Here’s a question: What’s the most fundamental point about writing books? A book is written to be read. Lots of people write for the sheer pleasure of writing. But if you’re writing for yourself, you’re writing a journal, or a diary. Not a book. Your book need only be read by one other person but […]
The best person to help you write your book Read More »
At the second edit stage of my work, this is how I deal with the depressing ‘rule’: Kill your darlings. I come to an expertly crafted sentence that makes me gasp with pride. Then I let a tiny whisper of doubt come forward. Does it truly fit the flow? Not really? No need for murder by Delete. I cut out the
Show your darlings kindness Read More »
Tolkein, as a young man falling in love with language, liked the euphonious sound of the words cellar door and because of that, when he wrote the Silmarillion in middle-age, he called one of the principal characters ‘Selador’. If a character’s name doesn’t jump out at me as soon as I’ve shaped a character, I
Choosing characters’ names Read More »
Let me offer this thought. The symptoms of the struggle to write are things like: Discovering those early morning starts aren’t working for you.Resisting sitting down to write; resistance that shows up in the form of doing anything, but anything – cleaning the dishes, the car, the cat – just to avoid your notebook or
Symptoms vs Causes Read More »
I’ve been thinking about Time and how a few weeks can make all the difference. When I last wrote to you, it was mid-July. Since then, I have gained time across nine time zones and lost it when I returned to my starting point. I lost track of time completely in the other-world that is
How are you spending your dash? Read More »
When you write a book, you reach another person’s mind. Not just another person, but a complete stranger, someone who doesn’t know you or what you stand for, or what your experience is or how you can help them. And then they read your book and enter your mind. That’s kind of scary. Are you
The scary thing about writing a book Read More »
Dr Sharon McLaughlin, MD, FACS, asked if I was interested in joining her on her podcast to talk about writing your first book. Sharon’s podcast’s a big deal. I was up for it! What you don’t hear is what happened before the microphones rolled. With typical British reserve, I thought Sharon only wanted me to
PODCAST: A Book Coach and a Doctor walk into a bar Read More »
As we read, we constantly, unconsciously, analyse the internal logic of the flow of words on a page. Your reader will do it. Your agent, or publisher will do it when they read your one-page summary and decide if it’s worth going further. One of the most interesting bits of my job is to interrogate
Your book’s internal logic Read More »
Last weekend, I was in Amsterdam, looking at this painting. It’s a scene of stillness and silence. At first, the only sound is of the milk trickling into the earthenware pot. Then you hear the slight rasp of the woman’s breath. That bodice constricts. Unseen, outside, wooden clogs, hasten to the canal. Far off are the deep voices of the bargees
What Vermeer teaches us about writing Read More »
Sometimes, literary agencies sack their authors – but not usually in large groups. An author’s relationship with their literary agent has always been highly individual. There are no defined codes or industry standards. It’s a deeply personal relationship. The former agent Nathan Bransford has something to say about a recent debacle, and offers practical lessons for
Did you hear the one about the Agent and the Authors? Read More »