Roz Morris's Blog, page 28
May 26, 2020
Devils for detail – dictionaries, grammar and editing considerations for authors. Ep 31 FREE podcast for writers
This is the pedantry episode! There’s a large part of the bookmaking process that’s about detail. The writer has to pay close attention to factual details or the plot might not work. There are also the details of grammar and spelling. But there isn’t just one correct way, there are subtle variations according to which […]
May 25, 2020
How to master back story – professional course at Jane Friedman
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. On my first time there, several writers made the mistake of including it right at the beginning, bringing the narrative to a standstill. But once you learn […]
May 24, 2020
Your first pages – 5 more novel openings critiqued by a literary agent (and me!) at @Litopia
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 we had PR agent Kaylie Finn @kaylie_finn ). The format […]
May 20, 2020
Live critique – Peter writes a story. Ep 30 FREE podcast for writers
How many times am I allowed to say an episode was a favourite? This is another. Peter gave me the opening few pages of a book he’d been working on and we discussed it. A live developmental critique, editor to writer. Who is this character? Why is this the first thing you want the reader […]
May 19, 2020
Does a story’s protagonist have to be likable? We discuss! Ep 29 FREE podcast for writers
Does the main character of a story have to be likable or sympathetic? It’s a point that’s frequently raised by writers, readers, editors and critics. But consider this: a story is usually about a person under pressure. And people under pressure don’t always behave well or likably. Because they’re not saints. On the other hand, […]
May 17, 2020
How to run – or join – an authors’ collective. Ep 28 FREE podcast for writers feat @triskelebooks
An authors’ collective is a half-way house between solo self-publishing and a formal publisher. Peter and I were thrilled to secure this interview with two members of Triskele Books (@triskelebooks ), crime author Jill Marsh (JJ Marsh or @JJMarsh1, bottom left ) and designer and author Jane Dixon-Smith (bottom middle). We bombarded them with questions […]
May 14, 2020
From fragments we build a book – Ep 27 FREE podcast course for writers
Just before we recorded this episode I’d been chairing a roundtable at a writing conference. I was struck by how our books come together from fragments. Snippets of inspiration and research; structures that reveal themselves in pieces which we join together like a jigsaw puzzle; snatches of voice that suggest characters or perhaps the narrative […]
May 10, 2020
Ready for the red pen – how to prepare for comments on your book manuscript
I am at a nail-biting time. I’ve just sent the manuscript of my third novel, Ever Rest, to its first critical readers in the outside world. Soon I’ll receive their notes. I’ve been through this process many times, obviously. I know roughly what to expect – both from my own experience and my experience mentoring […]
May 6, 2020
How to write your book – a writing and publishing course in 9 songs. Ep 26 FREE podcast
It was Easter when we transmitted this episode. We were in holiday mood. A time to slacken belts, silence alarm clocks, wind down for a few days. Instead of ploughing into another brow-furrowing discussion about writing and publishing, we thought we’d recap the most important points from the series so far, presented with the music […]
May 5, 2020
Hello Earth – questions from a writing and publishing conference – Ep25 FREE podcast for writers
Just before we recorded this episode, I’d been teaching at WriteCon Zurich, run by my friends Jill Marsh and Libby O’Loghlin (who are also the chiefs at The Woolf literary magazine, which you might remember from this post). I’d spent the weekend with published and aspiring authors, all jazzed with one common, noble aim – […]
