Tag: fiction
From Publisher To Writer
It was a long held dream of mine to write a novel. In fact I attempted it several times before finally realising my dream. The problem was I never truly believed my writing was of any merit thus resulting in many unfinished manuscripts, which were unceremoniously consigned to a drawer that was rarely opened. […]
A Woman Fakes Her Death on 9/11: The Story Behind the Story
They say you need to be able to summarize your novel with one, solid sentence. I’ve always had a hard time with that. I feel the need to go into paragraphs of description, with lots of “First this happens and then this happens…” Then, in 2009, I stumbled upon the kind of idea that has an […]
How a Smartphone Camera Can Jumpstart Your Writing
Both the camera and creative writing offer us a lens into our humanity. Every story is a snapshot of a time, place or person, and every photo has a story to tell. For me, photography and writing have always gone hand in hand. They are the push and pull of my daily routine, the way I […]
May The Story Sing
When I sign copies of my debut novel, The River Witch, I almost always say, “May the story sing for you.” I’ve never stopped to really wonder why those words came to me or what they might mean, except that I have a love of music. While I was on book tour, I asked the […]
When To Call It Quits
Starting a fresh manuscript is always an exciting thing for me. The possibility of the blank page. An idea that makes my heart beat faster. Characters chattering away in my head, telling me their stories. Those are the moments I want to hole myself up in a cabin in the woods, just me and my […]
Look Away. You Don’t Want to See This.
He narrowed his eyes…with downcast eyes…her eyes darted to the window…she found him with her eyes…her eyes glistened with unshed tears…he blinked in surprise…she stared in amazement…he focused on the ground. Do you see the theme? These phrases are only a handful of the many I found in the rough draft of my work in […]
Writing Adventure Stories For Children
Writing for children, it has been said, is just like writing for adults, only much harder. So why would anyone attempt to write a novel for 8 – 12 year olds? I started by mistake. I’d loved the stories my Dad had told me, and being Irish, he spun some really good yarns. He had […]
How To Build A Character
If you type ‘how to build a’ into Google, you’ll be given the options of shed, fence, house, website. (I don’t think it will be too long before ‘girl’ is added to the list due to Caitlin Moran cornering this part of the literary market.) All of these options give guidance on construction and the […]
How To Find “The End”
I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged. – Erica Jong Starting things is easy, right? Relationships, diets, runs, New Year’s resolutions – we dive in, full of enthusiasm. Of course we’ll stick to it. Of course we’ll see it through. Sadly, the finishing bit […]
Q&A with Lisa Jewell
We, here at WomenWritersWomen[s]Books, are in love with Lisa Jewell. How can you not fall for a woman whose story of success starts with getting laid off from her secretarial job, followed by drinking and eating her sorrows away with friends, includes an actual wager, and ends like a fairytale? [Insert from Lisa – “So […]
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