Warning – More Writing Advice to Come!
As you can see, over half way through the first draft, tidying up and making it stronger.
This is a short blog this week. Two reasons, first, I’ve been inside working the whole time on the first draft of my next book; second, because I’m working on this novel, I don’t have much time to play with blogs!
However, I thought it was only fair to let people know what I’m going to be up to for the next few months.
First, rather than non-specific rants only on WriterlyWitterings.com, I’m going to become a little more organised. In effect, this means I’m going to rationalise what I blog about (at last, I hear you say?) and focus on fewer subjects.
First and foremost, I will be blogging about writing and giving a free resource about finishing your projects. Over the summer weeks I’ll be concentrating on helping people who are attempting creative writing, and giving my own perspectives on plots, characterisation, description of locations, and everything else. How do I introduce a new subplot or bring in a new character in my books? How do I pick a main theme for a story? How do I work out a better flow for my stories?
However, from October or so I will be introducing academic concepts into my work. I will talk a bit more about how to write essays, how to create an argument, how to develop it, how to reach a logical conclusion. All the same principles exist for the writer of academic works as for the creative writer.
I was shocked at Exeter to learn that Britain, in the whole of Europe, is about the only nation that expects students to be able to think creatively, and communicate their thinking and arguments in logically developed essays. In other nations, there is no need for students to attempt work of that nature until they are into postgraduate work. In Britain, however, it’s a standard academic approach. But not all students are shown how to develop their ideas. This is, hopefully, where I can help a bit.
Some of these will require YouTube videos with further explanation, such as I used last week and the week before. It makes sense to use both media to explain and expand on topics.
At the same time, however, I’ll be putting more videos about my books, and what influenced me at the time to write each of them.
I think that with these changes the two sites will work rather more efficiently, and with luck they’ll be more gratefully received by writers of all kinds and all ages.
Do please let me know what themes you would like me to cover. Anything that would help you with your writing and which should be of interest to other viewers or readers. All ideas are considered.
Many thanks, and sorry for such a brief blog post this week. However, all parents out there will understand that when there are deadlines and two children on holiday, something has to give!
Have a great week!
writerlywitterings 