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The image is metaphorical, condensing time and space into one room, as the clock ticks away silently in the background. I’ve been exploring the possibility of expanding the memoir aspects of our ‘Scrappy Quilt’ idea so that the book, as revealed, tells a story of some encompassing injustice. But also it’s to reveal the love… Continue reading ‘Scrappy Quilt’ turns into fictionalised memoir

Goodness gracious me! It’s been nearly a year since I last mused about my writing odyssey. In that time, however, I’ve been persevering on the editing front, which feels rather more like a hiatus than actual writing. I’ve had the most bracing editorial advice from about February, when my mentoring programme thanks to the Wigtown… Continue reading Editing hiatus . . . and a possible new project

When you’ve been trying to get into the book trade, as I have over the past few years, and it feels like you’re really banging your head against the wall, it’s a much-appreciated different feeling to acquire some wonderful advice from an independent publisher. It helped, too, when I read the succinct column titled ‘How We… Continue reading The crucial role of networking

I’ve been investigating a variety of concepts in my writerly journey, over the years, but it seems that I’m reaching a crossroads on my travels. Yes, I can call myself a writer, in the sense that a writer is someone who writes. I do that. But a writer is also someone whose work is read.… Continue reading Learning about mentoring . . .

Encouraging vibes from the first beta readers of my romantic historical fiction will definitely provide some valuable assistance to my search for authentication. I think that’s le mot juste, actually, that I’ve been searching for for some time. I want to ‘be published’ because of the imprimatur of authenticity. It’s precisely that lack of validation… Continue reading Perseverance . . .

I’m trying to build my strategy for pursuing my latest novel, which is now being privately printed, so I’ll have a few review copies.  It helps me to keep thinking about the process!  I try to look at it as a series of steps: 1. Finish the first draft, with reasonable tidying, package it up… Continue reading Finding beta readers for the first draft . . .

My writing odyssey has been fraught, like that of most would-be writers I suppose, with many fits and starts, dead ends and rabbit-holes and ventures where angels might fear to tread. Where too-eager fools rush in. My science fiction effort has maundered into oblivion, and I do not have the heart to try to reinvigorate… Continue reading It’s no yolk, things are happening . . .

Gosh, it’s been over half a year since I last considered my writing strategies. Things change, things stay the same. But. It’s so useful to me to have this personal blog where I can clock the direction that I’m going, might go, have gone. So I can see where I’ve come from, and where things… Continue reading A new tack

I think that perhaps the primary strategy of a writer is to keep peace with themself. As I sit and contemplate just where I am, in terms of a writerly odyssey, I realise that I mostly want to be delighted. Now how does that delight come? I look for joy every morning, and I seem… Continue reading Evolving strategies . . .