We all know the creed: be yourself online and lo, you will find your tribe. More importantly, for business, they will find you and know you. I get that logic* and I see it done really well by some folk who are so themselves that it doesn’t even seem like they’re trying. They are often the …
Category: Uncategorized
You must be joking!
Recently, on LinkedIn, a bunch of us were lamenting the lack of opportunities for gag writers. It got me thinking about the things I’d tried in the past, successfully and otherwise, so here is a list of places to try if you want to flex your funny bone.* In no order, other than my ability …
Wellbeing for Writers
When it comes to novel writing it’s a jungle out there* and in there as well. You spend inordinate amounts of time deliberating and procrastinating and then crafting your work, before seeking out ways to get your book seen or heard or experienced, while simultaneously trying very hard not to starve or lose faith in …
Setting the Scene – why location matters
One of the challenges authors face – and the directors and scriptwriters who interpret their work – is how to make each scene real. We want the reader or viewer to have an immersive experience, not only suspending disbelief but also engaging their senses to put themselves at the heart of the action. We’re talking …
Do writers need boundaries?
Vive la difference! I’m at a really interesting point in the novel I’m writing. And I know that because it’s making me uncomfortable. It’s not violence or sex or swearing; no, it’s more subtle than that. It’s about religion and culture. More specifically, religion and culture that aren’t mine. I’ve recently had some brilliant email conversations …
Is Social Media the Writer’s Friend?
Recently, The Guardian carried a piece about author Joanna Trollope’s criticism of fellow author JK Rowling. Specifically, JT thinks JKR spends far too much time being far too vocal on social media. You can read about it here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/05/jk-rowling-driven-by-ego-like-kim-kardashian-joanna-trollope The part that really piqued my interest was JT’s suggestion that aspiring authors will look at JKR’s interactions …
Who Owns Your Books?
Now you see me. When it comes to books, the word ‘ownership’ can mean different things at different times. Who owns an idea? Nobody. Try copyrighting an idea and be prepared for laughter and disdain. Who owns a completed manuscript? Unless you’ve been paid to ghostwrite a novel, ownership rests with the author. The laws …
Authors & Books – Erik Carter
I never tire of meeting other writers (more often, online these days) and finding out what makes them tick. Whether we specialise in the same genre or find ourselves in different camps there are always stories behind the stories and an individual path to ‘The End’. This time I would like to introduce you to …
Room for a Review?
Last month I ran a mini workshop on the theme of Comedy Writing in Fiction. (I mentioned it here.) Linda recently sent me a review of the event and she’s kindly let me post it on this blog.In the words of Rabbie Burns in To a Louse:O wad some Power the giftie gie usToo see …
Writing as a therapeutic tool
“Writing does not protect us from tragedy, but it does give us a way of working through problems and perhaps expressing them differently in fiction.”It’s a truism that writers draw upon personal experience – and that of others – when they create fiction. This is not only part of the writer’s desire to bring authenticity …