In which Steph talks about teen sex. Again.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

In Australia at the moment, there's a bit of a brouhaha going on in politics (it's pretty much over, I'm a bit slow on the uptake) - in short, the leader of the opposition and former Catholic seminarian, Tony Abbott, was interviewed by a women's magazine. Tony Abbott has daughters, and said that he wants them to remain virgins until marriage. I'm not entirely sure whether he said all women should regard their virginity as a gift, or whether it has just been misconstrued and blown out of proportion by the media. It's likely the latter. For more details, have a look here.

Here's my point of view, as a teenaged girl:

I think whilst Tony Abbott is entitled to his opinion in regards to his own daughters, I don't think it's an appropriate topic for politicians to be interviewed on. I'd really rather not know about Tony Abbott's personal views on the value of female virginity.

I think it's wrong to have differing standards for boys and girls - after all, if the girls all remain virgins until marriage, who are the boys going to have sex with? So if we're going to regard female virginity as a gift, we should regard male virginity as a gift too, shouldn't we?

There shouldn't be blanket expectations when it comes to teenagers and sex - you can't say all teenagers should become sexually active at eighteen, or all teenagers should abstain from sex until marriage.

For one thing, people mature at different rates. Teenagers are physically mature enough to reproduce a lot earlier than they are mentally or emotionally mature enough for a sexual relationship. That said, someone might be ready for a sexual relationship at sixteen, or they might be at nineteen. If sex is legal, consensual, and there's mutual respect, I really don't see the issue. If sex occurs when either or both parties are drunk, pressured by friends or the other person or otherwise reluctant, then it's probably a bad idea.

I don't see marriage or engagement as being necessary. I respect that some people have that belief, and I think they shouldn't be put down for that. A committed relationship is probably a good idea, but everyone has differing standards.

It's the job of the parents - not schools, not politicians, not friends, not the media - to instill in their children a sense of self-respect and their own moral standards.

In my mind, people regarding their virginity as a 'gift' (I'm reluctant to use that term, but that's what Tony Abbott called it) has a whole lot less to do with deliberately abstaining because your parents want you to, and a whole lot more to do with having the self-respect and self-esteem not to rush into something because you want to be liked, or loved, or feel pressured to, or because everyone else is doing it. A good parent isn't one who says, 'You must remain a virgin until marriage' but one who raises you to love yourself, and to only do things which you are comfortable with and want to do. I think that if a young person decides to remain a virgin until marriage, that should be their decision, not someone else's.

Sex - especially first sexual experiences as a teenager, because when you're young you're especially emotionally vulnerable - should be on your terms (and of course that of the other person. Or that of the other people). If you're sixteen or eighteen or thirty-five. If you're waiting until marriage or you're in a committed relationship. As I said earlier - and you may have differing standards, but this is my idea - if it's legal, consensual and there's mutual respect (and contraception), I don't see the issue. Everyone is different, okay? Don't listen to the rubbish people speak about virginity, have your own beliefs and standards.

What do you think?

What do you mean my characters aren't real?

Saturday, January 30, 2010


When you're in the middle of a draft or very intense editing, and while you're getting a cup of tea for your first break in three hours, do you ever think to yourself, 'I wonder what [insert character's name here] is up to.'?

Then you realise that that person is in fact a figment of your imagination. And you feel like a bit of a loser but it's okay because all artistic types are like this, at least you think so, in order to stop yourself from coming to the conclusion that you're actually crazy.

So, let's get to the point, shall we?

Do you have any idea where your book characters come from?

Before you start writing, do you sit down with a baby naming book and a hat filled with physical traits on little slips of paper, and compile a character like that?

Or do you already have some ideas - a name and a certain ability for them swimming up from the darkness of your subconscious - and you just have to fill in some blanks?

Do you sit down and write and they just occur naturally?

Or do you base them off real people, or yourself?

How do you create well-rounded book characters?

Plotting vs. pantsing

Thursday, January 28, 2010


I have an issue with the word pantsing. It reminds me of the word dacking. It gives me horrific flashbacks to bad primary school memories.

But for the sake of this discussion, we’re going to call outlining a novel prior to writing it ‘plotting’ and not outlining a novel – just going into it with a general idea of what it’s about and no other planning – ‘pantsing’.

I’m not sure which I am. The novel formerly known as These Bones – the one for which I have a book deal – was written without any outline, though I had a clear idea of the characters and their individual struggles, as well as a few scenes I wanted to add. My previous two novels were the same.

But now, I’ve written an entire outline for my new novel (third attempt at writing it). I have a chapter-by-chapter run down. I have character sketches and a brief synopsis. I have a blurb. I am so pre-planned if I were any more pre-planned I would pre-plan myself to death. So maybe I’m growing into a plotter? Or perhaps this is just a phase?

So, are you a pantser or a plotter? Do you think you’ll ever go over to the other side? What are the benefits and disadvantages of your preferred novel-writing method?

Interview with Foz Meadows, author of Solace & Grief

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Foz Meadows is, according to her website, a 'bipedal mammal with delusions of immortality. Her first novel, Solace and Grief (young adult urban fantasy), has been picked up by Ford Street Publishing and should appear on shelves sometime in early 2010. She likes cheese, geekery, writing, webcomics and general weirdness. Dislikes include Hollywod rom-coms, liquorice and the Republican party.'

So, in short, she's really cool. The launch of her debut novel is coming up on February 20th at Carlton Library, so if you're in Melbourne you should definitely come along. The rest of the launch details are at the bottom of this post, after this very excellent interview. You should check out Foz's website & blog, and follow her on Twitter.

Steph: Describe your upcoming novel in 25 words or less.
Foz: Solace & Grief is a YA urban fantasy novel set in Sydney. It features vampires, friends, schemes, sarcasm and a whole lot of weirdness.

Steph: What was the inspiration behind Solace & Grief? Can you tell me a bit about the process of writing it?
Foz: When I first had the idea for Solace, which was about three or so years ago, I was working as a legal secretary; it's the sort of job where you can end up with a lot of downtime in front of a computer. At the time, I had another novel - written during school, then revised and finally finished during university - which I was busy shopping around, but for exactly that reason, I was trying not to think about it. Combine this state of affairs with my rewatching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the umpteenth time, and one midmorning, the prologue for Solace & Grief just sort of happened. I kept writing from there, but I was still so deeply tied to the previous novel that it took 40,000 words until I admitted it wasn't actually a short story. Once that happened, though, I realised I knew where things were headed, and I've been working on it ever since.

Steph: What was the road to publication like for your novel? How long did it take you to find a publisher, and what was it like working with an editor?
Foz: There were disappointments along the way. Several agencies rejected the manuscript - although in fairness to them, the original version was very messy. I did find an agent at one point, but she was forced to close up shop for health reasons. Obviously, I was pretty distressed about that - she'd managed to get me through to the second round of submissions at a major publishing house, and I was paranoid they wouldn't take me on because I was no longer represented. In the end, the second editor there didn't like the story as much as the first one had, and that was the basis on which they passed me over. Then I submitted to Ford Street during an open period - though I was still unsolicited - and heard back within two weeks. They had a list of changes for me to make to the manuscript, almost all of which I agreed with; I beavered away for a few more months, sent it back, and then, to my delight and astonishment, they signed me on. Working with an editor was brilliant - it really helped me to look at my writing more objectively. Self-editing is a great skill to have, but a fresh pair of experienced eyes is even better!

Steph: Imagining you could travel back in time and meet yourself as a younger writer without tearing apart the universe, what advice would you give her about writing and life?
Foz: In terms of writing, I think the most valuable thing I could give my younger self is reassurance. Sometimes, it felt like I was carrying a hot, heavy coal around in my chest: this was what I wanted to do, but what if I couldn't make it? I was so possessive about my goals - I wanted more friends who were writers, but at the same time, I also wanted to be the only writer I knew, so that it could be my distinguishing characteristic. I've always been contrary like that, though hopefully I'm improving with age! When it comes to life, though, I'd tell her that knowing a thing can happen isn't the same as being prepared to experience it, and to try new things more often.

Steph: When did you know you were a writer? What experiences have most shaped you as a writer?
Foz: I've been writing for about as long as I've known how, although I didn't really fix on the idea of being an author until I was twelve, and even then, I'd still dream about journalism or archaeology. But it never crossed my mind that I might ever stop writing. Experience-wise, I can't think of any particular moments that stand out as shaping me, unless books count as moments - which, I think, they do. Whatever I read that moved me, I've always wanted to write something like it, and though that originally lead to a lot of pastiche and imitation, utlimately I think it helped me figure out what stories of my own I wanted to tell, and why. That being said, I still have fangirl moments!

Steph: What are you working on at the moment?
Foz: Very soon, I'm about to start editing The Key to Starveldt, which is the sequel to Solace & Grief - I finished writing the first draft late last year, and once that's done, I'll start work on volume three. Recently, though, I was ambushed by a sort of adult magic-and-murder-mystery novel; I finished that in about a month, while we were on holiday, and now I have Plans for it. Not very concrete Plans, I'll grant you. But Plans nonetheless.


Book launch: Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows
To be launched by Kirstyn McDermott
When: 2pm for 2:30pm, Saturday 20 February
Where: Carlton Library, 667 Rathdowne Street, North Carlton, Vic
Queries: Lindy Dadd on (03) 9426 5688 or Paul Collins (03) 9481 1120
RSVP by 15 February: info@fordstreetpublishing.com

My novel in Dutch and Catalan!

Friday, January 22, 2010


More exciting news about my book in other languages!

I'm very delighted to announce that my novel will be published in Dutch by Meulenhoff Boekerij!

And...it's also going to be published in Catalan by La Galera!

Yay!

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Don't forget to enter my contest to win a Paranormal Romance Book Pack!

F2m: the boy within by Hazel Edwards & Ryan Kennedy

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Here's a guest post by Hazel Edwards on co-writing her latest YA novel, f2m, about a girl transitioning gender, with Ryan Kennedy...












Collaborating on ‘Edgy’ YA Fiction about Transitioning Gender
by Hazel Edwards


Collaborating on an ‘edgy’ novel , online via Skype has been fun. Ryan is an IT techie but I’m very much an online apprentice. So the way we have worked has been a fast learning curve for me. As well as the ftm content. We’ve actually enjoyed the plotting, and speed of story change, but the 18 months (and 40 drafts) with Ryan Kennedy my co-author of the YA novel f2m: the boy within has been one of the most challenging books I’ve written.

Co-writing fiction about transitioning gender and punk music, when you’re crossing countries (Australia and New Zealand), generations and cultures (music and gender) is like going on an expedition into the world of new ideas. Ryan has been a great co-author, and an interpreter for me.

In Feb , our novel
f2m; the boy within is released by Ford Street Publishing, and that’s pretty exciting because it’s the first international YA novel about transitioning from female to male, co-written by a trans author. There is one other ftm YA Parrotfish (Less common than mtf: from male to female) but not by a trans writer. Also Luna (great book!) which is about mtf (male to female) transition.

Our book is Ryan’s first novel. I’ve written quite a few others, (including
Antarctica’s Frozen Chosen, from the perspective of a 21 year old male scientist) OK, I’m not male and I’m not 21. But writing believably from the perspective of a character unlike yourself, is the greatest challenge for an author.

We’ve known each other as family friends since Ryan was an 11 year old girl. He’s now a man in his early thirties. New Zealand-based Ryan lived as female until his transition to male at twenty seven. Ryan works in IT and is a passionate environmentalist and musician.

In
f2m; the boy within, the central character is an 18 year old, a crucial age for ID and also a ‘coming of age’ period when vital decisions are made about work, friends and lifestyle, especially if there is a difference between the person inside and the outside.

Character Skye plays guitar in all-female Chronic Cramps punk band but now she's presenting as a male called Finn. Her family find it difficult to accept losing a daughter.

That’s why our metallic cover with the Russian dolls within dolls was so carefully chosen. And our title of
f2m, rather than ftm, the medical term for female to male, indicates our process of collaborating on the writing of this novel, because our process of collaboration has been equally fascinating as the content.

People always ask, how do you manage to co-write? And especially fiction! And on such a taboo subject. If you write about a controversial subject, the tone must be appropriate and the language was the first challenge. I had to learn a new vocab. Both for punk music and for transitioning.
f2m is fiction, based on genetic fact.

And it has been a satisfying book to write, because it is needed to provide a compassionate and funny perspective on a taboo subject.

f2m: the boy within book launch
When: 2pm, Sunday 14 February
Where: Richmond Library, 415 Church Street, Richmond, Vic
RSVP by 10 February: info@fordstreetpublishing.com

f2m:the boy within
http://www.fordstreetpublishing.com/
http://www.ryanscottkennedy.com/
http://www.hazeledwards.com/


f2m: the boy within
book trailer:

Interview with freelance writer Sarah Hannah Fisher

Sunday, January 10, 2010


Today I'm interviewing freelance writer and Sydney-sider Sarah Hannah Fisher. She's written for Girlfriend, Cherrie, Peppermint and Cleo and for various online publications. She's also associate editor of The Scavenger. I discovered her blog a few months ago, and what I really love about it is that she talks about things like animal rights and social and environmental issues as well as blogging on things like fashion, beauty, celebrities and pop culture. I love a smart fashion blog. (You should read this article, too.)

Steph: Tell me a bit about yourself, and when and how you started writing. What made you decide to become a freelance writer?
Sarah: Well, I'm a 25-year-old Sydney-sider and I've wanted to be a writer from the age of about 12 or so. Possibly earlier! I've always had an obsession with magazines and I knew that's where I wanted my career to be. After highschool, I studied Media and Communications at Sydney University but I didn't really enjoy it so it took me a while to finish it since I kept deferring to travel. I started doing some freelance work at the end of my degree and after I had graduated, mainly as a way to build up my writing portfolio while I was job hunting!

Steph: What does freelance writing involve? How do you go about submitting to magazines? (Tell us a bit about the process – from pitch to publication).
Sarah: It took me a while to get the hang of it. The first thing I do is come up with an idea and research a few magazines to pitch it too, re-reading back issues to get a feel for their style and tone and making sure they haven't published anything similar recently. Then I basically just email editors with my pitch and wait! I begun with no contacts in the industry at all but I've built up a fair few now.

Steph: What advice would you give to a young (or older!) writer, wanting to start working as a freelancer?
Sarah: You need to get used to rejection- it goes hand and hand with the gig, unfortunately. Politness goes a long way too, you never know what editor you will meet again later on in life and you definately don't want to go burning any bridges.

Steph: You’re working on a semi-autobiographical book at the moment, which I’m very curious about. Could you tell me a bit about it?
Sarah: I've always dreamed of publishing my own book, like most writers I suppose! During my late teens/early twenties I went through some very, very hard times mentally and that will be the focus of the book- a young girl who is diagnosed with mental illness and is hospitalised and how she copes (or doesn't cope) with her life. So it's going to be pretty dark. I kept various journals and scrapbooks during the time period and the book is going to be based on those. I'm still in the stage of collaborating all the bits and peices of writings and drawings that I have- it's going to take me a while!

Steph: What parts of the writing and submitting process do you find challenging, and which parts are the most rewarding?
Sarah: Rejection is never fun but I don't take it personally. I enjoy setting my own schedule but it can be hard when all my friends are out having fun and I'm typing away at home, especially if they don't see it as real "work." The most rewarding would definately be holding a copy of the published article in my hand and seeing my name in print!

Steph: What are your hopes for the future, career-wise?
Sarah: Definitely to finish my book! Aside from that, I would love to be a features writer on any of my favourite magazines- Vogue, RUSSH, Yen, Frankie, Marie Claire...

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Thanks, Sarah! Check out Sarah Hannah Fisher's online portfolio, and you should definitely read Sarah's personal blog, Death Wears Diamond Jewellery and follow her on Twitter.

Writing Rules

Tuesday, January 5, 2010


I've collected four different sets of 'writing rules' here from well-known authors. A couple of them deal with things like grammar and syntax and the nitty-gritty line-by-line stuff, and the others with writing novels as a whole.

They're all very interesting (and there are things I agree with and disagree with), so you should definitely read them, then answer my questions at the bottom of this post and tell me your views on writing rules.

Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 Rules For Writing Fiction
  1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
  2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
  3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
  4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
  5. Start as close to the end as possible.
  6. Be a sadist. Now matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them — in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
  7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
  8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
- Kurt Vonnegut, Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 1999), 9-10.
George Orwell's 6 Rules For Writers
  1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
  2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
  4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.
  5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
  6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything barbarous.
- George Orwell, Politics and the English Language (Horizon, 1946)
William Safire's Rules for Writers
  • Remember to never split an infinitive.
  • The passive voice should never be used.
  • Do not put statements in the negative form.
  • Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
  • Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
  • If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be by rereading and editing.
  • A writer must not shift your point of view.
  • And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
  • Don't overuse exclamation marks!!
  • Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
  • Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
  • If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
  • Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
  • Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
  • Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
  • Always pick on the correct idiom.
  • The adverb always follows the verb.
  • Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; seek viable alternatives.
Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle
from the New York Times, Writers on Writing Series.
By ELMORE LEONARD
These are rules I’ve picked up along the way to help me remain invisible when I’m writing a book, to help me show rather than tell what’s taking place in the story. If you have a facility for language and imagery and the sound of your voice pleases you, invisibility is not what you are after, and you can skip the rules. Still, you might look them over.
1. Never open a book with weather. If it’s only to create atmosphere, and not a character’s reaction to the weather, you don’t want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways to describe ice and snow than an Eskimo, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2. Avoid prologues.
They can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in nonfiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want.
There is a prologue in John Steinbeck’s “Sweet Thursday,” but it’s O.K. because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: “I like a lot of talk in a book and I don’t like to have nobody tell me what the guy that’s talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks. . . . figure out what the guy’s thinking from what he says. I like some description but not too much of that. . . . Sometimes I want a book to break loose with a bunch of hooptedoodle. . . . Spin up some pretty words maybe or sing a little song with language. That’s nice. But I wish it was set aside so I don’t have to read it. I don’t want hooptedoodle to get mixed up with the story.”
3. Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue.
The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But said is far less intrusive than grumbled, gasped, cautioned, lied. I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with “she asseverated,” and had to stop reading to get the dictionary.
4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said” . . .
. . . he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances “full of rape and adverbs.”
5. Keep your exclamation points under control.
You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6. Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose.”
This rule doesn’t require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use “suddenly” tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.
Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apostrophes, you won’t be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavor of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories “Close Range.”
8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
Which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” what do the “American and the girl with him” look like? “She had taken off her hat and put it on the table.” That’s the only reference to a physical description in the story, and yet we see the couple and know them by their tones of voice, with not one adverb in sight.
9. Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.
Unless you’re Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language or write landscapes in the style of Jim Harrison. But even if you’re good at it, you don’t want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.
And finally:
10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.
A rule that came to mind in 1983. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them. What the writer is doing, he’s writing, perpetrating hooptedoodle, perhaps taking another shot at the weather, or has gone into the character’s head, and the reader either knows what the guy’s thinking or doesn’t care. I’ll bet you don’t skip dialogue.
My most important rule is one that sums up the 10.
If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Or, if proper usage gets in the way, it may have to go. I can’t allow what we learned in English composition to disrupt the sound and rhythm of the narrative. It’s my attempt to remain invisible, not distract the reader from the story with obvious writing. (Joseph Conrad said something about words getting in the way of what you want to say.)
If I write in scenes and always from the point of view of a particular character—the one whose view best brings the scene to life—I’m able to concentrate on the voices of the characters telling you who they are and how they feel about what they see and what’s going on, and I’m nowhere in sight.
What Steinbeck did in “Sweet Thursday” was title his chapters as an indication, though obscure, of what they cover. “Whom the Gods Love They Drive Nuts” is one, “Lousy Wednesday” another. The third chapter is titled “Hooptedoodle 1” and the 38th chapter “Hooptedoodle 2” as warnings to the reader, as if Steinbeck is saying: “Here’s where you’ll see me taking flights of fancy with my writing, and it won’t get in the way of the story. Skip them if you want.”
“Sweet Thursday” came out in 1954, when I was just beginning to be published, and I’ve never forgotten that prologue.
Did I read the hooptedoodle chapters? Every word.
  • What's your opinion on writing rules? A help or a hindrance?
  • Do they naturally occur to writers, or should they be taught?
  • Have any of your own personal writing rules to add?


I find writing rules a bit unnecessary and overcomplicated - personally, the only rules I think every writer need apply to are these:

1. Read.
2. Write.

But, you know, I like to simplify things.

Word Count

Monday, January 4, 2010


Word count is something I remember about a year ago fretting over hugely. How long should my book be? 200 pages? 40,000 words? When do I know when my book is done?
Most YA books fall between 50,000 and 70,000 words, longer for fantasy. You don't have to worry a whole lot if your novel is on the short side (Hannah Moskowitz's debut novel BREAK was only a little over 40,000 words) or on the long side (many, many YA fantasy or paranormal novels are over 80,000 words).

My books tend to be between 50,000 and 60,000 words. If you participate in NaNoWriMo in November, 50,000 words counts as a novel.

Word count is not all that important. The most important thing is writing the best novel you can, then editing so that each and every word is absolutely necessary. Tell the story you love, tell the story that demands to be written. If your novel is too long, you can worry about getting rid of excess words in the editing stage. If your novel is too short, you can flesh things out a little more later on. Don't fret too much about word count, because there is no magic number. Really, when you're reading a novel, do you count how many pages there are? If you're caught up in a brilliant book, do you even notice if it's 200 pages or 600? I don't. The story is the main thing.

That said, when you do go back and edit your novel, if it's on the long side ask yourself things like, "Does the story lag at any point?" and "Is every part of this novel vital? If I cut this scene, would the rest of the novel be affected?". If you're novel is shy of 45,000 words, ask "Where could I flesh the story out further?" and "Are all the characters and plotlines properly developed? Are there scenes missing that would add to the story?"

Do you have any thoughts to add on word count? And how many words long is your novel?

Advice for Aspiring Authors, from Twitter

Sunday, January 3, 2010



In response to 'What advice would you give to an aspiring author?'

"Pick apart movies with your friends - what works, what doesn't? Set realistic goals. Blog! And connect with authors. Read a lot. Obv." - Penni Russon / eglantinescake

"The first draft is for you and nobody else. Play, experiment, have fun, and see where it takes you." - Lisa Schroeder


"Just write. Don't write and edit at the same time. You can edit later once the words cool down." - Amy Gray / Amoir

"Don't let anyone talk you out of it." - Courtney Summers

"If you are bored with your own writing, you can bet your reader will be bored as well. Write what you are passionate about." - Gabrielle Wang

"Don't be afraid to be ridiculously ambitious. If my life is anything to go by, it sometimes pays off!" - Chris Morphew

"New writers need networking - festivals, writers centres, readings, join a critique group - get into the life." - Susanne Gervay

"Put it on paper. Your story doesn't exist until it's words on a page! Change them later if you need to but just WRITE THEM DOWN!" - miss cackle

"Keep your audience/readers in mind as you write (and especially when you read over your writing and edit)." - Rebecca Newman / alphabetsoupmag

"Read everything they can get their hands on. Read,read, read. Analyze what you like about your favorite writers." -
Paul Crilley

"When dealing with publishers and booksellers be the professional, not the artist." -
Fiona McLennan /
ph8


"Don't look at other books for inspiration; look at the world around you. Take from real life, not from its imitation." - AudryT

"The best advice I've ever received is to be politely persistent (as in, don't give up, even if they tell you no)." - Amber Forbes

"My advice to aspiring writers: quit aspiring, start writing!" - Sam Downing





Do you have 140 characters of writing advice to share?

New Year's Resolutions for Writers

Friday, January 1, 2010


Well, it's 2010! It's a new year! It's a new decade! Did you make any resolutions? If you're a writer, did you make any writerly resolutions? Maybe something like:
  • Make time to write
  • Overcome writer's block
  • Complete an unfinished work
  • Read more
  • Keep a journal
  • Write a novel
  • Submit work
Personally, I'm not big on resolutions. I don't wait till the new year to decide to change things in my life. I'm a little more impatient, and have to change things and do things right away. I'm still figuring out my goals for this year, but I'd love to hear your resolutions!
So tell me: What are your hopes for this year? What do you want to achieve?
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