Word Magic
Do you wish editing fiction could be easier? Perhaps you have a NaNoWriMo novel (or several NaNoWriMo novels) on your hard drive and can’t get inspired to start the edit. One of my students faced this situation; here’s the simple process which helped her to get started on the editing process. Editing fiction: the process needn’t take forever Over time, … Read more
If you’re a self-publishing author, you struggle to find time for book marketing. Writing fills your “spare” time, especially if you’re combining self-publishing with a full-time job and looking after your family. Sooner or later however, you’ll decide that you must market your books so that readers can find and enjoy them. You’re conflicted. With just 24 hours in each … Read more
A new author will often ask me to tell them whether their short story is “good”. In response, I ask them how the story makes them feel. Did they achieve what they set out to do? Are they satisfied? If not, why not? Then I read the story. I’m looking for just one thing… entertainment. If the story entertains, then … Read more
Thinking about writing fiction? Here’s a secret. Start with the idea. When we read fiction, we may be bored… Or we’re living through an unbearable life event and need to escape for a while. Perhaps we enjoy stepping into another world. Whatever a reader’s reason for reading your novel, they read for entertainment. When you’re writing fiction, you’re an entertainer … Read more
Recently a writing student told me she wanted to write a cookbook, but she couldn’t get started yet: she needed to master cooking first. After all, if she couldn’t create a recipe, she couldn’t write a cookbook… Could she? That got me thinking about the elements of great cookbooks. Yes, they contain recipes, but they also contain something else which … Read more