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Are you at the very beginning stages of your story? If you have an idea for your manuscript in your mind, but aren't sure where to go next, then our Developing An Idea section is for you. With advice on researching, different genres and - the hardest thing of all - how to actually start writing, we can help you get past that first blank page.
A writer who doesn't read
Whenever
I get the chance to talk to aspiring authors, I tend to chat about what we've
read, what they've enjoyed, what they felt shouldn't have been published, it's
a great way to start connecting.
Every now and then I come across a frightening response, 'oh no, I don't read very much/at …
Balancing rave and cave
The life of a writer is a solitary one – as shown by the fascinating series
on here written by Ian Philips. We have our own particular garrets
- noisy, quiet, at tables or desks, or scrunched up under the stairs or perched
on the end of the bed.
All this leads on to a chicken …
Extract from Writers' & Artists' Guide to How to Write by Harry Bingham
Some Common Mistakes
When you set out on your adventure, dog-sled harnessed, runners greased and pemmican packed, you may even be heading within a degree or two of true north, skimming over the snow, full of a justified confidence that you’ll wind up within an …
How do you begin a novel?
When
I first started writing I used to think that there was nothing in the world
quite as intimidating as a blank sheet of paper. A thought I was reminded of
only a few days ago when staring at one myself, waiting for the inspiration to
begin my new novel, the next in the series after …
Over-active research syndrome
Do
you get bogged down by research?
It’s expected that you’ll know all about your characters, but the time to worry is when you catch yourself knee-deep in research about their not-mentioned, not-part-of-the-plot Great Aunt Sadie Twice Removed.
Researching is part of the fun of writing, …