Roz Morris's Blog, page 13

Thriller writers – your first pages: 5 more book openings critiqued by @agentpete @anniesummerlee and me!

I’ve just guested again at Litopia, the online writers’ colony and community. Each week they have a YouTube show, Pop-Up Submissions, where five manuscripts are read and critiqued live on air by literary agent Peter Cox @agentpete and a guest, or sometimes two. This time the other guest was longtime Litopian Annie Summerlee @anniesummerlee , […]

Audiobooks now out!

Audiobook lovers, my first two novels are now available in audio stores and subscription services. And in libraries! Lend me your ears! https://mailchi.mp/6038124fc207/audio...

‘When creative is your job title, you have to keep earning it’ – author, poet, sculptor and memoirist Guinotte Wise @noirbut

Guinotte Wise is currently two people. Guinotte the sculptor, making found objects into quirky metal creations. There’s also Guinotte the writer, who has published poetry, novels, short stories – and most recently a memoir in essays, Chickens One Day, Feathers The Next. That’s about all the other people he’s been, of which there are quite […]

How do you make a career with your writing? Lessons from several years of author interviews

‘Dear Roz, how do I get a career with my writing?’ – Anya Dear Anya You might already guess what I’m going to say: everyone finds their own way, and a career happens after an apprenticeship of muddling and wandering. That muddling period might be long, or it might be short if the stars align. […]

When books become real

When books become real, did he find her, remembrance on a mountain, Blood Sword, faces from our deepest dreams, a little horse
All in my newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/83e177889682/when-...

How to make good decisions about book cover design – interview with Jessica Bell @iamjessicabell

How do you judge if your book cover is attracting the right readers? How do you brief a designer, especially if you have little knowledge of design or marketing? What do book cover designers wish authors knew about the process? There is no better person to ask than Jessica Bell, who you’ve seen on this […]

Becoming you – how to develop confidence as a writer

On a recent episode of Litopia’s Pop-Up Submissions, we intended to talk about writer confidence, then the show went in another direction. But it’s worth a proper discussion. Litopia founder Peter Cox, who is also a literary agent, told me confidence is a major issue for his members. ‘Either it never gets a chance to […]

An audiobook of Ever Rest, weird words we need help with

An audiobook of Ever Rest, weird words we need help with, what DID I mean when I wrote that, come to my book events in Surrey - and a little horse
https://mailchi.mp/5c771f98315a/audio...

What you can achieve if you try something a little scary… how I became a memoirist and novelist by @expatapple

Apple Gidley has lived all over the world, has taught English, sold SCUBA gear and negotiated British nationals out of jail when she was the British honorary consul in Equatorial Guinea. Her writing is powered by a fierce interest in the history of the many cultures she’s lived in and her latest novel, Have You […]

How to master back story – book now for my mini-course, September 21st

Back story is a vital element of novel and memoir, but tricky to use well. I’ve certainly been reminded of this when commenting on manuscripts at Pop-Up Submissions. Writers often make the mistake of including it right at the beginning, bringing the narrative to a standstill. But once you learn some tricksy, back story is […]