For those who have been in this writing game for a while, you will be familiar with the “revise and resubmit” (or R&R as I call them). The horrible irony that this will give neither rest nor relaxation, but hopefully will allow your reader to ultimately enjoy the book—like that lady in the picture, having some actual R&R.
Read moreTaking the cliché out of Pavlov
The writer’s competitor is no longer other writers. It is social media. The poorly written opinions on Reddit can hook a reader quicker than the first five sentences of your carefully written literary fiction.
Read moreDead ends and beliefs
Ever written yourself into a dead end? I do it on a regular basis. It usually goes like this: my plan is in place; the plot looks vaguely comprehensible; the script or book is on its way. Then things take an unexpected turn. I follow the turn, then the next. But then it happens: I reach a place where there is no realistic way things can work out well. Worse: I have no idea where I am or how much I have to rewrite!
Read moreThe first draft gauntlet
The first draft can seem like the artists interpretation of Sisyphus’s task. Illusive and impossible. This is partly because writing is hard. But it is also because it can turn out so painfully bad that it’s embarrassing to write it.
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