On writing a trilogy.
Advice for writers typically suggests that a series works best for indies. Does it make sense for the first three in the series to form a trilogy? Not always… A trilogy suggests an entity like the three-movement sonata in music, or the triptych in art. The form must be complete,[…]
Read More »Writers: why go Kobo?
Here are some reasons why writers might go Kobo. It’s not only Amazon offering a brilliant service to the e-reading public. Although many successful writers have made a killing on KDP Select, those days may be numbered. Going exclusive meant that readers could sample free via Kindle Unlimited, but now[…]
Read More »Beginner Writers’ Tools. Into serious writing
Once you’ve made the decision that you are now into serious writing, it is no longer a hobby. Now it’s an activity leading to a publishable short story or novel, so it’s time to spend out on a few essentials that will make your life easier. I promise you that[…]
Read More »Creating edgy short stories.
I have written a few edgy short stories, and I enjoy reading them. As an example, Hilary Mantel’s story of Margaret Thatcher’s fictional death It’s the suggestion of outrageous possibility that can make a story or an image edgy. If the first person form is used as a literary device,[…]
Read More »Re-writing a short story
Each time I finish a short story . . . I get a tremendous sense of self completion. It’s transitory: I will be rewriting my short story soon. Although the satisfying sense has gone by my first edit, this ‘completion’[…]
Read More »Genre? Striking a new note.
What genre? Writers are always advised to be clear about their book’s genre and to concentrate upon a target group for it. Fantasy stories, for readers of fantasies, sci fi for sci fi readers, and so on. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to please an audience of one genre with[…]
Read More »Writer blogs and their lifetime
Some few years ago I began my first writer blog: http://fictionalcharacterswriting.blogspot.com. But I didn’t want to show myself– I let my characters do the talking. Sadly, the characters didn’t live up to the image of Moliére’s group above. It was more like this on the left. I had just published[…]
Read More »Strengthening your writing via stimuli.
Writing stimuli. What gave you that sudden idea that made you urgently scribble it down? It’s worth exploring. The power of olfactory stimuli in activating memory is well known. But it’s much harder to ‘dream up’ a smell that might affect the character in your story, than it is a sound[…]
Read More »Title Optional
Struggling to find the right title? A writer recently remarked that she had difficulty in thinking of titles. I thought I’d concoct a list for beginner writers allowing use for different genres. Let me know if you like this kind of post. It can be taken seriously or not. Who[…]
Read More »