Got Writer’s Block? This Best-selling Author Tells You How To Beat It
fastcompany.com – Monday June 12, 2017
There’s no one way to write a novel. There are, however, a million ways to screw up a book—or worse, start one and never finish it. If you’re looking for tips on how to keep the scribbling of your first tome on course, we’re betting that having the advice of a successful author might be a smart place to start.
Buying houses in cash and selling millions: meet self-publishing's 'hidden' authors
theguardian.com – Thursday June 8, 2017
When Keith Houghton bought his four-bedroom detached house earlier this year, he did a rare thing for an author: he paid cash, with earnings from his books.
Keith who, you may ask? Houghton is one of a handful of so-called “hidden” bestsellers: his self-published crime thrillers are ebooks, sales of which are not monitored by the UK’s official book charts (if they don’t have ISBNs, which self-published titles often don’t).
Houghton made his money over the past six years by selling more than 500,000 books, chiefly through his Gabe Quinn series of thrillers. In a world in which traditionally published authors struggle to make £7,000 a year from their work, it is no wonder Houghton says: “I feel like I have won the lottery.”
Andrea Mara on having the confidence to write a novel
irishexaminer.com – Friday June 2, 2017
THIS time three years ago, I got up, put on a dress and heels, and drove to my office in Dublin’s Financial Services Centre to look at my long to-do list.
I know this not because it stands out in any way, but because back then it’s what I did every day.
Today, I’m sitting at my kitchen table in jeans and flats, looking at an equally long but very different to-do list, and getting set to launch my first book, a psychological thriller about a woman who sees something strange in her next-door neighbour’s garden.
Stuck While Writing? Try This Brilliant Advice
themarysue.com – Wednesday May 31, 2017
Every writer knows that while there are the blessed moments where words seem to pour forth in a magical river, sometimes the act of writing is like pulling teeth. Actually, pulling teeth sounds a lot easier than attempting to write when you’re blocked. The following approaches to getting unstuck could prove extremely helpful—I know they’ve helped me.
Scribbling at Sea
By Lesley Middleton
firstwriter.com – Monday May 29, 2017
Successful author, Diane Janes is interviewed by novice writer, Lesley Middleton
Most people boarding a cruise ship are looking forward to sightseeing, socialising and, perhaps most of all, relaxing on deck soaking up the sun. Not author Diane Janes though – at least not whilst she's on board as a guest speaker. When she's not enthralling passengers with talks about famous authors and real-life crime mysteries, she uses her time on the ship to write her own books. There are few interruptions and plenty of food and drink readily available so maybe more writers should follow her example.
As a novice writer, I was thrilled to meet Diane on a recent cruise on P&O's Oriana. Diane is generous in her encouragement to new writers. She will happily chat to cruise passengers with ambitions to see themselves in print and has tutored several courses for would-be authors, despite never having had any ambitions to become a teacher. She very graciously agreed to being interviewed by me.
How Eleanor Oliphant changed a writer's life, and set the publishing world ablaze: an interview with Gail Honeyman
heraldscotland.com – Saturday May 27, 2017
GAIL Honeyman shakes her head, as if to shrug off the shades of a dazzling but unbelievable dream.
We are meeting in a cafe bar in the west end of Glasgow, where her debut novel, the source of that sense of slight but delighted bewilderment, is also largely set. Her book is entitled Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. It is a moving, funny, and by the end, devastating novel, and also a rare thing: a debut novel from Scotland which pitched the literary world into a kind of delirium. Ms Honeyman, 45, wrote the novel while she worked at Glasgow University - she created it, as many aspiring writers do, in snatched parcels of precious time - in the morning, in the evening, on holiday. But when it was complete, and in the hands of her agent, it ignited the publishing world. "It was a massive shock," she says.
5 ways publishers can (and should) influence the rise of AI
thebookseller.com – Wednesday May 24, 2017
The book industry has a key role to play in the development of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence is about to eat the world, decimate all our jobs, hack our brains and eradicate the human race... according to many commentators. Fortunately we have time to avert this potential technical apocalypse, and book publishers and authors are in a good position to step up and play an important role.
Here are the top five areas where publishers can take a part in this key moment of technological and human evolution.
How to Use Satire in Writing
thelondoneconomic.com – Wednesday May 17, 2017
Satirical writing probably seems like a very challenging thing to attempt, especially if you are an inexperienced writer. But, you can use satire in writing once you learn how. Of course, understanding that satire is comedic criticism will more than likely help you in the process?
You will see satirical writing aimed at current news and other broad topics that most people are well-aware of them. It means that before you can start writing whole satire pieces, you will have to ensure that you are up to date on the headlines. Imagine that you will be attempting to write for Saturday Night Live (SNL) as they regularly poke fun at the day’s top stories.
10 Things I Learned From Writing My First Novel By L F Robertson
femalefirst.co.uk – Tuesday May 16, 2017
Writing Two Lost Boys, my first novel, was a long process, and it taught me a lot, not only about how to write, but about why I wanted to and what I hoped to say through my book. The list that follows tends toward the practical, the things I learned about the craft.
So you want to be a writer? Essential tips for aspiring novelists
theguardian.com – Saturday May 13, 2017
How to write a killer opening line. Why Google is not research. When to rip it up and start again. Whatever you do, just write! Lessons from acclaimed novelist and creative writing professor Colum McCann
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