I have written about why it is I want to write before. It’s a very good question for any writer to ask themselves given the personal sacrifices that will inevitably follow. But I’ve never paused to consider why I specifically want to be a novelist. Read more…
Ever read a book that makes you sick with envy? If you haven’t, you’re not reading enough, but that’s another post entirely. I just finished Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. It’s an amazing book and I’m insanely jealous. Read more…
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. Read. Read more…
So I’ve been reading What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Now I came rather late to Murakami’s work, and have only read a few of his novels, but I find his distinct lyrical style easy to read, and highly engaging. Read more…
This is one of the most difficult things I find to get right. Pacing is a skill that you can develop, but it’s very difficult to, because it can take an outsiders view to tell you if a story is going too fast, or too slow. Read more…
I have recently been reading Contact, by Carl Sagan. So far it is an excellent science fiction story (that leans heavily on the science end of the spectrum), and I am enjoying it immensely. Plus, the “voice” of the author has given me some confidence in my own style of writing. Read more…
I was recently given encouragement regarding a certain aspect of my writing style. This is nothing major, but of course every bit of confidence counts in this game. It was whilst reading Stephen King’s “On Writing” that I discovered I was right all along. Read more…
I am currently reading Stephen King’s “On Writing”. It is a brilliant and inspiring book, and manages to be practical and warm so far. But the bit that I want to talk about is the first really inspiring part in the book for me.
It was something of a mini revelation. Only a very small point, and very obvious, but one of those things that had occurred to my conscious mind before – it had never struck me (as they say). Read more…
Seth Godin’s new book has been getting a lot of press. Primarily aimed at businesses, it is being touted as another book with ‘the answer’ about how to approach your work and your life. The back of the book proudly proclaims that it “will forever alter the way you think about success”. Well, I don’t know about that, but I wouldn’t just dismiss it as uselessly stating the obvious, like some have. Read more…