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I watched – with appalled fascination – some of the early trials for American Idol. It was eye-opening to see so many thousands of young people with impossible dreams: all wanted to be stars. There were so many of them … Continue reading
Glenda Larke
I have just read the perfect chapter, and that made me fall to thinking about what a perfect chapter should have. And here are my ideas: 1. It should advance the plot. 2. As a corollary to point 1, a … Continue reading
There was an interesting discussion recently (10th April) in the Purple Zone (nickname for the Australian Voyageronline Message Board), on whether published authors were mean – or wise – to tell unpublished writers horror tales about how hard it is to get … Continue reading
I have to be off to the airport at 5am, so I really ought to be getting some sleep. Instead, Gillian over at gillpolack over at livejournal started me thinking about worldbuilding. She has thought more deeply about the way I do … Continue reading
One of the toughest things about writing is getting the language right. I don’t mean style or the order of words – I mean the actual vocabulary. You work hard to draw your reader into your world, to have them … Continue reading
Lucy Sussex has written a very short review of Heart of the Mirage for The Age, a Melbourne newspaper, appearing yesterday (Sunday). I am tickled pink to be in The Age and to have a writer as talented as Lucy say nice … Continue reading
1. A character who looks in a mirror (shop window or whatever) so that the author can then describe them. So done to death. 2. A dream sequence where the reader is misled into thinking it is real, only to have character … Continue reading
The plane was full from New York to Kuala Lumpur. The man sitting next to me was American. ‘Your first trip to Malaysia?’ I asked at some point, one of those casual questions you tend to ask of a fellow … Continue reading
Years ago, when I was a hopeful, unpublished writer – and thought I was a great deal better than I actually was – I started to shop my work around. Rejections followed. And no matter how often you are told … Continue reading
Today’s tip is all about the word: “that“. Take a look at this rather silly sentence: That that that, that one that we see here, can be removed is not in doubt. This sentence is actually grammatically correct. It’s also … Continue reading