Fran Macilvey's Blog, page 26

Writing versus editing

Writing versus Editing

Is writing more important, or is editing the crux of the matter?

Clearly, editing is writing, but, semantics aside, I’m wondering whether the creative aspects of producing a longer work of fiction are more important than the nuts and bolts of getting the syntax and grammar correct?

These two aspects of writing seem to me to be equally important. There is little point having creative flights of fancy if the editor’s imperative is forced to lie idle – a work of 200...

How I write

How I write

I’m interested to see how my writing techniques and beliefs have evolved. I anguish less over blog posts, enjoy experimenting with different ways of recording and researching information, and I enjoy, far more than I used to, the pressure of the everyday, which seems to galvanise me, catapulting me, where previously, with whole long days at my disposal, writing tended to be – but was not always – a bit hit and miss.

Here are my current best tips for writing consistently and enjoy...

The creative imperatives of writing

The creative imperatives of writing

 

What matters, when we are writing? What aspects can an author not do without?

A handful of good ideas is a great start, but there is also the requirement to edit, endlessly read and work through a text, ironing out inconsistencies, tangles and plot holes. But apart from the obvious – and often very trying – aspects of working with words, what other less obvious parts of the craft are necessary?

These are my latest discoveries, always subject to change.

~...

The value of my time

The value of my time

What is the value of my time? If I was working in retail, I might perhaps earn £8.50 an hour, though it’s quite a while since I did, so I may have my rates wrong. If I were a typist in an office, a bit more, if I were a junior partner in a legal firm, a bit more still. As an author? Pause for embarrassed silence.

But why? We spend years investing in our books, to say nothing of the cost of producing a product which has all its dots and commas in the right place. That tim...

What matters in the busy times

What matters in the busy times

 

 

In working out, finally, what matters in the busy times, I have discovered the delights of delegation.

In small ways – so, instead of going to the post-box with a misdirected letter to have it mailed to the right address, it’s incredibly liberating to hand it back to the postman – and in bigger ones – this is a massive job; instead of trying to do it all myself, I shall employ someone else to do it – I find myself freed from so many jobs I used to assume re...

Time and Tide wait for no one

Time and Tide wait for no one

I am so busy these days that occasionally, I can’t think straight, move or plan ahead.

So it comes as a pleasant surprise to gradually realise, that being immensely busy is a great spur to my writing. No more excuses, I think, I must prioritise this work of mine, or I shall find endless excuses not to keep up with it. Time and tide wait for no one, man, woman or beast.

And with that realisation comes a fresh determination, a refusal to be beaten that harks back...

Short Story – Mum – Part Eight

Short Story – Mum – Part Eight

It was dark by the time Audrey stood up and decided she would like a cup of tea. The entire contents of the bureau, the letters – which fell like confetti on the carpet – and the suit, all went into the kitchen dustbin, covering the remains of last night’s chicken noodle soup. Sometimes Audrey recycled her food waste, and at other times, she just chucked it. Now, she was particularly grateful for the congealing saucy mess that smeared all over these precious le...

Short Story – Mum – Part Seven

Short Story – Mum – Part Seven

“Come on, girl, you knew this would be hard…” Audrey whispered, as her hands shook.

She unfolded and placed all the letters in a pile, not daring to look at the contents. The world could wait, to shift on its axis. The same handwriting, the same salutations… My dear Naomi…. Darling Derek …the brief, to the point and unambiguous style Audrey recognized.

Without even needing to read, Audrey understood, of course. How could she not, with the affectionate writing c...

Short Story – Mum – Part Six

Short Story – Mum – Part Six

 

 

Having stowed the suitcase in the boot of her car, Audrey was just locking the bureau when the doorbell rang. “Just coming!” she called, hastily pocketing her new keys, tucking away Naomi’s slip of paper and wiping her face with her hands. Two blurry shapes hovered on the threshold as she fixed on a polite smile. Standing blinking, she heard a voice asking, “Got a wardrobe for moving today, eh?”

“Yes, that’s right. Come in, it’s just through here…” and was re...

Short Story – Mum – Part Five

Short Story – Mum – Part Five

At the back of the top shelf in the bedroom wardrobe, Audrey found something: an old suitcase, well out of sight and coated in dust so deep that she doubted it had been touched since Naomi had moved in twenty years previously. Without a chair to stand on, she managed to prod at it with her fingers, poking through the slatted shelves until it toppled forward with a sigh. Then it was a simple matter to grab the handle and slide it down onto the floor. It was surpr...