Holding my breath

Bear with me, because I have no idea what I'm going to write today. I know I want to write something - the whole point of returning to my blog was to do it regularly - but... oh my god, I did not sleep well last night. I watched 1:15 disappear into the darkness, and …

Write with Fey

Hello, dear readers! Today I'm welcoming another guest to share her book with you - this time Chrys Fey, whose new book will help you navigate the world of writing and publishing. I'm still busy querying my novel, gearing up to write a new one (I'm planning another month-long blitz, so I've been jotting down the …

Because the song told me so!

There I was, working through my book, re-typing and re-drafting... and then three things happened: It got hot... so hot... my head doesn't like making sentences when it's hot. (It's actually lovely, if all I had to do was sit in my garden with a book and a glass of wine - as I did …

Red edit hiccup

I'm still in the red edit zone, so no completed chart just yet. Instead I have these: Yes, I'm making the grievous error of not just a prologue, or epilogue, but both! But, let's gloss over that for now. My red edits have gone really well, and I technically finished them last night, after a full-on …

The green edits are done!

I originally allowed myself thirty days for this part of the process, but did it in fifteen! As I got closer to the end, I reduced the date goal, because I like tidy graphs... Normally when I edit, I meander around - reading, adding notes, watching TV, going back over the same parts again and …

Reading my first draft

Since starting this blog, I've been unsure of the direction, but as I have decided to attempt to write, and have ready to submit, by the end of the year, I'm going to blog each step of my new-found process, under the Novel in a Year category tag. If you read this post first, it'll …

Reasons Why I Should Have Planned

I'm not a planner. I feel stifled if I have plot to fulfill, instead I usually start with a title and the very last line. I sit with my pen poised and let the words flow. I go back and add chapters where needed, go forward to write a killer line, backwards to add a …

My rules for writers

A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon Zadie Smith's Rules for Writers, and, coupled with a conversation I had on Twitter last night, I thought I'd give my own list a go. For those of you still new to me, here are my credentials: I've been seriously writing for publication since I was about …