Linda Acaster's Blog, page 23
January 24, 2015
Research 2: The Novel's Bible
Research has been filling my days of late, as it does for most novelists. Some of it is dry, some of it revealing, some of it , though interesting, will never make it into the work-in-progress, yet it may prove to be the founding of a future book.
Despite there seeming to be an awful lot of it, I always harbour the niggle that I've never found enough. It's not that I fear my characters will
Despite there seeming to be an awful lot of it, I always harbour the niggle that I've never found enough. It's not that I fear my characters will
January 17, 2015
Research: Is It Necessary For Short Fiction?
The actual question asked was But you don't research short stories, do you? How to keep smiling when you've just been given the cue for an eye-roll?
I'm at the polishing and finding-a-title stage of a long short story, or a novelette, or a novella, depending which piece of string you measure with. It started with a target of around 3-4,000 words but has come in at 17,500. Is this a problem?
I'm at the polishing and finding-a-title stage of a long short story, or a novelette, or a novella, depending which piece of string you measure with. It started with a target of around 3-4,000 words but has come in at 17,500. Is this a problem?
January 14, 2015
Wednesday Writing Prompt #7
Where do you get your ideas from?
People who ask this are missing the most important point - that they're asking the wrong question.
Every writer worth the appellation knows that ideas come from everywhere. The question should be...
How do you recognise an idea?
It's an ability of mind, an ability of enquiry, an ability to think laterally, but it can be learned with surprisingly
People who ask this are missing the most important point - that they're asking the wrong question.
Every writer worth the appellation knows that ideas come from everywhere. The question should be...
How do you recognise an idea?
It's an ability of mind, an ability of enquiry, an ability to think laterally, but it can be learned with surprisingly
January 10, 2015
1,000 Words a Day
I know it is only ten days into the New Year, but how are your Resolutions doing?
I'm hitting my 1,000 words a day - yes!
It might be a small goal in some writers' eyes, but I don't do 'quick & dirty' drafts. My fiction, or at least my fiction of the last few years, is highly atmospheric. For characters to act and react within the reality of their story, their flaws, their beliefs, their
I'm hitting my 1,000 words a day - yes!
It might be a small goal in some writers' eyes, but I don't do 'quick & dirty' drafts. My fiction, or at least my fiction of the last few years, is highly atmospheric. For characters to act and react within the reality of their story, their flaws, their beliefs, their
January 7, 2015
Wednesday Writing Prompt #6
One idea is never one idea.
Read that again. Too many fiction-writers have a brain-wave, do the research (or just go with the flow), work it through, hit 'The End', polish it to a sheen, and consider the idea fulfilled.
It never is. And how do you know that your original train of thought for that one idea is the best use of it? Never discard ideas, even when they've been written out as
Read that again. Too many fiction-writers have a brain-wave, do the research (or just go with the flow), work it through, hit 'The End', polish it to a sheen, and consider the idea fulfilled.
It never is. And how do you know that your original train of thought for that one idea is the best use of it? Never discard ideas, even when they've been written out as
January 3, 2015
Resolutions, or 7 Ps = Make it a Habit
Here we are again, the beginning of a New January, but are we veering towards the resolutions of the Old January, or an even Older January?
Most writers tend to be second
cousin to dieters, myself included: I
will... and we do for the first few weeks and then... and then it all takes
on a
Most writers tend to be second
cousin to dieters, myself included: I
will... and we do for the first few weeks and then... and then it all takes
on a
December 31, 2014
Wednesday Writing Prompt #5
If you've been following December's weekly tickles to your writing fancy you should be in the groove by now...
Jocelyn Armby liked to be frightened
So, what have we got?
a statement; you could make it speech by adding quote marks, a full-stop to finish the statement, or a conjunction (and/but...) to add a qualifying phrase.
who is making the statement: an off-page narrator, or a person
Jocelyn Armby liked to be frightened
So, what have we got?
a statement; you could make it speech by adding quote marks, a full-stop to finish the statement, or a conjunction (and/but...) to add a qualifying phrase.
who is making the statement: an off-page narrator, or a person
December 27, 2014
#Ebook Price Rise - Buy! Buy! Buy!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas with family and friends. As we slump out in the nuts, choccie,fruit & alcohol lull before the New Year celebrations, please be aware that this is the final buying weekend of the year.
On Thursday January bursts through our doors with promises of Health, Wealth & Happiness. At that precise moment the European Union slams a price rise on all downloadable
On Thursday January bursts through our doors with promises of Health, Wealth & Happiness. At that precise moment the European Union slams a price rise on all downloadable
December 24, 2014
Wednesday Writing Prompt #4
Yes, even on Christmas Eve. Your mission [should you wish to take it] is to make something Festive from this:
'Do you come here often?'
Okay, stop laughing and concentrate for a minute. Cliches become cliches because of overuse, but that doesn't mean they should be disregarded altogether. They need to be interrogated, and then turned on their heads.
So what have we got:
a spoken
'Do you come here often?'
Okay, stop laughing and concentrate for a minute. Cliches become cliches because of overuse, but that doesn't mean they should be disregarded altogether. They need to be interrogated, and then turned on their heads.
So what have we got:
a spoken
December 17, 2014
Wednesday Writing Prompt #3
You know the score by now, so here is the opening phrase:
The wall felt sticky beneath my palm
Okay, so what have we got? Don't jump to immediate conclusions, or run with your first impressions. Think it through and think round the obvious:
What sort of wall?
Where is this wall?
...felt sticky - note the 'felt'. Why not looked?
...sticky with what? Think smell, taste, temperature - use the
The wall felt sticky beneath my palm
Okay, so what have we got? Don't jump to immediate conclusions, or run with your first impressions. Think it through and think round the obvious:
What sort of wall?
Where is this wall?
...felt sticky - note the 'felt'. Why not looked?
...sticky with what? Think smell, taste, temperature - use the
