If you want to write for a living then you need to have a few things including an imagination and the drive to want to write, and oddly business sense. This is the paradox of writing. You sit and tap away at a computer or you hand-write your master piece, and it is a work… Continue reading Advice to aspiring writers
Category: Masters tales
Anything about the Masters in Creative Writing and Scriptwriting
Second-hand or new
I'm not talking clothes here. Although I do like to shop second-hand, and I love antique stores - the ultimate second-hand experience. But what I am looking at is whether you use a brand new story-line or knowingly use a second-hand one. I don't mean plagiarism, but rehashing an already well-known story. It's a bit… Continue reading Second-hand or new
Daily Prompt – Fly on the Wall
Fly on the Wall There are so many times and stages in history that I would love to see. To just go back and watch what happens. The day that Shakespeare realised he could write, and the first applause he got. The day the first dinosaur was hatched and the day of the last. The… Continue reading Daily Prompt – Fly on the Wall
Can writing be taught?
This is the question. Up until 2011 I had not written a fiction story, now I write-up to three a week. Was I taught this? All I can say is that if I turn back to my very first story the writing is clunky. It makes sense and it a good story but the writing… Continue reading Can writing be taught?
Word Counts
Word counts are something that I find both liberating and stifling. When you start a piece of work you may have a word count in mind or you might be writing it for something with a strict number you can't go over. This can be stifling... If you start a story with the full intention… Continue reading Word Counts
Daily Prompt – Stranger in a Strange Land
Stranger in a Strange Land The coach picked us up outside the hall, and I was transported back to my childhood; soggy sandwiches and warm orange drinks. Then I was back and we were filing into the coach. It was 9 am and we were to be on the road for six hours or more.… Continue reading Daily Prompt – Stranger in a Strange Land
Traditional or DIY
This is a conundrum I have been asking myself for a while; traditional or DIY publishing. After all, self-publishing no longer has the same reputation and isn't called 'vanity press' any more, but rather 'indie publishing'. Indie Publishing To be an indie publisher sounds quiet cool, but what would I be taking on? Well, to… Continue reading Traditional or DIY
Genre
Genre can be tricky. When people ask - what genre do you write in? I can find my mind go a blank. It is true that the novel/dissertation I am working on at the moment is a crime/horror/romance... SO which does it come under? When you are looking for an agent they list the genres… Continue reading Genre
Editing Tips
My Top 3 Editing Tips This is tricky, with my slight dyslexia problem editing is a nightmare. When I was studying art they used to say that you can give your work fresh eyes by looking at it with a different perspective. In the case of the art, turning it upside down. I've tried this… Continue reading Editing Tips
Inspiring Quote
There are lots of quotes out there but I have chosen one that made me hit pause on the movie it was on and just stare around. My parents were also watching and they looked at me. "Tea, then?" Mum asked. It is something we all do, an intermission of sorts. Once we press pause… Continue reading Inspiring Quote
Kate Murray - Cleaver 