The Things That Get in the Way!
When the words are flying, writing novels is the best job in the world. Authors live other people’s lives for them. We imagine our own worlds, invent horrible situations and throw our characters (victims) into them. All just to entertain readers. But sometimes the work doesn’t go so well. All writers have their own pet … Continue reading
Thank You, Public Lending Right!
It’s at this time of year that authors all sit back and stare in horror at their bank accounts. Christmas is past. Long past. The summer is a long way away. The heating has to be funded, food bought, children’s dance lessons, hockey lessons, rugby lessons all have to be paid for, as well as … Continue reading
Weekly Update
A short update this week. I’m in the middle of rewriting the end of my latest modern crime story, but it’s not an easy one and it’s taking rather longer than I’d expected. However, with luck I’ll finish it today or tomorrow before sending it to Canada to my favourite copy editing expert (you know … Continue reading
Another Week, Another Edit
Last week I was glad to finish one edit – this week I have another. It’s one of the more accurate observations, the fact that all writing is rewriting. I estimated that my first novel was the result of reading and rereading my manuscript somewhere in the region of thirty five times. By the end … Continue reading
NaNoWriMo and more…
There are plenty of people who’ve been trying desperately hard to write in the last few weeks since the start of NaNoWriMo ’15. I can all too easily empathise with their frustrations. One thing that many people don’t realise, when they set out to write something, is that there are very few jobs quite so … Continue reading
Reviews: Deon Meyer: COBRA
Another day, another new book to read. Writing reviews for books is growing to be rather more difficult. There are so many writers who have a reputation for ‘log rolling’, or puffing the books of their friends, that their words cannot be taken on face value. I’ve always had it as a firm policy that … Continue reading
New Moves!
I’ve been having a lot of fun recently and it’s getting better. Some of you will have occasionally sprinted over to writerlywitterings on YouTube and seen some of my videos on my books and on writing. Not yet? Go and check it out. The videos seem to have interested a lot of people, and because of … Continue reading
Conway Stewart Pens – RIP
It is always very sad to hear of an old friend who has disappeared. On Friday I learned that one of my real old friends has been closed. That lovely company, Conway Stewart, the specialist, luxury brand that made pens from precious metals, who supplied Rolls Royce and the Orient Express with exclusive pens, has … Continue reading
Books for Christmas!
Well, I hate to remind you, but it is coming close to that time of year again. Christmas. Now, of course, I mean that it’s time to go out and make someone happy. Giving presents is a heart-warming thing. It produces a feeling of well-being, an atmosphere of happiness, a sense that all is right … Continue reading
Belfast with Medieval Murderers
Last week I was enormously lucky to be invited to Northern Ireland to talk to some library audiences. I confess, I have never been to Northern Ireland before purely because the stories of bombings and shootings made it a less than attractive proposition. Still, I remember distinctly my brother telling me that he had met … Continue reading
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