Short Stories
The other day I was approached by Chris Rosser, amazing author of ‘The Weaver’s Boy’, Book One in the Lords of Skeinhold, about the possibility of contributing a short story to an anthology project* he was considering. *N.B. This is all hypothetical with a very specific theme, don’t go bombarding Chris with your short stories! […]
First Drafting
As I wait for the final beta-readers to get back to me before I send the manuscript off to Bothersome Words, I have begun work on book two. And wow, am I rusty! I completed the first draft of The Blood of the Spear back in 2010. If you are wondering what in the world […]
The Blood of the Spear – WiP Report 4
or The Long and Winding Road More time has passed then I care to think about since my last update. Work during this time has been intermittent, the Black Dog is a heartless master but you do what you can. I am currently working through the FINAL rewrites of The Blood of the Spear. The […]
The Importance of an Editor – and a Manuscript Assessment
I have been reading for years (and years), have beta-read for other authors and review books frequently, but when it comes to writing itself, I am very much still learning my craft for a reader does not a writer make – at least, not entirely. Being asked to beta-read has taught me how read critically, […]
The Importance of Beta-Readers
When I began dreaming of writing an epic fantasy novel, a long time ago, I imagined that I would write a first draft, polish it up in a second draft and then send it on its merry way to publication and bookshops all over the world. Time and experience can change many beliefs and ideas; […]
Slow Going
This restructure I decided to undertake is playing havoc with my mojo in the rewrites. That and the fact that I didn’t write anywhere near as much as I had planned over my holidays. Anyway I am now at 67% rewritten – and good chunk of the ‘new’ chapters I have just worked on will need more […]
Word by word
Word by word I am building a new scene. The ‘reworking’ of text that was already in place in the middle of the book just wasn’t working so… Blah. Shifting gears back into ‘first draft’ mode is shitty. Writing – at least the ‘first time’ around – is not something I enjoy. I enjoy having […]
Onwards and Upwards
Well I finally pulled my finger out – after much procrastinating and worrying – and continued with my third draft today. It now stands at 60% rewritten. Yay me! Now I need to keep going and come back to rewrite chapter 25 completely at when I am done. The next half of chapter 26, which I will do tomorrow, […]
