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At least four of my fourteen novels were written (mostly) using the first person point of view. Here’s an extract from The Tainted as an example: My last glimpse through avian eyes appalled me: I saw birds turn into people … Continue reading
Category Archives: Writing tips
We all know that feeling. You start reading a book, even perhaps a best seller, and after a few pages you think to yourself, ‘How on earth did this ever get into print? I could do better!’ When you’re unpublished, … Continue reading
The action scenes? The dialogues? The beginning? Climax? Nope, none of the above. It’s those horrible dull bits. Because you’ve got to write them so they aren’t dull. It’s the bits that, if you leave them out, readers are going to ask: … Continue reading
Chuck it. That’s right – throw it away. The odds are ten to one (or worse) that it will ever be published. And yes, I do know that advice is going to hurt… I admire anyone who actually finishes a … Continue reading
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
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(nickname for the Australian Voyageronline Message Board), on whether published authors were mean – or wise – to tell unpublished writers horror tales about how hard it is to get … Continue reading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