Shauna Bickley's Blog, page 3
October 7, 2014
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Writing a Novel
Where do you get your ideas? Which comes first, the characters or the plot?
These are two of the questions that people often ask writers.
I remember the moment Lexie, the main character in Still Death, came to my mind – reading a newspaper article outside a café on a road trip in New South Wales, Australia. That was four or five years and several other projects ago, but she’s hung since then, and I guess that answers the opening questions.
Originally Lexie was going to be the main character in a...
These are two of the questions that people often ask writers.
I remember the moment Lexie, the main character in Still Death, came to my mind – reading a newspaper article outside a café on a road trip in New South Wales, Australia. That was four or five years and several other projects ago, but she’s hung since then, and I guess that answers the opening questions.
Originally Lexie was going to be the main character in a...
September 29, 2014
The New Book - Still Death
Regular readers of the blog may have noticed that while I've posted about writing, I haven't actually mentioned anything about a current project for some time. That's about to end, as I'm thrilled to say my latest book is due out on 8th November.
In the early stages of writing a book, the ideas feel so tenuous I don’t like talking about them. Winnie the Pooh best sums up the feeling, 'When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which...
In the early stages of writing a book, the ideas feel so tenuous I don’t like talking about them. Winnie the Pooh best sums up the feeling, 'When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which...
September 14, 2014
Success: Mindset and Attitude
Last week I went to an evening presentation by Nigel Latta. He's well-known here, but probably not outside of New Zealand. Nigel is a forsenic psychologist and has hosted several television shows: Beyond the Darklands, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show, as well as writing books on these subjects.
I had no idea of the format for the evening, and considering the theme of a couple of my recent posts (here and here), I was quite amused when h...
I had no idea of the format for the evening, and considering the theme of a couple of my recent posts (here and here), I was quite amused when h...
September 1, 2014
Busy is the New Rich
With the start of a new month, I've heard a few people making the comment, 'Where has the year gone?' With our third house move this year looming, I know where our eight months has gone!
It's been a busy year as we've sold, rented, bought and renovated. Added to which there is family, work, writing and that little thing called 'having a life'. The list is in no particular order, although 'having a life' got tagged on the end almost as an after-thought, as it's been for a while!
I hear you eithe...
It's been a busy year as we've sold, rented, bought and renovated. Added to which there is family, work, writing and that little thing called 'having a life'. The list is in no particular order, although 'having a life' got tagged on the end almost as an after-thought, as it's been for a while!
I hear you eithe...
August 27, 2014
Handwriting Matters
Most people I know, and I include myself in this, mutter about the state of their handwriting when giving someone a handwritten note, or a manuscript with scribbles all down the side of the page.
I've been known to rewrite short notes or a set of directions, especially if they're for someone else.
I'm sure at some time in the distant past I had reasonable handwriting. It was never wonderful, but at least it was legible. I recall 3-hour exam essays that looked better than my handwriting now. Of...
I've been known to rewrite short notes or a set of directions, especially if they're for someone else.
I'm sure at some time in the distant past I had reasonable handwriting. It was never wonderful, but at least it was legible. I recall 3-hour exam essays that looked better than my handwriting now. Of...
August 21, 2014
Getting Better All The Time
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August 7, 2014
What is Success?
Recently I’ve been considering how my writing goals have changed over the years. Like many people, I started writing the great novel. I got to about the 20,000 word mark, and realised my idea didn’t have the legs to be a novel. Around that time, I took a couple of writing courses and read a number of writing books. Through the courses, I met a small group of other writers who also wanted to be part of a critique group, and so I had the feedback I needed. I left the 20,000 words of my no...
June 23, 2014
Follow Your Passions
During a writing class I attended years ago, the tutor asked us why we wrote. There were various answers, most taking the high road of feeling the need to write, having something to say or wanting to entertain with our writing. The tutor smiled and said it was perfectly acceptable to admit we wanted to make money.
At that time I was in the naïve stage of the writing business, and still wondering whether an 'ordinary' person like me could ever aspire to calling themselves a writer.
Fast forward...
At that time I was in the naïve stage of the writing business, and still wondering whether an 'ordinary' person like me could ever aspire to calling themselves a writer.
Fast forward...
June 14, 2014
Perfection
Occasionally in a text or email from my daughter, she’ll add a #Perfectionist. It’s an in-joke between us, as I sometimes moan about by perfectionist tendencies.
I’m obviously well aware of this trait, and sometimes flaw, in my personality. I’m not a perfectionist with everything, far from it. I can live with dusty surfaces and general untidiness (to a point!). When we’re decorating, I’m definitely a ‘close enough is good enough’ worker, who manages to get plenty of paint on surrounding surfac...
I’m obviously well aware of this trait, and sometimes flaw, in my personality. I’m not a perfectionist with everything, far from it. I can live with dusty surfaces and general untidiness (to a point!). When we’re decorating, I’m definitely a ‘close enough is good enough’ worker, who manages to get plenty of paint on surrounding surfac...
May 24, 2014
Choosing Your Attitude
Yesterday I witnessed a most unusual incident, actually it was more than that, it was an extraordinary incident.
I was the third car at a junction, waiting to move onto a main road. It reasonably busy, as most people were on their way to work. My attention was on the two cars in front of me, but from what happened I guess there was a slight gap in the oncoming traffic, and the driver of the second car assumed the driver in front would go. You’ve guessed it, the first driver didn’t go, so the s...
I was the third car at a junction, waiting to move onto a main road. It reasonably busy, as most people were on their way to work. My attention was on the two cars in front of me, but from what happened I guess there was a slight gap in the oncoming traffic, and the driver of the second car assumed the driver in front would go. You’ve guessed it, the first driver didn’t go, so the s...
