Roz Morris's Blog, page 54

2 interviews about teaching and writing – Venice, BBC Radio London

The organisers of my Venice masterclass, Henry and Janys Hyde, have just published this interview about the course. If you’d like to know a little more about my teaching approach, or indeed how I came to be doing this at all, this is the place to go. And if you’d like to come to another, […]

How to write well in a language that isn’t your mother tongue

I’ve had this interesting email: Since January this year, I’ve been attending writing workshops, and my novel is progressing well. But English isn’t my first language, and I don’t do any creative writing in my day job. I feel I’m struggling. My priority is quality, and I think I need expert help. Should I get […]

‘Even the bed is forgetting you’ – The Undercover Soundtrack, AJ Waines

My guest this week is the author of Girl on a Train. No, another girl, another train. I first came across her work when she wrote very entertainingly about how her psychological thriller had been mistaken by readers for the much-hyped title by Paula Hawkins. And they were happy to have found her, for she […]

Venice masterclass snapshots: 4 hidden enablers for your story

I’m just back from a few days in Venice teaching a writing masterclass (I know, it’s a hard life). In my lectures, one subject I found I returned to repeatedly was the hidden clues that make a novel work. Readers often don’t realise they are there, and that means they’re hard for a writer to […]

How should you credit your editor? Advice from a former publisher

Should your editor be credited as a contributor to your book? What about your proof reader, copy editor? And where should you credit them? Long ago, I ran an editorial department in a small publisher, so I thought it might help to give some guidelines. Here’s my post about front matter, which explains all the […]

‘Freedom and life force’ – The Undercover Soundtrack, Christine Tsen

My guest this week is a cellist and chamber musician who has just published her first poetry collection with Vine Leaves Press. She says music inspires her to write and to strive to express meaning in the cadence and feeling of words. Her soundtrack includes the classical standards you might expect, but also Evanescence and […]

Writers, stay true to your standards. Long night of the literary soul

‘There’s never been a better time to be a writer.’ I’ve seen this mantra frequently over the past few years in blogposts, conference reports and news items. And I don’t disagree there’s been a lot to celebrate. But from what I see right now, this time is also tougher for authors than ever. Indie authors […]

‘Everything about the characters was held within these notes’ – The Undercover Soundtrack, Jason Hewitt

My guest this week says that when he gives talks, he often says that writing a novel is the literary equivalent to composing a symphony. He describes how his lead characters are like the principal instruments, plotting the crescendos on paper beforehand (not unlike to an idea I sketched out in my first Nail Your […]

Screenwriter to novelist: tips for adapting to a new storytelling medium

I’ve had this great question from a reader: Do you think somebody who has only done screenwriting would be able to write a novel? I have spent the last 18 years writing screenplays and, while there has been some success (two distributed films, a screenplay option, meetings with nifty LA people, admission letters from both […]

‘Watching the wintry sea and reflecting on a marriage’ – The Undercover Soundtrack, Clare Flynn

My guest this week has written the story of a marriage. Her novel spans many decades, from when her protagonist is a 17-year-old debutante in the 1930s, to the swinging sixties, where the character finds herself revisiting old haunts and sifting through her memories and her hopes. It’s a poignant post, honest and searching, and […]