Going back to school: writers-as-volunteers

November 4, 2009

SATS smother children’s creativity!
Writing standards tumble for under 7’s!
GCSE examiners shocked by txting slang!

We’ve all seen the headlines. (In fact, I’m amazed that armies of creative writers aren’t already storming the school gates to rescue our poor children from the tyranny of the National Curriculum.) But seriously, sometimes in life you get an urge to [...]

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It’s the moment of truth: when your character has an epiphany

October 16, 2009

Gosh, how tough is it to write a good short story ending? Surely it ain’t just me who finds this. A loose thesis goes like this. If a plot-driven story requires a twist or surprise ending, then the character-driven story often, though not always, leads to a moment of truth for the hero. But how [...]

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Writeboard: an editing tool for creative writers

October 4, 2009

A couple of years ago I surprised myself by having the urge to write a poem. Yes, I actually sat down and wrote a poem! Now you might believe that poetry should be composed on sheets of handcrafted paper bound up in a leather notebook, preferably whilst sitting in a gentle breeze in the park [...]

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Building an author website, Part 1: gathering your assets

September 24, 2009

Do I really need to have a website?
I don’t know, but my guess is that if you’re asking the question then perhaps the answer’s yes – especially if you’re at the stage of wanting to achieve the following aims:

building your credibility as a potential author with agents, editors and likely readers, and
connecting with like-minded [...]

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It’s no good asking Ruth Rendell

September 15, 2009

Is Ruth Rendell, aka Barbara Vine, the most prolific writer ever? Her output is truly phenomenal: 21 Chief Inspector Wexford novels, 26 ‘non-Wexfords’ and 13 Barbara Vines, as well as 6 short story collections and a few non-fiction titles. And it’s quality stuff too. I just can’t get enough of her compellingly twisty storylines (A [...]

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Why I’m glad to be part of the union

September 5, 2009

The county of Dorset, England, has to be one of the best holiday destinations for the aspiring writer. Think Dorchester and the Thomas Hardy trail, John Fowles’ Lyme Regis, not to mention Bridport, home of the coveted short story and poetry prize. Much as I enjoyed all of these places last week, it was a [...]

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I need a hero. I’m holding out for a hero on a Tuesday night.

August 25, 2009

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone. It’s Tuesday 8pm and the latest episode of Holby City is about to start on BBC1. (What’s that face for? Too lowbrow for you? Try it; you might like it. And it won a BAFTA two years ago.) Bear with me anyway because I’m using my favourite [...]

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How do I love my NEO? Let me count the ways.

August 16, 2009

The Alphasmart Neo is a mini-word processor that looks like it comes straight from the ’80s but don’t be fooled as this is one of the most useful pieces of kit for a writer to own. Why do I love it so much? Read on and you’ll see why.
Speed
Switch on the NEO and you’re ready [...]

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