story

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The One Truth

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I’m often asked what’s the best way of writing a book. Sit down and write it. I’m asked, like I must have some secret formula, because I’ve done it several … Continued

Page Seventeen, Issue 12

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Yes, page seventeen is once again a thing, and shortly we will be opening our submission window again. The opening date is only a week away! One of the defining … Continued

Characters

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The relationship between writers and the characters they create is often a tangled one. While not all of us are going to become as entangled with our characters as the … Continued

The Rules of Writing

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Writing’s a funny thing. It’s an act of pure imagination and speculation, and even the most technical forms of writing require some form of spatial and abstract thinking. It’s the … Continued

Knowing Your World

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Whenever you write a story, you’re creating a world for your characters and events to function in. This applies to whatever the story is about. Obviously, if you’re writing a … Continued

A Partially Weeded Garden

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In my last post I talked about ‘weeds’ in writing – extra adverbs, dangling plot threads and so on. They’re all derided almost universally as pests, and able to overrun … Continued

Writing a Cover Letter

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Cover letters – eventually, we all have to write them if we’re to submit to a publisher or an agent. But is there a trick? A good cover letter shows … Continued

The Toxic Idea

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We’ve talked about the prospects of the evolving idea. We’ve identified the intimidating idea. Let’s also spare a moment for the revelation that all writers dread – that the idea … Continued