Ask the Author: Nigel Edwards
Answered Questions (5)
Nigel Edwards
There are several things that any writer, aspiring or not, should consider:
1. Read. Doesn't matter what, just read. Back of a cereal packet, cartoons in newspapers, Shades of Grey, War and Peace, whatever. Reading is one of the best ways to learn. Even when we're not paying especial attention to what it is we're looking at, we are still absorbing things subconsciously: sentence structures, word choices, alternative grammar, transatlantic spelling. Advertisements, for example, are a great source for learning how to encapsulate messages concisely using misdirection, humour and lying.
2. Join a writer's group and LISTEN to what's said. Now, not all such groups will suit all writers, so you may need to try out one or two before you find the one that's right for you, but persevere because the rewards are well worth it.
With such a group you will likely need to grow a thick skin. You will need to be able to critique the work of others, which is a thing I still find incredibly hard to do. I'm always worried I might upset or offend somebody by saying "Nope, you didn't get that right". Try not to be like a certain Strictly Come Dancing judge, and avoid being cruel!
But third-party, constructive criticism is, in my opinion, the absolute best way any writer can improve. If you wrote something and everybody said "Yep, that's great", what would be the result? You'd probably just keep re-writing the same thing over and over again, which means your talent might never grow and, when your work is eventually placed in front of a larger audience, you might well end up feeling a right idiot when it turns out that the wider public thinks your writing is rubbish.. Far better to receive "Yes, that's good, but, have you considered..." because then you have something to build on in your next project.
3. When no literary agency or publishing house is prepared to give you the time of day, but you (and your peers, hopefully) are convinced your work is up to the mark, do it yourself. Be brave and go down the self-publishing route (though be careful of vanity publishing, unless you've got loads of money to burn, aren't at all bothered about who actually reads your work, and don't care if your fellow writers disparage you).
4. Don't expect to become rich or famous.
5. Don't 'borrow' from other writers. Of course, no writer can honestly claim they've never been influenced by others, but do your best to make your work your own, and not just a pale imitation of Dracula or Wuthering Heights. By all means write about vampires but be inventive. I don't, personally, like the Twilight books (or TV series) but the author certainly came up with a great, commercial idea and (importantly) delivered on it.
6. When you've reached the end of your project, you've self-reviewed, edited, crossed all the i's and dotted all the t's, DON'T PUBLISH IT! Put it away for a few weeks or (better) months, then re-read it again. Re-check your spolling and grimmer (DON'T rely on a spell-checker!) Try reading it aloud. Try getting somebody else to read it aloud while you listen to how it sounds (regardless of whether it's a short story, novel, TV play, radio script or whatever). You'd be amazed at how much better your work can become.
7. Keep writing. Keep smiling. Keep believing you are worth it - oh, sorry, that's fashion make up, isn't it? Well, you know what I mean.
1. Read. Doesn't matter what, just read. Back of a cereal packet, cartoons in newspapers, Shades of Grey, War and Peace, whatever. Reading is one of the best ways to learn. Even when we're not paying especial attention to what it is we're looking at, we are still absorbing things subconsciously: sentence structures, word choices, alternative grammar, transatlantic spelling. Advertisements, for example, are a great source for learning how to encapsulate messages concisely using misdirection, humour and lying.
2. Join a writer's group and LISTEN to what's said. Now, not all such groups will suit all writers, so you may need to try out one or two before you find the one that's right for you, but persevere because the rewards are well worth it.
With such a group you will likely need to grow a thick skin. You will need to be able to critique the work of others, which is a thing I still find incredibly hard to do. I'm always worried I might upset or offend somebody by saying "Nope, you didn't get that right". Try not to be like a certain Strictly Come Dancing judge, and avoid being cruel!
But third-party, constructive criticism is, in my opinion, the absolute best way any writer can improve. If you wrote something and everybody said "Yep, that's great", what would be the result? You'd probably just keep re-writing the same thing over and over again, which means your talent might never grow and, when your work is eventually placed in front of a larger audience, you might well end up feeling a right idiot when it turns out that the wider public thinks your writing is rubbish.. Far better to receive "Yes, that's good, but, have you considered..." because then you have something to build on in your next project.
3. When no literary agency or publishing house is prepared to give you the time of day, but you (and your peers, hopefully) are convinced your work is up to the mark, do it yourself. Be brave and go down the self-publishing route (though be careful of vanity publishing, unless you've got loads of money to burn, aren't at all bothered about who actually reads your work, and don't care if your fellow writers disparage you).
4. Don't expect to become rich or famous.
5. Don't 'borrow' from other writers. Of course, no writer can honestly claim they've never been influenced by others, but do your best to make your work your own, and not just a pale imitation of Dracula or Wuthering Heights. By all means write about vampires but be inventive. I don't, personally, like the Twilight books (or TV series) but the author certainly came up with a great, commercial idea and (importantly) delivered on it.
6. When you've reached the end of your project, you've self-reviewed, edited, crossed all the i's and dotted all the t's, DON'T PUBLISH IT! Put it away for a few weeks or (better) months, then re-read it again. Re-check your spolling and grimmer (DON'T rely on a spell-checker!) Try reading it aloud. Try getting somebody else to read it aloud while you listen to how it sounds (regardless of whether it's a short story, novel, TV play, radio script or whatever). You'd be amazed at how much better your work can become.
7. Keep writing. Keep smiling. Keep believing you are worth it - oh, sorry, that's fashion make up, isn't it? Well, you know what I mean.
Nigel Edwards
As my answer to a previous question said, I generally have at least 2 projects on the go. When writer's block strikes for one of them (and it invariably does, somewhere down the line) I simply switch to the other. Of course, there are occasions when I can't think what to write for any project. In that rare circumstance I'm fortunate that (to date) I just don't feel any stress about it at all. If I were a full time professional with deadlines to meet, I'm sure it would be different!
Nigel Edwards
Currently I have two projects on the go (I rarely just have one focus - I like being able to swap between works; when I get bored or hit writer's block, it's useful to have the alternative to switch to.) The first is called Shun House, a Gothic tale (not for children). It's not about vampires, but everybody is going to say it is because vampires (or zombies) are in vogue. In fact, it's about people who are half dragon. It's a long-overdue follow-up to my short story, Waif, which received pretty good reviews over all.
The second hasn't got a title yet, but it's a sequel to Badger's Waddle, which received very mixed reviews. But that's okay because I'm trying to fix all the things people didn't like about the first book (touch wood!)
The second hasn't got a title yet, but it's a sequel to Badger's Waddle, which received very mixed reviews. But that's okay because I'm trying to fix all the things people didn't like about the first book (touch wood!)
Nigel Edwards
Um, well, I just get an urge to write (or type, rather, as even I can't understand my handwriting!) I don't always have any particular idea in my head. I simply sit down with my laptop, create a new Word document and then, well, just write. I mean seriously, that's what happens. I sit there until something goes click in my brain and I think, okay, let's give that a go. Sometimes (quite often) I don't progress more than a couple of paragraphs before I give up on the original idea. At other times, though, I just keep on writing and, weeks or months or years later, out comes the finished story.
Nigel Edwards
It actually started with the birth of my son. I wanted to write something that he would maybe enjoy when he was a little older, i.e. no longer dependent on pictures. However, it wasn't until a couple of years later, when we came back from a vacation in Cornwall, England. I'd bought a souvenir, a dragon made from bits of metal, bent nails and goodness knows what else; and voila! The Scrapdragon was born!
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