8 things I wish I'd known before writing my first novel
marieclaire.co.uk – Tuesday July 12, 2016
Award-winning author Kate Mosse reveals her top tips for making a career out of writing books
'As a former editor in publishing, I had a bit of a head start,' says Kate Mosse author of best sellers from Labyrinth to The Taxidermist's Daughter.
'I'd seen all the pitfalls and traps for a first-time novelist, so had a notebook full of "avoid this at all costs" and "always remember to..." tips, before I ever became a writer myself. But, for the record, here I learned a few hard truths along the way.'
Russell Smith: Why publishers think pink for book covers
theglobeandmail.com – Thursday July 7, 2016
It has just occurred to me that my last four books, all works of fiction, have had an image of a woman on the cover. The books, however, largely represent masculine points of view. One of the books is even called Young Men. It still has a beautiful girl on the cover.
The reason for this repeated imagery is simple and economic: Most readers of fiction in North America are, by a wide margin, women. The books are being marketed to them.
How to write rollicking rhyming stories
theguardian.com – Friday July 1, 2016
On the day started I writing my first children’s book, Squishy McFluff: The Invisible Cat! I didn’t deliberately set out to write it in rhyme. It just happened.
The first line that popped out was: “As Ava played out in the garden one day, when the air was all foggy, the sky rather grey…” I realised straight away that if I split the sentence, I had a perfect rhyming couplet. That set the scene for the rest of the book, and now I’ve written six of them, each one up to 2,000 words, all written in rhyme.
How to Start a Freelance Writing Career for $0
sitepoint.com – Saturday June 25, 2016
You’ve heard the old saying: “You have to spend money to make money.” That’s true in almost every field of work, whether you want to open a restaurant or start a blog. The problem? Some people with entrepreneurial spirits have just enough to get by and not a penny more. Not everyone has a good amount of dispensable income to spend to start a career.
Writing the Other: intensely practical advice for representing other cultures in fiction
boingboing.net – Thursday June 23, 2016
For more than a decade, science fiction and fantasy writers have handed around Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward's Writing the Other, an intensely practical and thoughtful guide to inclusive, representative writing that includes people of genders, ethnicities, races, and orientations other than the writer's.
Will Self: ‘I write first thing, when I can suspend disbelief in the act of making things up’
theguardian.com – Saturday June 18, 2016
When I’m working on a novel I type the initial draft first thing in the morning. Really: first thing. For preference, I have a cigarette ready-rolled and a coffee percolator loaded the night before; then I simply roll out of bed, fuel up and set to it. I believe the dreaming and imagining faculties are closely related, such that wreathed in night-time visions I find it possible to suspend disbelief in the very act of making stuff up, which, in the cold light of day would seem utterly preposterous. I’ve always been a morning writer, and frankly I believe 99% of the difficulties novices experience are as a result of their unwillingness to do the same. Narrative structure, mise en scene, characterisation − you can’t get to grips with these problems unless you’ve put the words on the page.
Want to Succeed in Self-Publishing? It's a Lifetime Learning Experience: Tips from an Indie Author
publishersweekly.com – Saturday June 18, 2016
Although Carole Nelson Douglas has traditionally published more than 60 novels, she wanted more control over her books and decided to go indie. And while she did find the transition challenging – and encountered a “status downgrade” in some of her writers groups -- Publishers Weekly gave her latest, Cat in a Zebra Zoot Suit, a positive review.
What to Look for in a Lit Agent
backstage.com – Saturday June 18, 2016
Charles Kopelman is the vice president and co-head of the Theatrical Literary Division at Abrams Artists Agency. His division represents some of the biggest playwrights in the business.
What should a writer look for in a literary agent?
It’s a very personal relationship. It’s someone who can help them with a writer’s material, someone who can introduce them to collaborators if they are interested in working with different people, as well as introduce them to literary managers or artistic directors. We look for people with a singular voice that is not run-of-the-mill.
24 things that everyone goes through when writing their first novel
metro.co.uk – Friday June 17, 2016
Everyone has one novel in them – but when you sit down to actually crack on with your masterpiece, little do you know the journey that you are about to embark on.
While whacking out a story might seem like something easy to fill up some spare time, your first book soon takes on a life of its own. Your dreams of success, your eagerness to finish and your desperation for people to enjoy the story and characters you have crafted combine to turn the project into a bit of a beast.
Should You Track Word Count While Writing a Novel? Yes, No, and Maybe So
huffingtonpost.com – Wednesday June 15, 2016
If you eavesdrop on a conversation between writers, it’s easy to mistake talk about craft for something else. Marathons, maybe.
“I had such a slow day. Only 500 in two hours!”
“Mine went well. I topped 2000 before lunch!”
What are these writers despairing or gloating over? Word count. Some authors—particularly those high-stepping their way through a fantasy, romance, or mystery series—count words every day as a way of meeting their deadlines.
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