Derek Nudd
The following is an extract from some thoughts I jotted down for the Female First website:
For most of us the fantasy of being the next rock-star novelist, economist or whatever won't happen. Strip away that picture and see what's left: inspiration? wisdom? immortality? Be honest.
Family and friends give us an easy ride, no-one else will. Understand the audience, what they know and expect. Genre-benders can be wonderfully creative but start with a disadvantage - readers aren't usually looking for them.
A synopsis structures the work and helps plan what to do by when. Reserve time, lots of it: to plan, write, step back and enjoy the view, and…
Research! Fiction should (usually) be plausible, non-fiction has to be true. The moment you catch yourself assuming something - check! Someone out there will gleefully point out any inconsistencies. Anyway, location visits are a great excuse to lift your eyes from the screen.
Edit, edit, edit. Then edit again.
Read your work out loud and backwards, give it to (patient, honest) friends, get a professional copy-edit, then read it some more. You will still cringe when you see it in print. Promise.
This is the difference between a happy hobbyist and a professional.
For most of us the fantasy of being the next rock-star novelist, economist or whatever won't happen. Strip away that picture and see what's left: inspiration? wisdom? immortality? Be honest.
Family and friends give us an easy ride, no-one else will. Understand the audience, what they know and expect. Genre-benders can be wonderfully creative but start with a disadvantage - readers aren't usually looking for them.
A synopsis structures the work and helps plan what to do by when. Reserve time, lots of it: to plan, write, step back and enjoy the view, and…
Research! Fiction should (usually) be plausible, non-fiction has to be true. The moment you catch yourself assuming something - check! Someone out there will gleefully point out any inconsistencies. Anyway, location visits are a great excuse to lift your eyes from the screen.
Edit, edit, edit. Then edit again.
Read your work out loud and backwards, give it to (patient, honest) friends, get a professional copy-edit, then read it some more. You will still cringe when you see it in print. Promise.
This is the difference between a happy hobbyist and a professional.
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