>Last weekend, I posted Elmore Leonard's 10 rules for writing fiction. In the course of discussion, I admitted that I didn't look at them so much as rules as guidelines. In fact, most of the so-called rules of writing we see populating blogs and how-to books are, in my opinion, nothing but guidelines. When writing,... Continue Reading →
>Ups and Downs of Writing
>It has been a good news and bad news sort of week.First, I got a renewed contract and cheque in advance for editing - that was very good.Then I made a sale to Jean Rabe for an urban fantasy style short story in a rural setting. It will be published in a DAW anthology titled... Continue Reading →
>Past Lives in Fiction
> Ah. What a week! Apologies for being a little absent from the blogging. I had a three day short story Masterclass this week in Brisbane - part of the prize for the 2009 One Book Many Brisbanes short story competition. The Masterclass was excellent, and exhausting!Past Lives.Everybody has had past lives of some sort.... Continue Reading →
>Setting the Scene (Get me in the mood baby, ooh yeah!)
>Sarah's offered quite a lot about remembering that there's someone on the other end of the book, and way to keep that person reading. I'm going to look at one specific part of that: the scene-setting and cuing in it offers.How many times have you read something where the author switched track on you, and... Continue Reading →
>Watching Yourself Go By
>Lately I’ve run into two or three beginner writers who have EARNESTLY informed me they’re writing what they’d like to read. They don’t care what anyone thinks. They’re writing for themselves first and foremost.Children, I’m here to tell you that unless you’re one of those sad people standing in public parks, talking to themselves, you... Continue Reading →
>Commas and me.
>I spent the last few days going through book one of King Rolen's Kin, doing the edits my UK editor had asked for.Before I sent off the manuscript I read and re-read it. I had my husband read it, then I corrected it. I had my son, the mad-keen fantasy reader, read it and then... Continue Reading →
>One hell of a night out… the Pizza-man’s tale
>It was a dark and stormy night, which was about normal in these parts, when suddenly all hell broke loose! At least, part of hell broke loose, cheering and running. Gwaarg, the dog-headed demon in charge of the western perimiter hell-fence maintenance growled "F'kit!" furiously, as he saw the damned souls streaming out of the... Continue Reading →
>Sunday Round-up
>Most of you have already figured out that I'm a geek and the resident internet expert (tongue firmly planted in cheek). In other words, I have good google-fu and follow more blogs than is probably wise. Part of that is because I believe in being prepared and knowing all I can about any endeavor I'm... Continue Reading →
>Something Borrowed, Something Blue
>I don't make a secret of the fact that I write Jane Austen Fan Fiction. Honestly, people might say I also write Dumas and Shakespeare fan fiction -- and get paid for it! So Pride and Prejudice and Zombies filled me with a sense of DUH because of course I could have done that.My friend... Continue Reading →
>Cheat Post – Beginnings
> Yes, that really is a picture of me (without the mustache).I'm cheating today, and following on from Kate's post, which certainly hit the mark at the moment. I am in the middle of trying to resurrect a few short stories that have not been sent out in an embarrassingly long time, and yes -... Continue Reading →