Andrew Ferguson's Blog, page 3

Book Review: The Satsuma Complex

The Satsuma Complex is a complicated little novel about an average, slightly down-on-himself lawyer called Gary who becomes caught up in a web of deceit and conspiracy when all he really wants to do is ask out the hot girl he met at the bar while he was having a drink with his friend

Not Sure What to Write? Try Clustering.

Clustering is a great way of coming up with and exploring numerous different ideas for your story at once, while simultaneously organising them in a simple diagram... I personally prefer to use Scapple, because it allows you infinite space to map out all your ideas without running out of space

TBT: Keeping Focused With Scrivener

Not to be deterred from my dream of finishing that novel, I (a natural 'pantser') decided that I had to become a 'planner' to take my writing to the next level.

6 of My Favourite Books of All Time

They may not objectively be the best books in the world, but for whatever reason, they are books that I just couldn't get enough of. Books that stuck with me. Books that defined and continue to define the kind of writer I try to be.

First Impressions: Summer at Blue Sands Cove

I don't normally read romance novels. They're not my thing. However, in a bid to expand my horizons (and to give me more stuff to blog about) I decided to download the first free Kindle book I could find, and Summer at Blue Sands Cove by CP Ward was it. Given that romance novels don’t tend to be my thing, I was a little worried that I might be bored before I had even started, but this novel is off to a great start.

Top Tips for Writing Beautiful Dialogue

Dialogue is a critical part of any novel. Apart from the fact it makes up a monumental chunk of your overall word count, it can be a powerful tool for creating suspense, driving the plot and fleshing out your characters. Get it right, and you’re halfway towards writing a killer novel. Get it wrong, and you’re done for.

8 Useful Blog Posts About Writing

I have therefore decided that it is time, once again, for me to share a list of blog posts about writing that I have found particularly useful in recent weeks so that you, too, can benefit from their wisdom.

How to Keep Your Writing Clear

If we want to avoid bamboozling our readers, we need to keep our language crystal clear.Here's a few of my top tips for doing just that.

6 Six Word Stories for the 6th

It's time for another exciting edition of '6 Six Word Stories for the 6th.'As usual, I have rolled six story dice and made up 6 six word stories which have been, in some way, inspired by the pictures on the dice.

TBT: The Nest

Throwback Thursday to this spooky 100-word story about a man haunted by fairies in his attic!