There is a world of difference between coming up with a great idea for a book and starting to write one. You’ll have seen the endless quotes from writers about how they came up with the ending FIRST and then reverse engineered the story from there. That’s actually a great … Read More
So, by now I doubt people who were reading this blog six years ago are still reading. But here’s the thing. Six years ago I started writing a really big, long novel that I was very, very enthusiastic about. 200 000 words enthusiastic. It was unconventional in structure, it was … Read More
Almost every author I have met who has started a novel that is not yet finished is making the same mistake: They are all bogged down at around chapter 4 or 5. Why? Because they are editing everything as they go. Dotting every T, crossing every ‘i’ and writing and … Read More
One of the other great myths of writing is that all writers can just sit down and start a novel and write it through to its conclusion. And while I have to concede that this has been done, it has only ever been done by genii of such a rare … Read More
I generally characterise myself as a big picture kind of guy. You know, broad creative sweeps that sketch a picture and you get my drift. But if anything, I continue to engage repeatedly in exploits and ideas that require me to exert an attention to fine detail that does not … Read More