Sixty seems like an achievement and part of me wishes it was counted in books rather than years. Yet I am thankful that there have been that many years. Another milestone decade has crept up on me and I sit here wondering where all those years went. What have I achieved? Were the years wasted … Continue reading
Happy Birthday, Brother
This was love so moving and profoundly expressed that I needed to re-blog this post….
Time Exchange
Does your favourite book capture a sense of time? Does time play out slowly or race along? How does an experienced writer catch such an intangible element as time in words? Pacing is a key element to crafting a novel and wiser people have addressed it much better than I can in this beginner’s blog. … Continue reading
Interview by a kindred spirit
When an opportunity to be interviewed comes along take it. That’s my advice as a retired journalist, who enjoyed interviewing people, and now as a fledgling novelist, when fantasy writer Ailsa Abraham kindly approached me. While I’m talking about Ailsa, I recommend that you all explore her inspiring blog with more than a few uplifting … Continue reading
Disintegrating Characters
How should a novel’s characters evolve? Should one create the characters before the plot or as the story unfolds? Do you do sketches before writing your novel? My first novel, Spiral of Hooves, began life as a rough outline back in 2000, but went through various versions, with characters changing their names, motives, roles, and … Continue reading
Beyond the Monotony
What would you do after three months of editing? Variety is the spice of life they say, but how do you achieve it? Stop editing and write? Switch projects? What happens if you have five draft novels all needing editing and two new plots pounding at your mind? Most sensible writers seem to blend the … Continue reading
