Who dunnit? Top tips for writing detective fiction
theguardian.com – Tuesday January 26, 2016
From red herrings to maguffins to double identities, Knightley and Son author Rohan Gavin shares the secrets of writing great detective stories.
A lonely story: the perils of writing in solitude
theguardian.com – Monday January 25, 2016
It worked for George Orwell and Henry Thoreau – but for Adrian McKinty, a retreat deep in rural Australia was a very sad tale indeed.
Could 'method writing' be the future for novelists?
bbc.co.uk – Saturday January 23, 2016
Could writers benefit from the same tactics as method actors, who immerse themselves in extreme surroundings in order to prepare for a role?
Every February, as the Oscars roll around, movie fans revel in stories about actors who have gone to extreme lengths to prepare for parts.
Daniel Day-Lewis learned to track and skin animals and fight with tomahawks for The Last of the Mohicans, while, more recently, Leonardo DiCaprio plunged into an icy river and sank his teeth into a hunk of raw bison while filming the Oscar-nominated film The Revenant.
Actors going to such lengths has become more common in recent years and a cynic might argue it certainly did not harm their film's publicity, but given the apparent success of their technique, could working in a similarly immersive way also benefit novelists?
Want to improve the quality of your writing? Type slower
sciencealert.com – Friday January 22, 2016
Let's face it, not everybody's equally gifted when it comes to getting their thoughts down on paper (or the digital equivalent). But according to a new study, there's an easy trick anybody can do to improve the quality of their writing: just type more slowly.
Write on: How you can publish a best-seller - The ebook revolution allows new authors to find fame
thisismoney.co.uk – Sunday January 17, 2016
They say everyone has at least one good book in them – and thanks to the internet there is no longer an excuse not to get it published.
The ebook revolution means writers no longer face the hassle of having to find publishers or agents who are willing to take them on.
Although sales of print books have enjoyed a resurgence in recent years, ebooks – that can be downloaded and read on handheld electronic devices – are predicted to outsell traditional books by 2018.
Thinking Of Publishing A Book? Here Are Three Things You Need To Know
forbes.com – Sunday January 17, 2016
I do quite a bit of writing, and every so often the idea of publishing a book crosses my mind. Normally, thoughts like “I should write a book!” fall into the same category as “we should start a band,” or “let’s buy a bar!” Still, sometimes my interest gets the best of me, and I do a bit of digging into what it would take to get published.
Fortunately, I have a trusted resource close to home. My business partner’s wife, Maury Ankrum, recently went through the process of writing a book and getting published, and she was more than willing to share a few things she’s learned throughout her journey.
Writing a bestseller ‘on the verge of a stroke’
spectator.co.uk – Thursday January 14, 2016
Every four seconds, somewhere in the world, a Lee Child book is sold. This phenomenal statistic places Child alongside Stephen King, James Patterson and J.K. Rowling as one of the world’s bestselling novelists. But what makes the Jack Reacher books so successful? This is one of the questions Andy Martin, a lecturer in French and Philosophy at Cambridge, sets out to answer in this intriguing and uniquely unclassifiable book. Reacher Said Nothing, however, isn’t a work of literary criticism or a how-to guide. Martin contacted Child and asked whether he could observe the entire writing process for the 20th Reacher novel, Make Me. Amazingly, Child said yes.
Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison on writing for teens
thebookseller.com – Wednesday January 6, 2016
Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison, authors of Never Evers (Chicken House) discuss writing about sex and love for teens.
Tom Ellen: I think we mainly write about sex and love for teens because we're trying to write funny books, and there's a lot of scope for comedy in both those areas...
Lucy Ivison: Well yes Tom, but actually no Tom. I mean, this is a classic time where I realise that you and me are different people. That is not why I write about sex and love. I am just into sex and love! I live for a good romance. And everyone is interested in what goes on with people in the bedroom. That’s just facts. Awkward, cringeworthy stuff is part of the journey…which I do love too.
Struggling as an author? Stop writing only what you want to write
theguardian.com – Wednesday January 6, 2016
Earning a living as a writer is as likely as winning the lottery. Instead of writing books and persuading others to buy them, find out what people want to write, then do it for them.
No taboo should be off limits when writing for teenagers
theguardian.com – Tuesday January 5, 2016
Violence, swearing, sex, drinking, mental illness… teen/YA lit has had it all for over 40 years. Teen author Non Pratt on facing up to whatever readers fear – and exploring uncharted ethical territory
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