Jim McGrath's Blog, page 7
May 25, 2016
Never tempt providence
In answer to one of the stock questions on Goodreads I wrote yesterday morning that I didn't believe in writers block. I still don't but yesterdays writing session was a case of one step forward and two steps back for most of the day.
I was dissatisfied with much of what I wrote. It seemed dull and lifeless (nothing strange in that say those who have read my books). But I followed my own advice and stuck at it. By about 10 pm I was starting to motor. By midnight I'd rewritten the 2,000 words I'd sweated over during the day and could at last see signs of life in a lot of what I wrote.
The section isn't finished yet. But it's now good enough to leave it for a couple of weeks and let my subconscious play around with it. When I return to it I'll see what I've written with new eyes and be able to carry out a real edit and polish.
So I suppose my message to writers who are starting out is that even on bad days you can turn out good work provided you're willing to keep at it until you wrestle the work into submission.
Cheers,
Jim
I was dissatisfied with much of what I wrote. It seemed dull and lifeless (nothing strange in that say those who have read my books). But I followed my own advice and stuck at it. By about 10 pm I was starting to motor. By midnight I'd rewritten the 2,000 words I'd sweated over during the day and could at last see signs of life in a lot of what I wrote.
The section isn't finished yet. But it's now good enough to leave it for a couple of weeks and let my subconscious play around with it. When I return to it I'll see what I've written with new eyes and be able to carry out a real edit and polish.
So I suppose my message to writers who are starting out is that even on bad days you can turn out good work provided you're willing to keep at it until you wrestle the work into submission.
Cheers,
Jim
May 23, 2016
Progress Report (1) on A Death in Spring: 1968
Hi,
A number of reviewers on Amazon and Goodreads have asked when the follow up to A Death in Winter: 1963 will be published. Well I'm 41,000 words into the book at the moment and expect to see it published in October 2016.
Collins, Clark and Agnes all return, as do many of the minor characters from A Death in Winter including Upright Freddie who now runs his own church with a congregation of 200+ souls. However, it's Sheba who's set to steal the book
Cheers,
Jim
A number of reviewers on Amazon and Goodreads have asked when the follow up to A Death in Winter: 1963 will be published. Well I'm 41,000 words into the book at the moment and expect to see it published in October 2016.
Collins, Clark and Agnes all return, as do many of the minor characters from A Death in Winter including Upright Freddie who now runs his own church with a congregation of 200+ souls. However, it's Sheba who's set to steal the book
Cheers,
Jim
May 22, 2016
Thinking and talking about writing
I've written a few non fiction books and received great satisfaction from their publication. However, it was only when I sat down to write The Handsworth Quartet in late 2014 did I experience the true joy of writing.
The first book in the series, A Death in Winter: 1963 introduces Probationary Police Constable Michael Collins, Constable Clive Clark and Mrs Agnes Winters to the world. Within less than 10,000 words I'd fallen in love with all three and could hardly wait to get to the computer each day to find out what they were up to.
As the book progressed my wife became somewhat bemused by my habit of talking about my characters as if they were real people. It often took a few seconds for her to realise that the Michael, who had just been beaten up again, was not our son.
I suspect that most writers feel the same about their creations. It's essential that the world the writer creates is real for them. Because, if it's not how can it be real for the reader?
The first book in the series, A Death in Winter: 1963 introduces Probationary Police Constable Michael Collins, Constable Clive Clark and Mrs Agnes Winters to the world. Within less than 10,000 words I'd fallen in love with all three and could hardly wait to get to the computer each day to find out what they were up to.
As the book progressed my wife became somewhat bemused by my habit of talking about my characters as if they were real people. It often took a few seconds for her to realise that the Michael, who had just been beaten up again, was not our son.
I suspect that most writers feel the same about their creations. It's essential that the world the writer creates is real for them. Because, if it's not how can it be real for the reader?
