and cheer everyone else on instead. We'll see.

How about you? Will this year's Nano give birth to your breakthrough novel?

A History of Film

2011-10-02T12:41:00.000+01:00

I'm very much enjoying A History of Film, An Odyssey by Mark Cousins, currently being aired on More4 on Saturday evenings. It's an eye opener for me to see the whole story laid out from the earliest beginnings of flickering images on a screen, the first footage of a moving train causing its audience to panic that they were about to be crushed when it entered the auditorium. Hard to imagine now. These days moving images are everywhere.

The interesting aspect of this series for me as a writer is the way film developed as a story telling form, probably the main story telling form of the past century. The techniques of filmmaking can be used in novels too; the close-up, the scene cutting. Because of the influence of movies novels have become more cinematic, more visual. But the advantage novels have is fiction needs practically no budget and can be even more powerful because it engages the reader's imagination as the setting for its scenes. That's why everyone's idea of how a film adaptation of their favourite book is different, and of course why it can be disappointing.

If you haven't seen any of it, I've linked to the latest episode on the Channel 4 website. It's worth a look.

Planning and Pantsing

2011-09-28T14:58:00.000+01:00

This is a hot topic among writers. Should a book be planned or is it best to just let the muse dictate all the twists and turns of your story's outrageous fortune?

I've seen folk come to virtual blows over it.

First off, I have to say I don't think there is a right way in any art form. Dogma kills spontaneity quicker than a dose of rat poison. And what works for one man will be anathema to someone else.

I used to be more of a confirmed pantser, ie flying by the seat of my pants. It's very much in the spirit of Nanowrimo which I've raved about in the past. The trouble is it's inefficient. You'll end up with a lot of dross and surplus material, scenes you don't need etc. But it is a thrilling way to write and I recommend it for anyone feeling blocked or jaded.

With each project I attempt I try to plan more. That's because each time you travel this road you see the pitfalls, the places where you wrote yourself into a blind alley. If only you had a more reliable road map to see you through the maze of ideas you could simply concentrate on the writing. So I plan. Or at least I try to. My creative mind is infuriatingly resistant to any limitations and tries to take the story off road at every opportunity. So I've learned not to plan too fastidiously and not to get upset if the story takes off in another direction I hadn't expected.

A moan

2011-09-24T13:04:00.000+01:00

Well, so much for a week off. Other Half has been laid up with a stinking cold all week, I've had to sit in waiting for gas men fitting radiators and washing machine men fixing me Hotpoint - which, I might add, broke down again a day later. So what with all that I've ended up doing pretty much what I usually do and missed out on the planned days out and trips to the shops. On top of that The Great Spider Invasion has started - I counted four of the brutes one windy evening which did nothing to alleviate my stress level. And an order of my much loved Traquair Ale seems to have gone astray despite being despatched a couple of days ago.

Oh well. On the plus side I have made some headway with the WIP. I'm thrashing out the last act now, always the trickiest part for me. And I've treated myself to a new Moleskine notebook. Never owned one before so I thought I'd give it a go. Surprisingly they are not made from moles after all...

A Week Off

2011-09-21T12:08:00.000+01:00

Other half and younger son are on a week's holiday so it's a break in routine. I've been catching up with the bits of painting left over by the professionals and getting a different perspective on things. Not much time for writing although I'm doing odd bits when I can.

Last week I took my razor sharp editor's knife and cut 4 whole chapters which made my eyes water I don't mind telling you. The story had taken a wrong turn and it had to go. My priority at the moment is getting the shape of the story right, and it's proving elusive. But I now feel I have the bones of something better. Of course I'll need to write a lot of new material but once I get the form right that won't be difficult.

So I'm taking this week to mull things over before getting back to it. I feel like a mole emerging from the gloom of his tunnel. So that's what the world is like...

My Word Fetish

2011-09-18T11:48:00.000+01:00

Alright, time to 'fess up (whatever that means). I have a guilty secret. I'm a word addict and not only that, I'm a word fetishist too. What's the difference? Well, an addict loves words and can't get enough of them, but a fetishist goes one step further and makes her own.

The great thing about the English language is it's such a mongrel of other languages. There are umpteen words for the same thing, each with its own unique and colourful derivation. In amongst all that melee of vocabulary it's dead easy to slip in a few made up ones without anyone noticing. (Of course you do get the occasional dictionary wielding pedant who calls you on it, but don't let that spoil your fun. They need to get out more.)

Now, if you're thinking of trying this I should warn you that making stuff up can get you into trouble. But unless you're a finalist in the World Scrabble Championships don't sweat it. It's harmless fun and very creative.

A good place to start is insults. In the heat of the moment folk seldom take much notice of the words you are hurling at them. Next time you're having a screaming row with your neighbour toss in the odd invention: Don't look at me like that, you scumsucking fenchmallow! At best it'll take the wind out of their sails, at worst it won't register.

Slipping inventions into your prose might be trickier although not impossible. The key is to keep it low-key and unobtrusive and don't get carried away. For example, The wind rustled through the venic leaves, lifting them to flutter in an exotic dance is better than The bartledick rustled through minaries of venic leaves, fletting them to flutter in a partsimious dance which even the sloppiest editor will spot a mile away.

So, start small and remember to enjoy yourself. Who knows, with any luck you might end up with a few of your inventions turning up in next year's OED. Good fetishing!

Book Covers

2011-09-16T14:30:00.000+01:00

Do you judge a book by its cover? I must confess I've bought books in the past based on the cover art alone. An interesting and intriguing image can affect sales as it's the book's billboard after all. The initial point of contact between reader and writer.

So it's surprising to find that the writer often has very little say in the cover art as shown by the story of Polly Courtney who has parted company from her publisher over the style of her book covers and now intends to self-publish.

The issue has spawned much debate among writers. Do covers matter? Well, apparently so. When you have one chance to make an impression on a potential buyer you want to get it right.

But so many covers these days are generic and unoriginal. You know the ones I mean - you can scarcely browse the Net without a few of them popping up around the margins. Slick waxed torso of scantily clad young man with an equally scantily clad female draped provocatively over him, a hand lingering on his trouser belt as if to suggest they're coming off sometime soon. Then there are the sci-fi/fantasy covers with metallic babes wrestling phallic space creatures.

The trouble with this kind of cover is it lumps all these books together in popular perception. If you write an original story shouldn't the cover reflect that originality? Wouldn't something a bit different get more attention?

And not all books slide easily into the chosen genre. Women's fiction isn't always about boyfriends and shopping. Should the covers of chick-lit always feature ditzy thin women in high heels?

There is nothing more annoying than purchasing a book on the basis of the cover and finding it isn't at all what you thought it was going to be. So Ms Courtney has a point.

In Praise of Limericks

2011-09-14T15:12:00.000+01:00

A small diversion today. One of the poetic forms I find irresistible is the Limerick.
There's something so satisfying about the rhythm of a carefully crafted Limerick, and when coupled with funny or clever word use it hits the funny bone like no other form. Finding the perfect rhyme for an awkward word is a challenge - trying to find a unique and witty response can be maddening but most gratifying when you come up with something apt. It's not unlike doing a crossword puzzle in that only the right word will do and you know it when you find it.

How about finishing this one:

An ambitious scribbler from Kent
Thinks her dodgy verse is heav'n sent
But sadly it seems
Her poetry teems...

And if you like Limericks why not try a few here.

Inspiration

2011-09-11T12:51:00.000+01:00

Where do you find inspiration for stories?

Stories are all around and it's difficult to avoid them. The news is full of human tragedies, large and small, which can be the starting point or conclusion of your novel. Many authors were inspired to write about 9/11, an event ten years ago this very day. Personally I am more intrigued by the smaller but equally devastating tragedies which wreck people's lives.

Being a lover of history I get some ideas from events in the past. There are hazards in poaching the past for ideas though. People lived very different lives and unless you have thoroughly researched the period there are many pitfalls to watch out for.

And music is a constant source of inspiration for me. It stimulates a drama to unfold in my head like nothing else

Writers Online

2011-09-07T17:25:00.000+01:00

The internet has revolutionised communications. So what does that mean for the aspiring writer?

In the Bad Old Days you'd sit in your draughty garret scratching stories onto parchment with only your own dark thoughts for company. Nowadays you don't need to be so isolated. One click gets you onto Facebook, Twitter and the myriad of writers' forums out there. In the early days it's nice to meet like minded people and get some answers to your newbie questions. But you can get so involved with this online community you forget why you ended up there.

These days display sites have eclipsed the standard critique sites. Display sites, like Authonomy and Book Country (to name but two - there are plenty more) are more about platform and discoverability. Mutual backslapping is the order of the day, and anything resembling honest, ie. critical, critique is likely to be met with hostility because it is deemed "unsupportive".

So, is the internet a good place for writers or just another procrastination technique?

I think there are hazards as well as benefits. The internet is great for instant research and you can pick up lots of advice. There's bad advice too, of course. But as long as you're selective and trust your own instincts you shouldn't go far wrong. The support group and mutual praise is nice in the early days when you're feeling shy and insecure but beware it doesn't become a crutch. Your work is for the public at large, not just your little clique of mates who never dislike anything you write.

So really, nothing much has changed. The internet might have made people more accessible, but writing is still a solitary activity and too much company might just blow you off course.

Italics

2011-09-05T11:32:00.000+01:00

Something funny is happening with Blogger. All my old posts seem to have gone into italics. It wasn't me what done it, honest.

But it started me thinking about italics. Do you use them much? I confess I do. I like to lapse in and out of flashbacks and inner thoughts and italics are just perfect for inserting the odd line of dialogue without interrupting the flow. But I try not to overdo it because once italics take over pages of text, they become the norm and lose their impact.

It's another case of "less is more". Someone should tell Blogger that.

The Last Word About Reviews

2011-09-03T14:54:00.000+01:00

Just spotted this great post by Joe Konrath on The Newbie's Guide to Publishing which I want to pass on.

Wise words. And he's right. I'd even go so far as to say you can't have anything meaningful to say until you're willing to shrug off the opinions of others.

Guest Blogger: Marvel Gumshoe

2011-09-01T15:00:00.000+01:00

Just for a change, here's a little break from my incessant yapping. Fellow aspiring author and online buddy Marvel Gumshoe gives his unique view of this writing life.

The Glass Ceiling

“Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.”Bill Cosby

“You've got to believe you can be a stand-up before you can be a stand-up. You have to believe you can act before you can act. You have to believe you can be an astronaut before you can be an astronaut. You've got to believe."Eddie Izzard

“Flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”Douglas Adams

I’m terrified.
On the very cusp of jacking in work, becoming a stay-at-home Dad and writing full-time, I’ve realised that my magnum opus has a plot hole big enough to destabilise the space-time continuum.
I may be the greatest chump in existence.
How can I still believe that it is possible to make a living as an author? Statistically, I am more likely to be struck by lightning on the day I win the lottery.
I must be mad. Certifiable.
But it’s irresistible.
The hint, the scintilla-wisp of possibility, the world espied through a chink, the scent of fresh-cut grass teasing through the curtains – how could I not do this?
Here’s what I’ll resolve to do – run out screaming and, if I fail, run back in screaming, take a breath and run back out again. Like swimming in the cold Atlantic, at some point you either get used to it or die of hypothermia.

I am mad. Certifiable.

“But I tried, didn't I? Goddamnit, at least I did that.”R.P. McMurphy

Marvel Gumshoe is originally from Kildare in Ireland but moved to Limerick (also in Ireland ) just before the end of the millennium, to get a better view.

Marvel’s poetry has been published in several low-key journals and accidentally broadcast on local radio.

To earn his crust, Marvel works for a small children’s charity. The charity is small, not the children. Although, some of them are but that isn’t the point.

Marvel is currently working on several novel projects:
The Unbearable Shiteness of Being
The Flesh-eating Diplomat from Outer Space
and
St. Unsub and the Dragon

He can be found on the interweb, at twitter@Marvel_Gumshoe and loitering around the halls of Litopia.

Editorial Advice

2011-08-28T12:01:00.000+01:00

Writing a book is hard, and it's not really something you can do in complete isolation. At some point someone is going to have to read it and if you're wise you'll look for objective and experienced advice to point you in the right direction.

But where to find it? Your first port of call for free advice is a peer review site. There are many and they are as good or bad as their members so you have to suck it and see which one is best for you. Any site that allows anyone to join will have the widest range of ability, and therefore the strike rate for good crits is going to be lower. Having said that, you can usually glean something helpful from any crit. Even a non-writer will have a gut reaction to your story that's useful to know. With a little time and effort you can build up a picture of how your book is being received.

And the great thing about peer review is you learn an awful lot about what works by reviewing other people's work. The problem with your own manuscript is you're too heavily involved with it and therefore can't see the faults. That isn't a problem with somebody else's baby. The flaws are much easier to spot, and reading critically teaches you to read your own with a dispassionate eye.

But peer review has limitations, and sooner or later you may want to find professional advice to help you reach the next stage. I've never paid for editorial advice, and I would guard against throwing your money at just anyone. With the cuts in publishing there are more freelance editorial advisors around than ever, and some are better qualified than others. Personally I wouldn't take advice from anyone who hadn't reached a significantly higher level in the publishing business than myself. Another wannabe, however perceptive and well intentioned, and cheap, is probably not good enough. So if you are tempted down this road, make sure you go for someone with a proven track record either as an author or an editor of published books.

Social Networking

2011-08-25T10:10:00.000+01:00

I recently got an invitation to register on the latest social network Google+. Don't expect a full appraisal of it, but from what I can gather it's much like Facebook except it enables you to group your contacts so you don't have to share everything with everyone.

I joined Facebook when my son was away at university as a way of keeping in touch on an informal basis. Since then it's enabled me to make contact with relatives all over the world - one or two cousins in different continents I'd never met. I've also connected with other writers, but as far as networking goes it hasn't been much use to me.

I think Twitter is better for networking because you can follow just about anyone so it's useful for knowing what people are doing and thinking.

Do you use them, and what do you think?

Good Reviews

2011-08-21T11:50:00.000+01:00
Just to balance out my last post, I've been thinking a lot about good reviews.

Of course we all want good reviews. To be read and appreciated, even to have our work loved and praised, is every writer's secret desire. But are good reviews any use to us?

I've been on writers' forums where mutual praise and backslapping reached the level of a circle jerk. I even once saw a newly published writer ask her online buddies to go and leave good reviews on Amazon to counter something nasty a beastly genuine reviewer had written. I don't think it's unusual, and glowing customer reviews need to be viewed with a degree of scepticism for that reason.

But even genuine good reviews harbour dangers for the writer. Any praise inflates our old enemy, the Ego. Give him enough of it and he's changed from your pugilistic ally into an overweening monster. Without criticism you can't grow and develop and improve. Your talent withers and calcifies. You lose inspiration and the drive to make a better job of it.

So praise, genuine or otherwise, can be toxic even if it is addictive. Accept it with care.

Bad Reviews

2011-08-17T11:32:00.000+01:00

Why is peer review so popular? It's because we write to be read, of course. That's what we all crave, isn't it? Even a critical eye is better than no eye at all - although of course we'd all prefer the uncritical one.

But whenever we get a stinking review we can always comfort ourselves with the knowledge that the great and good have faced such humiliation before us. I like to read the one-star Amazon reviews of bestsellers to remind myself that no one, no matter how successful, is immune from criticism.

Here's a sample:

"Page after page of gibberish that makes no sense at all..." Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy.

".. a weak, pathetic imitation of literature that doesnt even deserve to be called a book." Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling.

"..upperclass British drivel" Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh

What a hoot!

So take heart, gentle writer. Next time someone trashes your magnum opus, remember everybody gets it in the neck sometimes.

Painting The Forth Bridge

2011-08-14T12:10:00.000+01:00
Sometimes it feels like painting the Forth Bridge. Revision I mean. No, not because of the copious amounts of red paint, or even the need for a harness, but because it seems to loop endlessly. Every day I rewrite something only to go back the next day and find it needs more work. And by the end I'll be going back to the beginning again. So it goes.

Someone once said, books are never finished, just abandoned. And I believe that's true. Because a book is a fluid thing, an imperfect creation full of endless possibility. Even when it's published it still isn't finished, because in the mind of a reader it can become something the author never dreamed of. That is the beauty of fiction - it is a letter to the world that doesn't even exist until it's read.

Oo-er, I've won an award!

2011-08-10T19:03:00.000+01:00
Gushing thanks to Margo at Urban Psychopomp for nominating me for this award.

Here's the rules:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

So here's me nominations:

Cagnolino, a new but perfectly formed blog.

Rising speculative fiction star, Colin F Barnes.

Writing thoughts from St Force.

Stylish thoughts from Joe Young.

And last but not least, my own offspring Scott has ventured into the blogging world. Please give his blog a try here.

How Thick Is Your Plot?

2011-08-10T09:14:00.000+01:00
Here is another fascinating Book Deal blog about ways to thicken your plot.

I said in an earlier post that in revision what I find is generally too much plot. Anyone who's done Nanowrimo will recognise the casually tossed in and incongruous plot twist used to liven things up when your energy level is flagging. I make no apology for this. Writing a first draft is like running a marathon and at times you will try anything to get some momentum going when your ideas have run dry and the characters are standing around looking for inspiration.

But that's the great thing about revision. These things are so easy to spot and easy to deal with, assuming you are ruthless enough. All the daft stuff has to go. I find I can usually remember what I was thinking when I made Dorothy, the one legged trapeze artist lover of Quentin, the Main Character, pull that sabre from her knickers and chop off the heads of all seven of their party guests. I was tired and bored and itching to write something exciting for a change. But let's face it, it won't really play in a Romcom now will it? So the sabre, the party, even Dorothy have to go. Yes, I know it was a week's work, but it's contrived, it deviates from the plot and frankly, it's dumb.

If it means losing a lot of material then so be it. The point is to carve out the excess to reveal the story and bring salient plot points to the fore. New scenes will present themselves - I have a constant struggle to stop myself rewriting nearly every scene. The revision is hard work. It isn't just a bit of nip and tuck.

Ultimate Marketing Ploy

2011-08-07T11:34:00.000+01:00

Forget social networking, blogging, book tours etc. I've hit upon the ultimate book selling ploy of all. Get banned.

Think about it. Doesn't a ban make you automatically want to read something? In the Sixties and Seventies, when Radio One had the monopoly of airtime for pop music, a ban meant a single wouldn't be played anywhere and yet every song the BBC banned - and there were quite a few - made number one in the charts overnight EVEN WHEN NO ONE HAD HEARD THEM.

And who among you remember Peter Wright's 1987 memoir Spycatcher, famously banned by Margaret Thatcher for compromising national security? In spite of being illegal in the UK - or was it because of - it became an international bestseller despite being deadly dull. I bought a copy myself just to annoy the Tory government.

People hate censorship. (At least most people do - there are no absolutes in life, and there will always be some saps who think the authorities know best.) So banning something makes it much cooler, much more interesting, even daring, than the run of the mill pulp fodder we usually snack on. If They don't want me to read it, I'm damn well going to read it.

Which is why I have just ordered a copy of Kurt Vonnegut's WW2 memoir Slaughterhouse Five, banned by a high school in Missouri.

And I'm now trying to figure a way of making my next book bannable? (Is that a word? It is now)

Suggestions, folks?

Some things that amaze me

2011-08-03T06:54:00.001+01:00
When revising, it always amazes me...

... how much I can cut. When writing the story, I invariably include far more extraneous detail than is needed to keep things moving. Some people go overboard on description, and I am certainly guilty of that, but my worse crime is the running commentary. He did this, then he walked to the door and looked out, then he lit a cigarette, then ....you get the drift. It's so satisfying to prune out all that stuff and home in on the pivotal moments.

... how easily I got bogged down and blown off course. Part of it is covering all the bases, of course. But one thing that becomes clear at this stage is where I have wandered off the plot and into some expository Neverland of irrelevant backstory and subplot blind alleys. I blame the characters. If only they'd stick to the script...

...how little plot you actually need. You do need some plot of course, but only enough to give the scene meaning and purpose. After that you don't need to think about it, just concentrate on the characters.

...how depressingly bad my writing can be. But hey, cheer up! I'm going to fix it, right?

But at least I haven't done this ...yet.

Preparation

2011-07-31T14:50:00.000+01:00

I may have already mentioned I have the painters in at the moment. Well, out rather than in, since they're giving the exterior a facelift.

It's a week since they started and so far all they've painted is the chimney stacks. For the rest of that time they've been scraping off old paint, spraying down the walls with fungicide, rendering broken plaster. In a way it's frustrating to see so little progress although I know it's all necessary and for the best. Without proper preparation the job won't look finished and won't last.

And when I look at my WIP - the one I'm currently editing - I cringe at some of the crass mistakes I made when I penned the last draft. Overwriting, adverb abuse, info dumping - it's all in there. But even though it disappoints me to find such a cornucopia of cock-ups I know I can fix the mistakes and make the book better. In a way the early drafts are the preparation - the discovery of the story - ready to be refined and polished and fit for human consumption.

Or at least, that's what I tell myself.

Draft 3

2011-07-28T14:38:00.000+01:00

I started this week feeling depressed. Not only did I have a pair of decorators crawling all over my house with ladders and jet sprays and scrapers, but I realised that my rolodex of excuses for not starting my third redraft of WIP had run out. So amid all the banging and spraying and scraping outside I had to open up my WIP and face the type face armed only with a dried up pool of enthusiasm.

But, an odd thing happened. I recently did a few crits - yes, I know I complained about crit sites in a recent post, but that just proves what a hypocrite I am - and found the experience oddly rewarding. Starting to work on Chapter 1 of WIP I began to relive that rush of excitement I remember of old. That feeling of power and control. Now, two chapters in, I'm getting drunk on it.

It's so long since I did any serious editing I'd really forgotten how much I enjoy it. At this stage anything can be changed. The drudgery of churning out X many words a day is past - now it's about the bigger picture. Does this work? Should this go here, or there? Chopping, changing, deleting, rewriting. Crafting. I LOVE it.

Mind you, I'm only two chapters in. Watch this space.

The 27 Club

2011-07-25T15:29:00.000+01:00

Someone pointed out, eerily, that recently deceased chanteuse Amy Winehouse is not alone among her peers in shuffling off this mortal coil at the tender age of 27. So many other rock stars have nose dived into self destruction at this age it is flippantly referred to as The 27 Club. The roll call is remarkable: Kurt Cobain, Robert Johnston, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones.

So why do so many of these high fliers crash and burn at such a tender age, leaving the rest of us to wonder what might have been? Is it the excesses of wealth and premature stardom? It's interesting to note that most child stars suffer in their adult years and the death toll is high, which would support this theory. Witness River Pheonix and Judy Garland. Or is that confusing cause and effect? Are they drawn to the risky life of entertainment by the same self-destructive streak that eventually kills them?

Whatever the answer, there is always something seductive about the young star dying in their prime. And in Whitehouse's case, the downward spiral could not have been more public. Only last month she was forced to pull out of a European tour after being booed off stage in her opening concert, clearly out of it and unable to even remember the words of her much loved songs.

Writing Software

2011-07-23T13:47:00.000+01:00

I've finally forked out some cash for a real - ie. paid for - word processor. Couldn't quite stomach the $150 demanded by Microsoft Word so I've gone for Apple's Pages instead. At £13.99 it seemed like a no-brainer.

I used to be a serial software junkie. Since I got the Mac my wanderlust has abated. I use Scrivener for just about everything but there are times when you need a reliable programme to open downloaded files. I've used the freebies, Open Office and Neo office but always ran into some sorts of problems with them, usually compatibility issues. Hopefully I won't have to contend with those any more.

People often ask about writing software on writers' forums. It amazes me how much negativity they engender, usually among people who have never tried them. And if anyone thinks they will write a book for them they are deluded. But there are some really useful programmes available.

For novels, Ywriter is free and about all you need to organise your chapters and scenes, research and files. I've used it in the past although these days I prefer the flexibility of Scrivener. For plotting there are a number of programmes available, the most expensive of which is Dramatica Pro. I looked at it some time ago but found it too complicated and jargon filled to help me. Others swear by it. A cheaper alternative I've dabbled with is Contour.

But the thing to remember about them all is they are only tools and may not suit everyone. But if you find Writing Software that helps you, then have at it!

Crit Groups

2011-07-19T10:14:00.000+01:00

So you write a book and you edit it to within an inch of its life. You get so sick of looking at it and thinking about it you want to toss it in the trash, but something holds you back. No - better keep it on the hard drive, just in case. A few months later you stumble across it and start reading. Wow! Not bad! Maybe I should get a second opinion on this.

So you join a critique group. Lots of clever writers to tell you what's wrong and how to fix it. Just the ticket.

So you post your chapters and await their responses with baited breath. Some may be complimentary, which gives you a boost. Some may miss the point entirely which makes you feel frustrated and upset. Occasionally someone is perceptive enough to see what you're trying to do and offers some solid gold advice on how to improve your work. But that's rare. The fact is, the crit shoot is a long shot at best.

I think the problem with crit groups is:

They are populated with a wide range of people - wide ranging in taste as well as ability.

They exist to find fault with a piece so people don't read something to appreciate its merits, ie the way a reader would read. If you study the first chapter of any novel you will find faults of some sort. It's inevitable. A reader reads to be transported but that won't happen in 'edit' mode.

Unless you beta read the whole thing, there is no way of gauging the whole story. Early chapters can only tell a very limited amount about the writer's ability.

Critters can become full of their own importance, in the way a lot of critics think their critique is more important than the art they are describing. Opinions can become entrenched, rules written in stone. Show don't Tell is one of the favourites, despite the fact many novels are chock full of tell. And bad advice from inappropriately applied 'rules' undermines a writer's confidence.

So, when dabbling in crit groups have a care and always remember a crit is one person's opinion and nothing more.

People and Stories

2011-07-16T10:24:00.000+01:00

The big scandal this week is phone hacking. It would appear news hounds will do anything to get juicy morsels of information to fill their newspapers, and there's probably nothing new about that.

So why are we so fascinated with other people's lives? Every story we read, every movie we watch, every bit of gossip we hear is about people and how they manage their lives. That's what keeps the newspapers filled - and why hacks tap phones. The more private we try to be, the more desperate they are to get the dirty on us. Because that's what sells. By why the fascination?

Some years back television went through a sea change. Instead of actors or presenters taking centre stage the docu-drama or fly-on-the-wall became fashionable. A whole raft of programmes filled the schedules, mostly following the same format: camera crew follows a group of ordinary, but generally larger than life, people going about their every day life. Edit the footage down to a thirty minute slot, containing the requisite moments of melodrama, and Bob's your uncle. Because people are interested in people.

And that's why it's the people in your story who are the single most important element in it. If readers don't buy them as real you're sunk.

New Desk

2011-07-12T10:32:00.000+01:00
Waiting in today for my New Desk to be delivered. I feel foolishly excited about it for some reason. Maybe because it will be nice to have a proper desk with drawers and space to put things, instead of the postage-stamp size computer table I have at the moment.

Of course I'll have to be careful of letting the clutter build up...

Twitter

2011-07-09T20:00:00.000+01:00
Got an email this morning. Apparently one of the people I follow on Twitter had sent me a message saying, "Read this funny blog post - it mentions you!" The message included a link to take me to said blog post. For some reason I didn't fall for it. It might have been because I barely knew this person. Lucky, really. After making enquiries it turned out this was a phishing site, the result of someone's account being hacked.

That's the trouble with Twitter. It's instant and can be exhilarating if you get swept up in some trending topic. It gives you the chance to talk to anyone anywhere. It can make you feel connected. But with every tweet you're revealing information that some can use against you. I've been spied on recently and the result wasn't pleasant. No real harm done, but it seems no sooner do we find new ways to communicate than someone finds a way to use that against us.

So if you're on Twitter, beware of prying eyes.

Crit and Chat

2011-07-06T12:49:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to say me and some of my online writer buddies have started a new free-to-join writers' forum. Crit and Chat is for writers who enjoy the company of other writers to..well, crit and chat. More news about this soon.

Harry Potter to leave JK Rowling

2011-07-05T12:19:00.001+01:00

The book world hasn't been rocked this week by the news that fictional schoolboy wizard Harry Potter has announced he is to leave his long-time creator JK Rowling.

"We have been close for many years," said Potter outside the premises of his new internet company, EvenmoreHarryPotter. "But I've grown up now and it's time to move on." He denied the split was due to the founding of the new company in which Rowling has no share. "EvenmoreHarryPotter is my own project. It's going to help develop me as a fictional character and give something back to my millions of fans who will pay handsomely for it."

Potter is the main character of Rowling's Harry Potter books which have netted the Edinburgh based author millions and spawned several movies. This news comes hot on the trail of unsubstantiated rumours that The Famous Five are to leave their now deceased author, Enid Blyton, to form their own internet casino, and that Hercule Poirot will leave Agatha Christie to start an online ant farm.

"I have no long term plans, but if I appear in any other Harry Potter books they will be sold through EvenmoreHarryPotter," added Potter before stubbing out a spliff. "I'm sorry it has come to this but I am a grown up now and she keeps treating me like some dumb kid wizard in a school and I want to do my own thing, innit."

A spokesman for Rowling said, "JK is not bitter, but that ungrateful little bastard owes me, I mean her, everything. Wait till this gets to court and I'll, I mean she'll, sue the arse off the little turd. He's nothing without me. Nothing. (I mean her.)"

Harry Potter is 22.

A Poem For July

2011-07-03T17:29:00.000+01:00

Summer Lawn

As fresh green blades of lawn are we
Each soft slipped tip
Unseeing, spearing up and out
The drought dried ground
In hope. A hope so whole
So silent, so supremely
All encompassing.
All defining. We, the fresh green
Lawn of hope. Certain
Of our welcome, sure
Of our contribution.
Never in the darkest dream,
Waking, startled, frightened
From our slumber by
The low drone of whirring blades
Dew damp and primed
To cut us down.

How Much Should You Know?

2011-06-29T13:07:00.000+01:00

Should a novelist understand human behaviour?

Someone posed this question on a writers' board recently and it got me thinking. On the face of it, it sounds like a no-brainer. How on Earth can you ever write about real life if you don't understand the characters you create? But what does it mean to understand human behaviour?

Does it mean studying psychology? Yes, I think it does. But not in an academic sense. I studied some psychology back in my learning to be a teacher days and very little of it was ever of use to me. I mean studying psychology in the common sense meaning of the word. The sort of psychology your granny knew without ever opening a book.

But does it mean you have to know every intricacy of what motivates people? I don't see how you can, frankly, in that we are all unique and driven by different goals and fears. But you have to be an observer of people and open minded enough to accept them as they are, rather than judging them. If you're the sort who opens the Daily Mail and tut-tuts and every other story you read, you may not have the necessary empathy to inhabit your character's head.

Because fiction isn't always - and nor should it be - all sweetness and light. People read fiction to explore those darker areas they don't dare explore in their own lives. So to be a novelist means having the balls to lift the rock and look at what wriggles underneath. Most would shudder at it, but you can't afford to because the seamy side is your business. Unless you're Enid Blyton, of course.

Black Comedy

2011-06-26T11:35:00.000+01:00

So what makes Black Comedy black?

Well, according to John Truby the protagonist must have a negative goal. The world he inhabits must be full of madness; mad people pursuing negative and illogical aims. A good example is Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. Yossarian wants to be grounded to escape the madness of yet more bombing missions and the danger of imminent death and tries every insane technique to achieve his aim. Around him are a hilarious cast of characters, each as mad as the other in their reaction to the war: the doctor who moans constantly about being drafted after having unsuccessfully exempted himself from active service, the General who thinks he can have people 'taken out and shot' on a whim, the inadequate Major Major who only allows people into his office to see him when he isn't there.

And in the midst of it is the inevitable tragedy of death and destruction, otherwise it wouldn't be "Black". The shocking deaths which occur are made all the more poignant by some hilariously crafted scenes, like Yossarian standing in for an already dead airman whose parents have come all the way from New York to visit him before he dies. And somehow the dire straits of all the characters makes their predicaments funnier.

I've discovered Catch 22 late - I seem to remember school friends talking about in my early years. But that may not be a bad thing.

Rich Man, Poor Man

2011-06-20T18:38:00.000+01:00

Something tragic happened in my street recently.

It's a quiet place, a bit out of the way, with a fairly eclectic mix of characters. Of course most of them are total strangers, others just nodding acquaintances, but some people stand out more than others. For many years we'd noticed a sorry soul - a solitary man, obviously an alcoholic, who shambled up and down to the supermarket to buy his staple six-packs of beer. In such a disheveled state it was hard to guess his age but I'd have put him somewhere between fifty and sixty. Neighbours grumbled occasionally about his aggressive attitude to their children, and on one occasion I saw the police frogmarch him away for some unspecified offence. But mainly he kept to himself; a sad reminder of the flotsam of society.

In the past few months whenever I saw him he seemed older and sicker. Then news came that he'd collapsed one day in the public park. Attempts were made to revive him, but they failed. In the end he was eating virtually nothing so his body had simply given up the ghost.

Tragic as it was, there is a weird twist in the tale. When the authorities came to tackle the job of clearing out his little flat they were astonished to discover a huge amount of cash, rolled up in bundles of notes, secreted all over the place. In all it added up to hundreds of thousands of pounds, an astonishing amount of money given his apparent impoverishment. He could have lived like a rich man, but he lived like the poorest. His money brought him no happiness at all.

Surely this is an object lesson in never judging a book by its cover, or judging a man by his outward appearance. Don't we all feel poor sometimes? And yet hidden inside us we all have riches; perhaps not stashes of cash, but the love we give to ourselves and the world. For me, the saddest part of my neighbour's story is he died alone and friendless, not that he never spent his money. It's the lack of love that makes us poor.

A Small Hooray

2011-06-19T17:25:00.000+01:00

Nothing very exciting really but I've finally started writing some actual words of my new Black Comedy. Strange to relate it is not the black comedy I set out to write when I started this process. My original intention was to write a dystopian black comedy and I still want to do that. But for the moment, just to keep the muscle exercised and to alleviate my writerly frustration, I've started a small scale domestic black comedy.

It's about a murder. Or an attempted murder. If I told you the outcome before it was finished I'd have to kill you too.

Anyway, it's strictly for fun. I'm on my holidays this fortnight so trying not to take things too seriously. Chilling.

Ego (Again)

2011-06-15T09:42:00.001+01:00

I'm always coming back to this subject, perhaps because in this writing community of ours ego is always manifesting itself. As an individual I wrestle with ego all the time - it gives rise to much of the difficulties in life. Although it's true we need ego to give us enough self-belief and pig headed determination to keep going in spite of the knocks and setbacks we face, ego can also be your worst enemy if you're not careful.

It's dangerous because of the lies it tells us. Those lies are necessary to help us succeed - they tell us we're great when everyone is rejecting our manuscript. But what happens when that manuscript is suddenly accepted? We no longer need the lies, but our ego doesn't know that. Basking in the joy of much longed-for recognition, old Ego goes into overdrive. See, I told you you were brilliant, didn't I? We don't need anybody. Just stick with me kid and we're goin' straight to the top...

So all those niggling self-doubts go out of the window and good riddance to bad rubbish. Except that they were our only quality control, weren't they? They stopped us from making a fool of ourselves by shooting our mouths off - now there's no one to censor us. But that's no problem, says old Ego. You don't need a censor. You're solid gold, baby. Shoot away!

And everything we commit to paper needs no checking, no revising, no peer review, according to old Ego. Surely we've proved we know it all now? Just get it out there, baby.

It's a danger lying in wait for all of us.

My last post was about great artists who died tragically young and suffered for their art. That suffering was the necessary struggle of ego because ego alone never produced great art. Ego only wants glory. He makes us rigid and closed when we need to be open and flexible. He isn't interested in producing something lasting, something that will resonate with others because of its inherent truth. To see the truth you have put ego aside.

And here's a good reminder of some of the pitfalls of success.

Inspiration and Other Writers

2011-06-10T20:44:00.000+01:00

What inspires you as a writer?

I find the lives of other writers fascinating. Especially the famous ones. I recently revisited The Hours - the movie based on Michael Cunningham's novel about three women: author Virginia Woolf, whose novel Mrs Dalloway influences the lives of the other two. Virginia Woolf is played by Nicole Kidman (in a bizarre prosthetic nose) but the film is so well crafted it hardly matters. Woolf certainly suffered for her art, and that comes across loud and clear. The opening scene shows her terrible suicide in haunting detail.

Then there's Prick Up Your Ears, again a tragic tale of the life and too early death of playwright Joe Orton. Based on the excellent biography by John Lahr the film is another well crafted piece with sparklingly witty dialogue by Alan Bennett worthy of Orton himself. It charts his humble beginnings, long apprenticeship and final triumphant success and recognition cut tragically short by murder. I've watched this film many times.

Another is Sylvia, the story of poet Sylvia Plath. This isn't the best biopic I've ever seen but it does convey the passion and vulnerability of the subject. Plath's consuming love for fellow poet Ted Hughes ultimately drove her to suicide when their marriage fell apart.
Notice a recurring theme here? Sure, it could be that tragic ends are just the kind of romantic fodder Hollywood loves and not all writers live life on the edge. But there is something fascinating about the tragedy and the artist. Perhaps that's why the romantic notion persists.

Which writers have inspired you?

The Future of Publishing

2011-06-07T11:18:00.000+01:00

OK, I better kick this off by saying that I am in no way shape or form an expert on publishing so all the thoughts expressed here are simply the disinterested observations of an onlooker. But in case you hadn't noticed the times, they are a changin'.

A year ago most of my online writer buddies were in the same boat as me: seeking representation, hoping to be published through a traditional publisher or perhaps a smaller indie. We had been subbing for a good while, posting work on peer review sites and struggling with rewrites to get the book into an attractive enough shape to sell. We'd agonise over synopses and query letters. We'd moan about the rejections and get excited when a new agency/publisher appeared on the horizon.

Then along came the Kindle and now the landscape has changed beyond recognition. Most of my buddies have been taken up by e-publishers or self-published on Kindle. Instead of posting about ways to improve their books they are getting on with the next one. Instead of posting chapters for peer review they are endlessly promoting their published books. Some say that is the arduous part of the process; plugging to within an inch of their lives. Because with so many e-books out there, you have to shout very loud and jump very high to be noticed among the crowd.

So what is to become of the old order, now e-books are the new craze? There are already signs that agents are losing out and with so much up and coming talent rushing to self-publish a la Amanda Hocking their pool of available talent must be shrinking. I see new authors join up on writers' boards, not for advice on submitting to agents but how to best put their book out there. And without any filter there must be a lot of poorly written fodder hitting the internet. The new Slush Pile is online and who has the time to sort through the chaff? This was traditionally the agent's job and now they're being bypassed.

Some agents are turning overnight into publishers, putting their clients' backlists up for sale. Not surprisingly this has caused some controversy as it's clearly a conflict of interest. But it begs the question: in this new Kindle age what exactly is the role of the agent?

Well it seems to me their skills are still needed, perhaps more than ever. Writers need good editorial advice, marketing know-how and contacts in media to help them produce great books and get them to as large an audience as possible. I don't know how this will all play out but it will be interesting to watch.

And here's an up-beat and informative post from Alan Rinzler at The Book Deal on this very subject.

Yet more internet paranoia

2011-06-04T16:20:00.000+01:00

Recent question on a writers' board about how much one should trust internet "friends". Someone was trying to make contact with a potential beta - a person who will swap manuscripts and give you feedback on your WIP - and had encountered some wariness when she raised the issue on a large public forum. Being a trusting soul she couldn't figure this out.

The internet is an odd thing. Considering how vast and multinational it is, it can feel, as you surf in the cosy safety of your room, strangely intimate. In a very short time you can reach a level of trust with complete strangers that would normally take years. I've seen people discuss the most personal and private issues on some boards, to the extent where I've wondered whether the poster is fully aware of just how much they are putting out there for all and sundry to see. Because it's easy to forget how exposed you are on a public forum. And what's worse is not every person you encounter is as honest and well meaning as they might seem.

Put it this way. Would you walk down the street of your local town or city and hand copies of your precious novel - the one you're slaved over for months or even years - to complete strangers? OK, maybe that's a bit extreme, but it's not so very different from what we do when we post our work online. It's not unheard of for short stories and poems to be lifted and sold to magazines abroad without the author's knowledge. Cyber stalking is not unknown either and anyone who gives away too much about their personal life leaves themselves vulnerable to being targeted.

I don't want to sound alarmist, but the fact is there are some weirdos and crooks stalking the internet and we do well to bear that in mind before opening our hearts. I speak as someone who until recently was as guilty of that wide eyed naivete as any school kid. Just remember, anyone can be anything they want behind the mask of a cheeky screen name and avatar. It pays to be cautious.

New Project Planning

2011-06-01T09:28:00.000+01:00

I'm itching to get to grips with something new, having finally put the WIP to one side for a cooling off period. I don't know about you but by the time I get to the end of a draft of something I'm so sick of being immersed in that world I'm twitching for a complete change. As it's a paranormal mystery with high drama and life or death stakes it's not surprising I fancy something a little lighter.

I had a go at a romcom last year but it ground to a halt. Romance isn't as easy as it looks, I've decided. Maybe I'm just too nasty to want lovey-dovey endings. But I haven't given up on wanting to write a comedy so I'm thinking a Black Comedy would suit me better. Or satire. I love taking the piss out of things so it's right up my street. But choosing a subject is tough. It has to be original and yet have enough potential to sustain the comedy from start to finish. Trying to figure out what I want to write is nearly as tough as writing it.

So I'm reading Catch 22 as an example of black comedy. There are lots of movie examples too, like Brazil and Dr Strangelove which are two of my favourite films. Any other suggestions?

Heard of Ayn Rand?

2011-05-29T10:18:00.000+01:00

I hadn't, so it came as a surprise when she was brought to my attention recently on a TV programme All Watched Over By Machines of Loving Grace. Born in Russia in 1905, Rand moved to America in the 1920s to carve out a career as a screen writer. Over the years she became known for her philosophical views and for Objectivism, a school of thought which encompasses economics and politics and espouses the individual over collectivism.

Rand is herself a fascinating character. Check out the many interviews on Youtube and you'll instantly see how arresting she was, with dynamic intelligence burning in her huge dark eyes and eloquence tripping off her tongue in a Russian burr. Here she is giving Mike Wallace a run for his money:

Whatever you make of her theories she was clearly no one's fool and lived her life in pursuit of a way of life she clearly felt passionate about.

Curious to know more I downloaded the free ebook of Anthem, available on Gutenberg, a dystopian novella which predates Orwell's 1984 by more than ten years yet is strangely reminiscent. It tells of a post-apocalyptic world where the individual is subsumed into the State and no longer has any control over their life. It is nightmarish and disturbing yet utterly compelling.

Her writing is marvellous, from the little I've seen. I've now ordered her magnum opus, Atlas Shrugged. It astonishes me that I had never heard of this woman and yet everywhere I look I find the mention of her name polarises opinions. On one message board someone referred to her "disturbing legacy" and vowed never to read any of her books. How anyone can decry something they haven't even read escapes me. One wonders what these people are so afraid of, if her ideas were so off base? No doubt I'll find out.

If you'll take my advice...

2011-05-25T13:03:00.000+01:00

Everybody loves to spout advice, don't they? All you need is a half baked opinion - usually actual knowledge or insight gets in the way and makes the issue too complicated - and you can expatiate to your heart's content.

In the past few years of knocking around the internet in search of helpful nuggets of wisdom I've encountered many self-appointed experts. They tend to be somewhat lower on the food chain than the really successful writers whose opinions might actually be worth listening to if they had the time and could be bothered pontificating. Often they are only wannabes themselves. And many of them are so low down the food chain they are probably less knowledgable and experienced than...well, just about anybody.

I've spoken before about the dangers lurking on message boards. There are fantasists and liars around who aren't too fussy about the deceptions they perpetrate, and one thing they love to do is make themselves out to be something better than they are. It's so easy. Why waste twenty years building a real career in creative writing when you can make one up - and with the anonymity of the Internet no one can deny you.

So my opinion about advice obtained online is be very critical of all of it.

Most of it is rubbish. Even the most well intentioned advice might not be suitable for you at your stage of development. What helps one person may not help another. Sweeping statements are usually hopeless. Nothing is ever that simple and even the most obvious rules have been broken at one time or another.

The best teacher is your own experience and that takes time and hard work. Read a lot and write a lot and be skeptical of anyone coming at you with advice.

On Endings (Apocalyptic or not)

2011-05-22T12:40:00.000+01:00

Well, despite rumours to the contrary, the world is still intact and didn't come to a biblical end yesterday as predicted. But there is an appetite for the apocalyptic judging by the volume of fiction devoted to the subject. And if Revelations is any guide this is not a new phenomenon. Mankind has always speculated on how the story will end. For that reason Endings are perhaps the most important part of any story. It ain't how you start, it's how you finish, as the saying goes.

I'm revisiting some study notes I took from talks given by screenwriting guru John Truby. I won't bore you by waxing lyrical on his advice about structure, except to say his book Anatomy of Story is one of the few I'd recommend you read if you haven't already. But what's interesting in his talks is the fact that the ending or final revelation, as he puts it, is so crucial to story structure it must be decided even before character or setting. The ending determines everything in the story.

In the past I might have fought shy of this idea. Let the characters loose and they will find out the ending by themselves, I'd say. Well, maybe they will, but they're just as likely to wander off down to the pub because of the wrong decisions you made along the way. Plotting a novel is not simple and there are lots of blind alleys you can find yourself wandering into. My early attempts dried up because of this and once you've wandered too far off course it's almost impossible to find your way back. You end up giving up in frustration and having to start again.

And when you think about it, the ending is the point of the whole exercise. Just as joke writers craft the build up to a punchline with the punchline already in place, a story is the build up to the final scene, whether it's the confrontation between the hero and antagonist, or the blissful surrender of lovers in a romance. The ending determines who and what your characters are, what they want and what they have to do to get it. So it's worth the time to figure out what the ending of your story will be, even before you've figured out how it will start.

Why Write?

2011-05-17T18:53:00.000+01:00

Is it a dumb question? I've seen all sorts of answers put forward ranging from the tortured artist who must write or die to the weary hack churning out another article to pay the rent. But money and artistic glory apart, why do we choose to express ourselves this way? Is writing necessary? If all the fiction ever written disappeared tomorrow would it make a difference?

Everybody has their own reasons for wanting to write, I guess. But judging by the sheer numbers of wannabe authors in the world there is clearly a deep-seated drive to commit ourselves to paper. However unique we like to think we are, writing is something many many people aspire to.

Story telling is as old as humanity and was the original entertainment. Sitting around the camp fires prehistoric people regaled each other with myths and legends, passed down from generation to generation. We loved to tell, and we loved to listen. Surely novel writing is simply another form of this, taken to a more refined form.

I think it's connecting with others, in a strangely paradoxical way, considering it involves long lonely hours in the company of fictional creations. It is a distilled shout from the hilltop, amplified through the pages of a book to reach hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of listeners. Someone once said, we read to feel we are not alone. Perhaps we write for that reason too.

Characters: Who Are They Really?

2011-05-15T13:34:00.000+01:00

Do you put yourself in your novel?

I've seen this question asked a lot of times on writers' boards. On the face of it, it's a simple proposition. Does your novel contain someone who looks and behaves like you? But scratch the surface and you'll see there is more to it than that. Because as the author you are presenting every character as if he/she were you. You have to understand every character, know what motivates them, know how they feel. If not you couldn't realistically create them, could you? So, logically you put yourself in every character in your book. Each of them is an aspect of you.

And come to think about it, isn't that the reason we write? In the real world the most difficult thing to deal with is usually other people. But not in our fictional world. Here we can literally play God - we have total control of everything that happens and if a character steps out of line we can zap him in a way that wouldn't be acceptable in real life. We can relive all those past humiliations and pay back the hurt. In a sense, writing fiction is therapy. We pour out all our pain and turn it into gold.

And as well as that we get to see/feel/taste all those things we perhaps missed out on in reality. We get to put ourselves in another man's shoes, say all the wicked things we never dared to say. It's said people watch movies to lose themselves in the characters up on the screen. But writing fiction is even more intoxicating. Here there are no boundaries except the limits of your imagination. You get to write, direct and shoot your own movie starring Me, Me and Me. How much better does it get?

Nearing the End

2011-05-11T09:32:00.001+01:00

Well, I'm within grasping distance of finishing the WIP, or at least the latest draft. I've had to drastically rework so much of it it's really a first draft in places. But as the End gets closer so my metaphorical pen seems to get heavier and I find myself struggling to put words down. I don't know why this is. Part of me thinks, it's just weariness from working on it relentlessly for the best part of a year. Another part of me throws up the old paranoid doubts: the plot doesn't work, the characters are too thin and nobody's going to buy this pile of cack so why are you wasting your time when the sun is shining?

I won't know if any or all of that is true until I return to it later, but I want to finish it just so I can put it to one side and write something else. Funny how the grass is always greener when you're up against it. Usually by now I have another idea bubbling away but not this time; I want to choose a really special project so I'm taking my time over it. Rereading bits of John Truby's Anatomy of Story, he emphasises the importance of finding a project that has resonance on a personal level - a story you have to tell. The choice of what to write about is far more important than any other choice, and I think that's true. My stories all seem to have a common thread of isolation and self-delusion. Perhaps I'm trying to tell myself something?

Am I Alone In Here..?

2011-05-08T12:09:00.000+01:00

Ever had the feeling you've been sleepwalking? That unsettling jolt you get when you walk into a hall of mirrors which is apparently full of people then find you're the only one there?

I've had a kind of epiphany about the true nature of internet forums this past week. Of course I'd always suspected there were fantasists and outright liars on these boards. Many people big themselves up to cover their feelings of inadequacy which is generally harmless in most cases and easily seen through. But what kind of person invents several fake identities for the purpose of manipulating and controlling the board, not for a few weeks or months but several years? Imagine the effort involved in maintaining the pretence. Each character has to be distinct enough to avoid detection. There have to be fake names and email addresses. It's more than a prank - it's seriously disturbed.

Of course sock-puppetry is not new. It has and is used for various reasons and not always with malicious intent, but let's not kid ourselves, it's always deception. The sock puppet is cagey about giving away their real name or anything that could make them verifiable off the board. With the internet it is quite simple to google someone and find them out. And most writers are keen to promote themselves and their work online, so why would a writer want to hide their identity? It's not always easy for the administrators to identify fake accounts. Anyone can hide their real identity by creating a new email account, and their IP address using an IP blocker. And some boards are too loosely moderated for the culprit to be spotted.

So why would anyone do it? This has given me much pause for thought. Creating a new identity and living it online gives a sense of power - the I know something you don't know effect. I would guess the perpetrator is riddled with feelings of inadequacy, like the practical joker getting his kicks from being the only one in on the joke. The fact that they can successfully deceive people gives their ego a huge boost.

In any case, it's opened my eyes to the fact that there are some very sick minds on the internet, and I'll be double checking everyone I encounter from now on.

Duz speling and gramer mattar?

2011-05-06T09:32:00.000+01:00

Had the most surreal experience on a writers' board recently. Someone started a thread asking if anyone else was bothered by bad spelling and grammar in posts, a question which seemed like a no-brainer to me. I can't think of anything more basic to calling yourself a writer than mastering spelling and grammar, the nuts and bolts if you like of wordsmithing*. You wouldn't ask a motor mechanic if he thought nuts and bolts mattered, or a joiner if he thought wood mattered. It's fundamental, surely?

Apparently not. According to the luminaries on that thread it is snobbish to judge someone on the basis of their spelling and grammar. Content is all. Anyone who is turned off by technical faults is clearly an intolerant bigot. After all, isn't that what editors are for?

Ahem, I kid you not, that was the gist of it. Now, I'm all for content, don't get me wrong. Some of the most grammatically pristine prose is so dull and devoid of meaningful content it makes you want to pluck out both eyes in protest. But if your careless spelling and clumsy grammar keeps tripping up the reader to the extent they cannot get your meaning, or give up trying, you have failed in any case. Spelling and grammar are the hallmarks of a pro, or at least someone serious and thoughtful enough to have bothered proofreading their own work. I'm too old and grumpy to bother with slapdash writing. If you aren't savvy enough, or considerate enough, or capable enough to at least try to get it right then I don't waste my time.

And of course it helps to have something interesting to say. But that's another post.

*OK, so it isn't a word, but I'm taking poetic license. Damn spellcheck.

Big News - Big Bad Wolf is Dead

2011-05-03T11:16:00.000+01:00

Official sources have confirmed that after prolonged action by Nato forces in the vicinity of Three Little Pigs Wood, the evil terrorist known locally as Big Bad Wolf has been killed.

"We had him surrounded for several days," said General Red R Hood who commands the Twelfth Pixie Division deployed in the area. "We were acting on information given to us by a number of diminutive pigs who had suffered harassment at the hands of this evil character for many years. Apparently he has been responsible for acts of destruction against their property and had it not been for the advanced technology of brick housing they might have all lost their lives."

General Hood went on to say how Wolf had held sway in the area for years and even attacked and eaten her own granny in a basket-related incident. "Luckily I arrived in time to save her and Wolf suffered an injury to the stomach yet still managed to escape. For some time we believed he might be dead until this latest atrocity drew our attention. It is a great relief to the fairy tale community to know that this evil character is no more."

Big Bad Wolf was bombed to smithereens by several hundred tons of explosive, removing any doubt as to his death, and any trace of forensic evidence.

Osama Bin Laden is 63.

Wills and Kate get spliced

2011-04-30T15:57:00.000+01:00
Well the much hyped Royal Wedding went off without a hitch. I spent a lot of the morning reading the hilarious tweets about it and some of the comments cheered me up no end. It's nice to see that people are pretty astute and don't all fall for the publicity. It seems to me, as a casual observer, that the media were the ones most excited about it. I could only stand to watch about twenty minutes of the tv coverage and most of that with the sound off because the obsequious ramblings of journalists and so-called experts was bringing on my gag reflex. I sincerely hope non-Brits don't imagine this kind of grovelling is representative of Britain. What we weren't allowed to see were the hordes of riot police keeping any demonstrations well away from the cameras.

But that's them married and good luck to them. The track record of royal marriages isn't great, but I hope theirs lasts into old age. A good marriage is the greatest gift anyone can have.

If you were on the dark side of the moon and managed to miss it, here's the livened up version.

Censored

2011-04-27T12:04:00.000+01:00

Well, after five (or is it six) years on writers' boards it has finally happened. A post of mine was deleted on Absolute Write Water Cooler. Yes, I'm still reeling from the shock too. Anyone who knows me knows I don't post Without Due Care And Attention, unlike some. Usually I agonise for hours before poking a tentative toe into a discussion - even then I mince my words so finely the meaning is almost lost for fear of upsetting anyone. I'm not a troll by any stretch of the imagination.

Of course I understand the need to edit - as writers we do it every day and only a fool gets so attached to his words he can't accept the process. But obliterating someone's opinion is a very dangerous road to go down. You may not like what others think, but even if you disagree it should be an opportunity to reevaluate your own opinions. As humans we need that outlet. Without the ability to express ourselves what else do we have? Terrorists plant bombs because they have no voice. They up the stakes until someone listens.

But don't worry, I won't be planting any bombs. This has however made me reevaluate my opinion of that board. Any place that has no respect for individual writers and allows the mob to rule is probably best avoided. It's taken some years, but I am learning.

Backstory and Royal Weddings

2011-04-24T10:36:00.000+01:00

Someone very wise once said we don't know who we are now unless we study our past. That's why backstory has an important place in the stories we tell.

A few months ago, when the impending Royal Wedding was announced, I was somewhat astonished at the largely negative reaction I saw on the boards I frequent. Why would anyone react this way about celebrating a happy event? After all, William and his betrothed are young, glamorous and photogenic. It's an extra day off work for many people and a moment of glory in these hard recession-weary times.

But I too had those sinking feelings, and I know exactly why. Anyone who is old enough will remember the marriage of his father and mother, nearly 30 years ago. That too was a big production - Hollywood couldn't have done it better - and for months before it was all over the media. On the day crowds lined the streets and everyone tuned in to watch. It was sold as a fairytale wedding and it certainly looked like it.

In the years that followed people gradually woke up to the fact that it had been a sham. The groom was marrying to please his family and had no great love for his bride, in fact he was heavily involved with a married friend. Of course their personal lives are their own business, but what makes me bitter is the way the public, who paid for this sideshow, were completely lied to for years until the marriage ended in bitter divorce.

All of which serves to illustrate the importance of backstory. We need to know something about the background of a character in order to understand the story happening now, simply because events of the past shape us as people. Of course that doesn't mean a complete biography, and the skill lies in getting that balance between giving enough information with moving the story forward.

But never underestimate the importance of backstory in helping your reader understand who your character is today.

Kindle

2011-04-19T12:27:00.000+01:00
Surely everyone has heard of Kindle. First there was Amazon - cheap books by mail order, then cheap just-about-everything by mail order. Then cheap second hand books by mail order. With bookshops closing on the High Streets, Amazon seemed set to take over the world.

And then they launched the Kindle, their own e-reader. This moved them from bookseller to publisher in one easy step. Download your Kindle version of Favourite Author's book. No more tiresome trips to the shops to buy a book - you can have the electronic version in seconds. So easy. It was only logical that Kindle would move into Direct Publishing, giving everyone and his auntie the chance to put their magnum opus online for the world to read.

And why not? It's democratic, after all. In the Bad Old Days authors had to get past the Gatekeepers, as agents and editors fondly viewed themselves. Unless a deluded or misguided author was conned by a Vanity Publisher into parting with their pension for the joy of owning a garage full of copies of their unsellable memoir, this was the only route to publication. But not any more. Now you can upload your manuscript quicker than you can say "Unsolicited Manuscript". No fuss, no rejections, just instant fame and - possibly - fortune.

And some Kindle authors have done rather well. Joe Konrath and Amanda Hocking have become rallying cries for the Kindle Crowd. Quite how many Kindle millionaires there will eventually be is too soon to know. Will early interest dry up once the novelty wears off and quality issues turn the tide? Or will it herald a new age of real reading choice where you can buy a book on anything by anyone for as little as you are willing to spend?

Needless to say this is a hot topic on writers' boards. I don't belong in either camp - the argument does tend to get polarised and unnecessarily heated. It seems to me nobody knows what the future holds and all we can do is wait and see.

But, with the ease of publishing on Kindle I'd hazard a guess more people are putting their books up there than subbing to agents/editors these days. This is bound to reduce the slushpiles considerably. I've seen it said agents are paying more attention to self published books and it has been suggested they will eventually replace the slushpile altogether. Amanda Hocking is a case in point. If you can self publish and sell well you make yourself a hot commodity.

Launching a new author is a hefty investment for a publisher which is why so few get accepted. But self-publishing on Kindle is free - no cash outlay other than whatever the author spends on it. I can see why people would choose the instant gratification of having a book published there, even if no one ever buys it, over the relentless cycle of revision/rejection. That doesn't make them all undiscovered gems, nor does it make them all rubbish. But as the numbers grow the challenge is going to be finding the former in amongst the latter.

My Advice To You Is...

2011-04-15T10:48:00.000+01:00

Many moons ago when I first lost my soul to the Internet I lapped up all the tips and advice so liberally available. Want to know about how to write a synopsis? - here's my recipe for cracking it. Don't know which agents to approach? Just try this site to put you straight.

All was hunky dory until I faced an unusual quandary regarding a submission I'd made to a well known and respected agency. I posted a query about it on a couple of boards and confidently waited for my new writer friends to wade in with some solid gold advice on how to proceed. What I got back opened my eyes for all time about the quality of advice on offer on the internet, and since then it's made me very careful about taking anyone's word for anything.

The trouble is that, wonderful resource though it is, the internet is full of people who for one reason or another don't know what they're talking about. I'd say the majority of message board posters don't know any more than you do, but rather than say so they have to chuck in their tuppence worth without a thought about the impact their advice might have. Then there are those further up the publishing ladder; surely they know a thing or two? Well, yes. But they probably don't know everything - and I'd hazard a guess they know a lot less than they pretend. One published author told me "This never happens" when it had happened to me, therefore it must happen.

And that's assuming everyone who offers you help online is a kind, well-meaning friendly person. Not all are, and you should be aware of that. There are many embittered and jealous individuals on these sites who have their own agenda. Don't believe everything you read. For a long time I comforted myself with the thought that people would sue if the things said about them were untrue, but that's not always the case. Not everyone has the wherewithal to go to law, and those who do often don't want the bad publicity it would attract.

So the lesson is, take online advice with a large pinch of salt and learn to exercise your own judgment rather than rely on others to lead the way.

But, having said that, here are some great query tips (of the tongue-in-cheek variety). They made me smile.

Birthday Wish List

2011-04-12T09:48:00.000+01:00
It hardly seems like a year since I was writing about this, but they say that happens as you get older. Another birthday, another milestone. And it's been a momentous year in many ways, but I'd rather look forward than back. So I've been thinking about what I'd like to see in the coming year. Here is my wish list...

1. World peace and an End to Hunger (OK, sorry to be trite but I thought I'd get that one out of the way first)

2. My son settled and happy in a job he loves, or at least enjoys. It doesn't look very hopeful in this climate, but we can wish.

3. To lose at least a stone and get fit again. I've made a start on this but there's a long way to go.

4. To get a publishing deal for my book. Or my next book.

5. To sell the film rights for a record sum and retire to the Med to live on Bollinger. (Too much? Ok, a cottage in Melrose would be nice)

Rejection

2011-04-10T19:11:00.000+01:00

Oops - a whole week gone by and I've neglected my blog. Sorry, dear followers. But a large yellow thing called The Sun (or so I'm told) has appeared unexpectedly in the sky, causing havoc with my normal troglodyte activities. Service has been resumed...

So..rejection. Are you sick of it? Do you cringe whenever you see an email in your inbox or hear the thud of mail on the mat? I have a fat file of rejection letters which I fondly think of as my battle trophies. Seems you can't really call yourself a writer without them, as this article would seem to prove. There is some comfort in knowing the Great and the Good suffered the same indignity as we lesser mortals. So take heart and look on every rejection as a step along a rocky road to success.

For Mother's Day

2011-04-03T12:01:00.000+01:00
This is so sweet I couldn't resist posting for all mothers, or parents or anyone who's ever seen a baby.

This conversation is so intense I'm tempted to think they must be discussing the various merits and demerits of self publishing - I've seen similar arguments on writers' boards! What do you think?

Internet Slapstick

2011-03-30T12:39:00.000+01:00

Why do we laugh when a man carrying a ladder turns suddenly and knocks some poor unsuspecting sod into a man hole? Or when the business man slips on a banana skin and lands ignominiously on his behind? Part of us loves to relish the humiliation of others. Of course it's not at all funny when it happens to us.

This week every writers' board I frequent has been buzzing with talk about the reaction of author Jacqueline Howett to a review of her book The Greek Seaman. I'm not going to post links because if you haven't already heard about this you must be living in a sensory deprivation chamber and if so you can easily Google her name to find it. To summarise, she was less than gracious that the reviewer pointed out spelling/grammar mistakes in her work and after an increasingly bitter row told him to F*ck Off.

Had that been the end of it nothing more need be said. But the ensuing reaction of the writing community was on a scale of Japan's recent tsunami. A flood of self-righteous condemnation, both on the blog and on writers' boards and Twitter, sent this story into the digital stratosphere. It's astonishing that one little book could create such a buzz, and for all the WRONG reasons. No doubt Ms Howett has sold a few more copies of her book as a result, but I'm not really interested in her per se. The reactions of others is far more interesting.

Why on earth were normal decent people mobbing a complete stranger like this? Does it really matter how good/bad/indifferent her book is? With the market awash with books who cares what a reviewer thinks of this one? No, this wasn't about the book. This was pure slapstick. This woman who had the temerity to put her work out there for review then reacted the way all of us would like to react to criticism and made a spectacle of herself. If we'd done it we'd be feeling awful, but this was someone else so it was alright to sneer and snigger. And all that sniggering added up to a tidal wave of indignation.

I can't help wondering how many of those doing the mobbing have even written a book, let alone published one.

British Summer Time

2011-03-27T11:47:00.000+01:00

It's ten to twelve, according to my newly adjusted clock. But it feels like an hour earlier. And this is just day one of BST. I'll be getting this time lag feeling all through the next few months.

One thing I've noticed as I get older is the clock changes are getting harder to deal with. At the other end of the year the hour lag makes for a long tedious day that seemingly never ends. But this Spring switch is harder. I don't like feeling late all the time. I don't like the clock nagging me to eat when I'm not hungry.

The funny thing is I don't remember it bothering me years ago. I suspect it's change that gets more uncomfortable. Any change. An elderly relative refuses to throw out his old clothes for this reason; he'd rather wear a threadbare, stretched-out-of-shape, decrepit old pullover that a spanking new one he just got for Christmas. It's familiar. With these layers of familiarity we line our comfortable ruts.

And that's what makes it harder to reach out and embrace the new as the years go by. The thrill of novelty is replaced by the fear of the unknown. I don't know what there is to fear about going to bed an hour earlier, but there it is.

Maybe I should keep the clocks at BST and shut the curtains and maybe the Rest of the World will forget me?

Another 10 Lists

2011-03-23T12:09:00.000Z
I'm still on this listmania, you can tell. (I'm also on a mini-holiday this week and haven't time for a more considered post, so this will have to do.)

Here are some I haven't actually seen, but can't imagine why not since they're bound to be of use to somebody.

Can you come up with more?

10 things you should never feed a horse.

10 reasons he's cheating on you.

10 reasons why you never get put through immediately to Customer Services.

20 things to take on a day trip to Rattray.

5 ways to tell if he's cheating on you.

10 likely people he's cheating on you with.

Top ten reasons to lose weight

Thirty things to do with a broken down vacuum cleaner

10 Most Annoying Lists

2011-03-19T11:53:00.000Z

You know those lists you often find on message boards: Ten things to guarantee rejection or Five ways NOT to start your novel. Well, maybe I've been knocking around the internet too long, but these lists are really starting to annoy me. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the arrogance behind it; I know the Secret Formula for success, folks. Just follow these simple rules.

Because there are no rules, however much we like to think there are.

However I realise I am swimming against the tide here so in keeping with bloggers' love of lists of rules, here are my 10 Most Annoying Lists:

10 Things that are probably wrong with your manuscript.

10 Ways to alienate an agent.

10 Ways to guarantee you never get published.

5 Things you shouldn't put on toast

20 best writing aids

10 most cliched story ideas

10 least likely romantic pairings

20 Blogs you should read

10 presents you should never give your granny

20 things you should never write in your query.

The Gas Man Cometh

2011-03-16T14:41:00.001Z

I had the gas man in today. Now, he's called the gas man because he services my boiler but this particular bloke gets that title because he gasses - a lot. Not that I mind someone chatting away, it's just that - well, there's an art to conversation isn't there? Just like there's an art to writing a story. It can't be just a stream of consciousness because who's interested in that? Even when a story appears to be just a stream of consciousness it's very likely there's a lot more going on. That's the skill of the author. And the better they are at it, the less you notice.

Writing fiction, like conversation, is give and take. Just as in good conversation we must listen as much as talk, in writing good fiction we must anticipate the reader's expectations and meet them. If we simply drone on and on about all the stuff we researched about fly fishing for four pages, thinking we'll impress with our extensive knowledge, we risk losing their rapt attention.

Still, I can't complain. At least my boiler's serviced.

Absolutely Astonishing

2011-03-12T10:18:00.000Z

What a week of surprises!
No, not just the return of winter here in the UK, or the dreadful earthquake/tsunami in Japan. I got another award! Thanks to Carol for giving me this Stylish Blogger Award. It's a major surprise because I've never thought of myself as stylish. Unlike some bloggers I don't obsess about which pair of shoes to wear - for me it's the wellies or nothing, I'm afraid. However I accept it with humble gratitude, and in line with the conditions attached here are 7 (slightly) interesting things about me:

1 My first full time job was as a nutter. No, really. I worked in a chocolate factory putting the walnuts on Walnut Whips.

2. I have only eaten crab once and it made me violently ill. I've never risked it again.

3. My feet are size 5.

4. My hat size is 7 1/4.

5. The first story I remember writing was about St George and the Dragon.

6. I once won a million pounds in a bet with Elspeth Hopper that the sun was further away than the moon - and she still owes me!

7. My pet hate is bad spelling.

So there you go. Here are my nominations for this award:

Rosalie Warren - Reeling and Writhing

Novel Thinking

Sophie Playle

Steven Chapman - Writer

Trees Are Not Lollipops

Revision Musings

2011-03-08T15:51:00.000Z

Just finished revising a major turning point chapter in my WIP and it's interesting what this process throws up (no, not in that sense although I do get sick of it sometimes!).

I always find it interesting to read passages where I missed the spot. Usually it's because of over-explaining which I have a tendency to do. I don't think that's unusual in a first draft when you're trying to visualise the scene so labouring the point is part of creating it in your head. But in revision I'm amazed at how little of that explanation is necessary to convey a thought to the reader. In fact Too Much Information is a turn off.

Maybe it's because these days we're more used to getting stories from visual media which is much quicker and sharper than the written word. In the classics, authors relished the opportunity to wax on and on, describing scenes ad nauseam down to the colour of the protagonist's buttons. Try that today and you'll be the only one reading your book. And speaking for myself, I wouldn't even enjoy it.

I like writing that lets me fill in the gaps. Of course, the skill lies in knowing which details to supply to sketch that image in the reader's mind. It's tempting - and fatal - to fill them all in. I'm finding much of my revision is taking them out, not for love of sparse prose but because they aren't needed. Readers are smart. They can get from a to d themselves without putting b and c on the map.

Getting in Shape

2011-03-03T09:21:00.000Z

Hark, is that a bird I hear twittering in yonder tree?
Don't know about where you are, but things are looking distinctly Springlike from where I'm sitting. This means two things:
First, I have to pay some attention to the garden which I've happily ignored for the last four months - why does nothing kill nettles and brambles, by the way? And second, I have to drag my sorry behind out of this computer chair and make some token effort at getting into a fit shape. Since taking a foot off the bathroom scales doesn't fool even me that means I have to devote more of my time to physical activity. So this blog will have to drop down the list of priorities, but I'll check in every so often during March to give you all an update on my progress.

The Grass Is Always Greener

2011-03-01T11:11:00.000Z

Why is it, when you're toiling away on a project just about anything else seems more attractive to you? It's one of life's cruel ironies that the thing you are closest to, be it your beloved spouse or your Work In Progress, is the thing whose flaws leap out at you in glorious technicolor. Or at least, that's what I tell myself when I've rewritten the same paragraph for the seventeenth time and still don't feel satisfied with it. Wouldn't it be nicer to ditch this steaming pile of ordure and start a clean fresh project which will not taunt me with its imperfections?

I'm in the middle of Revision Hell. It's a thankless job. Bits of it are quite exciting, but the line by line reworking is often very dull. My writer's brain is looking for kicks and ain't finding any so I start to long for Something Different, something shiny and sparkly, like the kid with his nose against the toy shop window. I get this every time. In the past I've tried writing a New Thing concurrently, but this time I'd quite like to get this revision finished so I don't want to divide my attention.

I know it'll get better if I keep going, but that doesn't stop those little distracting voices. This is rubbish. Here's a better idea. Wonder what's on the telly..?

When to Call It Quits.

2011-02-26T15:16:00.000Z

It's a funny life, making up stories and writing them down. Some stories can seem like the hottest thing since sliced ...er, chillies? Then you get half way through writing it down and find all your enthusiasm for the project has evaporated. So how do you know whether to force yourself to stick with it, or abandon the idea and start something else?

It's a tough one. Only you know how you really feel about a project. You could just be suffering from Act 2 Doldrums and need to push on through. Any activity gets boring if you've done it for long enough. It's important to analyse why you're stalled.

Do you still feel excited about the initial premise? If not, it's a pretty strong indication you may be flogging a dead horse. The first draft is only the start of a long process of editing and submissions, and if your heart isn't in it maybe you would be better off finding something you do feel compelled to write.

But the problem with shelving it is you could be reinforcing your lack of confidence in your ability to finish a project. If this is your first attempt at a novel it probably doesn't matter, but if you have a string of unfinished manuscripts cluttering up your hard drive this could be yet another confirmation of your failure. In that case you might be better off gritting your teeth and forcing yourself to get through it just for the satisfaction of writing The End.

If you do still like the premise, then maybe you are coming at the story from the wrong angle. You could try changing the MC, the POV or setting. Maybe you've taken a wrong turning somewhere in the plot and your subconscious is rebelling? You might need to take some time to think it through before continuing.

Remember though: most successful authors had a few attempts before they finally managed to write a fully finished novel, so don't beat yourself up if you decide to abandon a project. Writing should be fun, not torture.

Would Dickens have Tweeted?

2011-02-22T10:09:00.000Z

Do you tweet? It's conventional wisdom that authors must be tireless self-promoters and get on all the social networks to establish a "platform" from which they can presumably relentlessly plug their wares to the world at large. But is it a good thing to put ourselves Out There for all and sundry to scrutinise?

I know some writers who are terminally shy and hate all that self-promotion razzmatazz. I'm a bit like that myself. Like most Scots I suffer from the Tall Poppy Syndrome - we're trained from an early age to keep the head down lest it be chopped off. So boasting and shouting about how great we are doesn't come naturally.

The trouble is of course, it comes all too naturally to some, sometimes to an obnoxious degree. Be honest, how many writers have turned you off their work by their tiresome self-importance? With Twitter and Facebook there's no mystique to the author any more. Their every bowel movement of an opinion is there for all to see, and if you don't happen to agree with their rabid political outpourings you might just feel a little alienated.

So isn't the whole exercise self-defeating? Time was when we knew nothing about the authors we read, unless some doughty reporter managed to get a scoop of an interview in one of the Sunday supplements. We could fondly imagine them as anything which suited us. Non-threatening, friendly, arty: mysterious. We didn't know where they had their legs waxed and we didn't want to know. Maybe some more of that mystery would suit us better today?

Margaret Atwood on Changes in Publishing

2011-02-19T15:16:00.001Z

Here is a very interesting talk by Margaret Atwood on how authors are being affected by the technological changes in publishing. She's a very witty and insightful speaker, so it's worth a look.

And The Award For Bravery Goes To...

2011-02-16T10:28:00.000Z

I'm passing this on because when I read it it made me smile and we can all do with reasons to smile, can't we?

Many blogs (not the ones I read, I hasten to add) seem to concentrate on the negative aspects of this writing life. Every post is like a side swipe at unpublished authors. You're never good enough, you're doing it all wrong, you can't get published that way...etc, etc, yada yada yada. And yes, it is tough - I'd never pretend otherwise - but is it really necessary to be so negative about people's efforts? Rejection is tough enough without some smarty pants blogger telling us how rubbish we are. So that's why this blog post made such a nice change.

And to all authors, published or unpublished, new or accomplished, rich or poor, I salute you. It is not an easy road we walk, and it takes brass cojones to even attempt it. You're all stars in my book.

A Valentine Song

2011-02-14T19:09:00.000Z

Editing and Perfection

2011-02-12T12:21:00.000Z

I've watched The September Issue twice in the last twenty-four hours and intend to watch it again later today before my 48 hour itunes store rental expires. And I've ordered the DVD for posterity. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes at the creation of the US Vogue September edition, and focuses mainly on the editor in chief, Anna Wintour.

Most of you will have seen the movie The Devil Wears Prada, based on the novel of the same name by Lauren Weisberger in which Meryl Streep plays the Bitch Boss from Hell, Miranda Priestly. Weisberger based her book partly on her experience as Wintour's assistant, and there are parallels between the real and fictional characters. But I found the real Editor in Chief far more interesting, which is why I downloaded The September Issue.

For anyone with even a passing interest in fashion this documentary will be required viewing, not least because of Wintour's stony-faced persona and relationships with her editorial staff. Here is a woman so focussed on her job she has no time for inconsequential small talk to the point where she can be abrupt and even rude. She knows her own mind and doesn't worry about hurting anyone's feelings in the process. She doesn't balk at binning thousands of dollars worth of photography if she doesn't think it's quite right. And her staff might rail and rage, weep and worry, but they know she is right and give her unstinting respect.

It's a fascinating study, not just in fashion or the glamour industry, but in the ruthless necessity of editing to achieve perfection. It's worth a look.

Tea Bag Anyone?

2011-02-09T09:31:00.001Z

It's so long since I did serious revision I'd forgotten how rewarding it can be. Once you get past the stage of thinking "My God this is awful, how could I have written such shit???" and look on it as a renovation job there is pleasure to be had. It's a bit like moving into an old house that needs a lot of work. You know the dimensions of the rooms and the style you want, it's just a case of repairing the plaster work and slapping on some wallpaper.

I've stopped cringing now and expect to have to rewrite most of it, so it's a nice little bonus when I find a sentence or paragraph that doesn't need much. It means I can skip on feeling momentarily smug.

But what really comes through from the first draft, in amongst the clunky prose and the cliche ridden dialogue, is a sense of the mood of the scenes. Establishing that is what makes a first draft so hard to write when you're thrashing around trying to move the plot forward while getting to know your characters. But once it's on the page you can fix the bad writing. In fact I like fixing it. I'd forgotten how much I like it.

Then there are the unintentional and hilarious gaffs. Like this one:

He poked the tea bag with a fork before fishing it out of the mug and handing it to her.

Wonder what she was going to do with that tea bag?

Sandra's Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Forums

2011-02-06T14:31:00.000Z

As you know I'm no stranger to writers' forums and have belonged to many of them in the past few years. They're a good way to make friends with like minded individuals - writing is a lonely business and it doesn't hurt to have a support group you can rely on for advice and sympathy. But there are some who join these groups for other reasons.

Trolls and flamers get their kicks by causing trouble. They're a bit like the internet version of arsonists. They stir things up, cause a huge conflagration then step back to enjoy the show. They're usually easy to spot. Someone new joins the forum and immediately starts making contentious remarks or insulting the members. Some are more intelligent about it than others, and some are so subtle you may not realise at first you are being manipulated. But subtle or not these people are not interested in joining in or contributing anything so they are best ignored however provocative their behaviour. Arguing only encourages them.

The Time Waster is a watered down version of the Troll & Flamer. He doesn't want to actually do harm but he's bored and wants company and to that end he'll derail discussions any way he can to get your attention. So every serious topic gets derailed with silliness. If you're unlucky enough to have a few of them they can successfully kill off every serious attempt at discussion to gossip about soap operas or what their neighbour did.

The Self-Appointed Expert likes to drop in and put everyone straight but doesn't get their hands dirty (they're far too busy with real work anyway) taking part or bothering to get to know anyone on the board. They get their kicks by boasting about their achievements, using what little knowledge (it's usually not as much as they think, and often just opinions) they have to bludgeon the "inferior" members into submission. They patronise and bully, make unsubstantiated claims about their contacts in the industry, and if anyone challenges them flounce off calling the entire membership of the board "clueless amateurs". Thankfully they don't last long because their arrogant attitude guarantees they will be shunned sooner or later by all but the most brainless sycophants.

The Tireless Promoter will do anything, go anywhere, to pimp their blog/book/manuscript appraisal service, whatever. They derail every thread to get in a shameless plug, regardless of the topic. Every comment they make has an agenda of steering members toward whatever they are trying to promote. It really gets boring after quite a short time.

The Hoax

2011-02-04T09:21:00.000Z

Last night I watched The Hoax, the 2006 film starring Richard Gere. It was a fascinating film, not just because of the lovely Mr Gere. The film tells the true story of how an author called Clifford Irving tries to pull off the publishing hoax of the century by claiming to have written the biography of millionaire recluse Howard Hughes with the great man's co-operation. Somehow he manages to convince New York publishers McGraw-Hill and earns himself a million dollar advance.

I missed this film on its cinema release, but was drawn to it because it deals with selling a manuscript to a publisher. There aren't many films around which deal with this subject, at least not that I'm aware of. And it's an entertaining caper. At first you sympathise with Irving, dropped by his publisher and clearly desperate to find a deal clincher. But as his lies force him into increasingly bizarre situations - requesting McGraw Hill clear the top three floors of their building so Hughes can helicopter in for a meeting, only to have the helicopter scoot off before landing - we see how it is affecting his state of mind. Paranoid and deluded at times that he actually is Howard Hughes, Clifford's life is unravelling. Whether that much is true or not is unclear. The real Irving decried the film as being unrepresentative of his story although it was based on his own book of the same name.

In any case the truth, predictably, comes out when Hughes holds a televised phone conference denouncing Irving as a fraud.

But Gere does a very good job conveying the conflicts and frailties of this con-man. And even though the events happened in 1971, I doubt the greed represented in this corporate world has changed very much.

On Social Networking

2011-02-02T10:14:00.000Z

I recently watched The Social Network, the story of the creation of Facebook and the subsequent law suits that inevitably result when anyone makes an obscene amount of money. It's a good film - surprisingly good, considering there are no car chases, heists or obligatory sex scenes. Just one nerd and his great idea.

I've been a member of Facebook for a few years now. Funny to think it started off as a way to connect friends at a single US college and mushroomed into a worldwide phenomenon. I joined to keep in touch while my son was away at university, but now I have reconnected with long lost relatives near and far and friends I've met on forums. I don't find it scary, but I know many of my generation view it with a jaundiced eye. Scare stories abound all the time about how your identity can be stolen. No one's ever stolen my identity to date - maybe I'm not interesting enough.

But I like the idea of social networking. I'm on Facebook and Twitter too. I like the fact that information passes virally around the world. I like feeling connected to all sorts of people all over the place. I'm grateful to Mr Zuckerberg and his like for giving us this tool to play with.