Category: How To and Tips
The Book Belongs to the Reader, Not the Writer
When asked about how I feel about ‘my’ book, I explain that a book belongs to the imagination of the reader. Readers relate to the character and sometimes they are unaware of the author or illustrator. I’m ok with that. The author’s job is to craft the concept as well as possible. Then the reader […]
Love at First Line By Megan Collins
First sentences are a lot like first dates. If I’m intrigued by an opening line, if I feel a spark upon reading it (or, in the case of my own stories, writing it), I’m likely to keep investing my time. We all know that covers can be deceiving. They’re akin to a picture on a […]
Why All Writers Are Worldbuilders
Sometime last year I remember reading an article about worldbuilding which suggested it was overrated and unnecessary. I had the perhaps predictable kneejerk reaction about it. After all, I take a considerable amount of joy when it comes to the worldbuilding process. I really love worldbuilding. A lot. Then I really thought about it. This […]
The First Rule Of Write Club…
There was a bit of a to-do on twitter recently about big-name author Johnathan Franzen’s rather idiosyncratic writing rules, which he had been kind enough to share (some thought a lot less kindly of them). My takeaway from that was: The first rule of write club is…well, you know the rest. So when I was […]
Self Publishing In Perspective
Two years ago, I became a widow at the age of 45. My lovely husband Ian died at home following a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 52. As I held his hand, he took his last breaths and his heart slowly and peacefully came to a stop. And that moment altered me forever. […]
My Midlife Career
I didn’t set out to become a women’s fiction author. As with most things in my life, I happened into it. I’ve always been an avid reader and often wondered whether I had at least one novel in me. My brother died of a drug overdose in 1999. Several years later, when I was still struggling […]
Giving Birth To A Book
How writing a book is the same as having a baby, but without the gas and air. As a mother and a writer, I’ve often thought that the process of becoming a writer is akin to having a baby. ‘Oh lovely! Is this your first book?’ they ask, or ‘When is this one due out?’ […]
Creativity Studies And Tricks For (Women) Writers
Do you love the creative process, but at times find it almost unbearably difficult? I can only answer with a solemn “I do.” Being an avid reader of Virginia Woolf, including her famous A Room of One’s Own, I started to suspect that writing, while difficult for everyone, can (given the mostly men-oriented system we […]
The Case for Mentorship or Who’s Teaching Whom?
This year I have the great privilege of mentoring an intern from my high school alma mater – a talented student who is applying to college programs and developing her writing portfolio alongside her role as co-President of the high school’s Writing Club. We check in regularly to discuss writing – both the craft and […]
You Shall Not Pass! Writer’s Block And How To Un-Stick It
It’s a bit like ‘Macbeth’ for an actor – say ‘writer’s block’ to a novelist and they’re liable to go pale and break out in a cold sweat. And as for actually uttering those dreaded words yourself, well, that’s pretty much guaranteed to jinx anything you’re currently working on. But is writer’s block really a […]
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