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Insider tip
Enthusiasm is infectious... It is essential to convey enthusiasm for your work and for the job of meeting people and selling to them. Art is a luxury, so people need to enjoy buying it. The Artist's Guide to Selling Work by Annabelle Ruston-
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Did your characters vote?
The country has recently been gripped by election fever – or bored rigid by politics (delete as appropriate!), which brings up another factor for writers.
As I mentioned in my post on the weather, when you are writing about characters in the ‘real world’, it’s important that you don’t leave out everyday life.
Some novels focus on the political and the personal, but even if your novel is simply set during contemporary times, don’t forget Read more
Who’s in charge here?
Filed under: Authors and Books, Writing Advice
Just the other evening I had the pleasure of seeing Lionel Shriver talking at an event in Ely put on by Topping & Co independent booksellers.
She was reading from her new novel, So Much For That – a scathing indictment of the American health system, and then took questions from the audience.
She described how she plans her novels, with an overriding story arc, and how the characters’ development relates to Read more
Whatever the weather
There’s been so much snow recently and more is forecast for parts of the UK today, but the nice thing for writers is that you can continue regardless of such extremes.
We’ve been lucky and haven’t had any power cuts, so my work carries on largely as usual. (The only slight flaw was when the children didn’t make it into school – it can be tricky to think about the history of Islam with Spongebob Squarepants in the background!)
As a nation we spend an incredible amount of time talking about the weather, complaining about the weather, changing our plans for the weather. It’s easy to forget Read more
A rose by any other name
It was the Beckhams who brought to public attention the practice of naming your child after where it was conceived – hence Brooklyn.
I was in my gym in Kingston and heard a mother call ‘Oriana, come here’ in a loud voice. (Oriana, for those not in the know, is a cruise ship). This opens up dramatic new opportunities for parental ambition – as well as of course a whole series of logistical challenges. So how about Eiffel, Reichstag or Forum?
Most writers spend a long time thinking of Read more
How do you choose a character name?
However tempting it is to think that you can name the characters in your novel after those who’ve crossed you in real life, doing so could land you in serious trouble – as one writer has been discovering. Read more
Buy the 2011 Yearbook
The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook is available at a discount from our online bookshop. Get all the information, contacts and advice you could need.-
Win, Win, Win! We are giving away 5 copies of Qatari Voices, a collection of essays which will inspire new writers. For details of how to enter this giveaway go to 'The Accidental Writer' >
On camera: Jon McGregor
"Being longlisted for the Booker Prize changed everything - it was the launchpad for my writing career." Click to view our video with novelist Jon McGregor »
On camera: Justin Cartwright
"Just write... If you're any good you may not know it, but certainly someone else will." Click to view our video with novelist Justin Cartwright »
On camera: Julie Myerson
The novelist and journalist Julie Myerson on how she got that all-important first publishing deal. Click here to view our video exclusive »