Well, that was some book. And for once it lived up to all the hype and praise highlighted on its covers and frontispiece. Having earlier devoured the superb The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (and now looking forward to the much-praised stage version in a few months time), I have been even…
A message came from a client who has written (compiled?) a 140,000-word manuscript that is in severe need of revision and correction: “I will do a bit of research on apostrophes etc as I dont (sic) know much about that stuff,” she wrote. Why are apostrophes such a big problem for so many people? Why…
Today I lunched in a ghost town called Lerryn. Or rather, a ghost village. And there were no actual ghosts. In fact, there were the spasmodic signs of life by way of vehicles passing through, an occasional dog-walker and one or two locals calling into the village store. Totally idyllic; so serene, picturesque and peaceful. Almost…
Top advice for all would-be writers and authors. “You keep your tools sharp by working all the time. We are professionals. You can’t wait for inspiration. I try to do it every day. When something good comes, you have to be prepared to polish it, carve it and chisel it; that’s the work.” – Troubadour Leonard…
It had to happen eventually: I have ventured into the many-worded world of the writer known as JK Rowling. I say “known as” because, fortuitously for the maintenance of her ever-growing wealth, she was revealed (with PR precision timing) as labouring also under the name of Robert Galbraith. It is through her use of this…
As yet another birthday approaches (the years are clearly getting shorter) two questions persist in engaging my ailing brain: why am I slowing down … and how much longer have I got? They are not issues that those of lesser years will understand; that only comes with age, and therein lies the rub. Here I…
Today I have been handed a 107,000-word manuscript for assessment … and it provides an object lesson for so many would-be writers. It comes to me as a PDF. Why? At this early stage, a simple text document is all that is required. Why go to the trouble of creating a format that is impractical…
OK, size does matter. Well, it may do in certain circumstances. But in books? Is a blockbuster of many hundreds of pages any better than a slim volume containing less than 50,000 words? On indie writer websites there often seems to be a boastful preoccupation with the sheer size of a work we are being…
Despicable though it is that personal websites are being hacked and the material widely distributed, it is difficult to have much sympathy for the “personalities” who suffer such indignities. If you do allow yourself to be photographed in the all-together, why post the results on the internet if they are intended strictly for private consumption?…
When the question was first posed I wanted to yell “No” at my computer. In fact, I think I did, secure in the privacy of my own home. It is a question that confronts users of the internet almost every day. And one that continues to irritate the pedant in me. Will I accept cookies? No, I will…