Being Edited
After reading Keith Stevenson’s thoughtful piece on the importance of editing, I began thinking about this process from the point of view of a writer. That is, I wanted to share some thoughts with you not on the subject of editing, but on the subject of being edited. This...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 32
Tim Pegler As my childhood memories become foggier and less reliable, there are several book moments that stand out from the murk. The moment I discovered Herge’s The Red Sea Sharks (a graphic novel in a small rural library!) was like tripping over a gold nugget. The thrall induced...
I, You, He or She – Some Thoughts on Point of View
In 2003, I wrote the first draft of what was to become Blaze of Glory, the first book in my Laws of Magic series. As I was writing, I was perplexed by how difficult it was. It’s not that I expect writing a 100,000 word novel to be easy...
Definition of a Good Book
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Dystopias – Why So Popular?
Why Dystopias? I have two suggestions to explain the current popularity of dystopias/post-apocalyptic fiction, especially for teenagers. I understand that dystopic fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction are not necessarily the same thing, but they’re often conflated and I’ll settle for the combination term in this discussion. Firstly, I’ll offer the...
Towards Inventing a New Genre
I don’t have to be hit over the head with a trade paperback – or anything else – to understand that it might be a little late to get onboard the Paranormal Romance bandwagon. And I don’t have to be Tased multiple times while trying to explain my stand...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 24
Marianne de Pierres The Secret Garden will forever be the most important book from my childhood. My sister was a little older, and on school holidays she used to take time to read to me. I can still remember sitting in my dad’s old green armchair in our family...
Writers Write: My Favourite Book 21
Pamela Freeman When I looked back on my childhood for the purposes of this post, I realised that the single most influential book I read was The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, by Beatrix Potter....
Sydney Writing Workshop
Look at this: I’m doing a writing workshop in Sydney, 30 April. ...
Guest Post – Paul Collins
Today’s guest post is a step to the side of the ongoing ‘My Favourite Book’ series. Today, it’s Paul Collins talking about Fantasy writing and the Hero’s Journey. The most popular (read notorious) question authors get asked is: ‘Where do you get your ideas?’ I built a workshop around...