Writers and Writing – Take Four

Let's see what this evening brings us. Oh, yes. Quite! The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home. (John Campbell) Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat …

Playing Psycho Is Not A Game

I found this post and it brought back at a moment's notice the point I was making in an earlier article, about the responsibility we, as authors, have. No better way to illustrate my point. If you feel strongly enough about this, please pass it on. Thank you. Here's a link to the complete post, …

Writers and Writing – Take Three

Relaxing again, and thinking of... well... writing. Here is what amused me today, mostly because I recognise a grain of truth in there, somewhere. I'm the kind of writer that people think other people are reading. (V. S Naipaul) There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't …

Plain English Experiment

Next time you want to say something in a sensitive, tactful fashion, thank your lucky stars you're a writer, and therefore inherently good with words. Where would diplomacy be without writers? Politicians would have bigger budgets for cudgels than for speech writing. With a writer's help, when a department loses its focus and squanders time …

Success – Your Own Recipe

Nobody respects writers, yet everybody wants to be one. This disturbing thought occurred to me a while ago and is proving to be a very, very stubborn one. No matter how hard I try, I just can't banish it. Add to that the relentless bombardment of articles from respected voices in the publishing industry, articles …

A Writer’s Reality

You've spent the last five hours bent over the keys, tapping feverishly and not daring to even peek up towards the window for fear your inspiration would dissipate as soon as the tiniest bit of sunshine registers on your retina. But now you're at the end of the scene, your characters' voices are fading - …

Career Reassessment – The One Week Writer

(From my archives) Day 1 I like books. Yesterday I went out and got myself a diary, new pens (various colours) and an adequate supply of chocolate. The plan is that today I begin my great writing experience. I've decided I'm going to be a writer. I am determined to write the next Great British …

Writers and Writing

Sunday, ahh, a day to relax. So I can think of nothing better than sitting down with a book of quotations on my lap and a glass of something cool and refreshing, garnished with a slice of lemon. I've found a couple of quotations that amuse me. Here they are. In America only the successful …

A Question For You

A while ago I did a little poll - well, no, it was a huge poll, actually - about what it takes to be a writer. I was asked to add to the original answers because I had missed some obvious ones, and I agreed. That list is a combined effort of our author minds. …

The Flip Side

I wasn’t planning to write this today. Not at all. But I hate seeing people tormenting themselves over what their inner demons are whispering to them, and even more so when I can see all that anguish is undeserved. Know what I’m talking about? The Writer’s Critique Club. Any Writer’s Critique Club. Incidentally, if you …