I do not make New Year’s Resolutions in a formal way. I know my limits but I do make changes at the start of the year simply to reflect Christmas has been and gone, too much food has been consumed, winter (in the UK) is still with us. These facts present opportunities: Hopes for 2026 Last year, I completed a massive rewrite of the novel […]
You may choose to pen poetry about snowfall and roaring fires. All forms of creative writing are a valid way to let winter pass you by, opting for the consolation of words flowing while gales are blowing (ouch). What Is Stopping You/Me? Do we easily give ourselves permission to write…or do we continuously seek distractions and reasons why we cannot? Do we procrastinate or persevere? […]
Let me explain how I concluded this would be the PP topic for my next freewriting topic. Where We Are Now – What Next? The world stage seems dominated by pompous players. Surely we need a return to practical politicians…are we not, in fact, desperate for common sense and wholesome values? Recalibrating the Globe A recent edition of BBC One – The Repair Shop featured […]
Today’s writing prompt is my response to choosing the theme for my next novel. Which Novel – A Disclaimer At present, I am still seeking representation for the novel recently completed. And I’m told the best way to be using my time is to be writing the next novel, especially as I love it. However, I’m taking an artist break to think through the choices, […]
How Do Your Memories Feature In Your Writing? Please read my previous post on Auto/Biographical Writing in which I described a memory that is still important to me, and wrote a poem about my memory of following my grandmother into teaching. At what point might memory cross over into fiction, I’ve been wondering. We can never eliminate the expansive imagined material that our brains house. […]
This freewriting challenge has been prompted by a photo I took and recently featured on my Instagram page. I promised my followers I would post my piece on Later Writer, when written! Probably as a 20-minute freewrite. One Brick Less While being driven past this place, pausing for traffic lights or a crossroads, I noticed the missing brick at first. There are many possibilities but […]
How Many Words Make a Novel? Let us imagine you are about to begin planning or writing a novel…are you wondering how many words will be enough, and how many will be too much? What are the criteria for deciding the word count aim? The answers include publishing industry standards as well as decisions that are personal to your chosen story and/or genre. For once, […]
A Novel Rewrite/New Genre is Underway The changes are so significant, this is almost a new first draft, a chance to add all that the novel lacked, to reshape it, to listen to my inner voice, and to do my characters justice. Not Really An Announcement Sometimes no news is little news. Other times a little news in big news. This is hovering somewhere in […]