To finish a novel is to fully know it
Ben Ellis writes the following in response to my question [http://www.b3n3llis.com/2011/07/writing-the-end-is-my-motivation/] on Twitter – what motivates you to write? – which I asked before recording last week’s podcast: > Yes, I’d like to be read and admired, have people fawn over my mind-bending, world
Write on screen, edit on paper
This is a great interview with Jennifer Egan [http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/03/24/how-do-you-write-a-great-work-of-fiction-jennifer-egan-explains-the-steps/] , author of A Visit From the Goon Squad [http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849010331/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=wriforyoulif-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&
Conor Kostick: teaching writing and finishing your novel
Interview by Donna Sørensen As part of a UK and Ireland Blog Tour [http://www.obrien.ie/blog/?p=885] for his latest novel, EDDA, published by O’Brien Press, author Conor Kostick [http://obrien.ie/TitleInfo.cfm?bookID=888] has stopped by at Write for Your Life to answer
On book deals and money
Jean Hannah Edelstein has been posting some great stuff this last month, using a rather natty question and answer stylee. In answer to yesterday’s question, ‘How do they reach the decision for how much a book deal should be worth?’ [http://www.jeanhannahedelstein.com/post/7240426355/who-makes-the-decision-of-how-much-to-bid-for-a-book-in] : > … if
Chunking and what to write right now
Rather than fret and worry about the thousands and thousands of words we have left to write, maybe we should try and split things into more manageable, less daunting chunks. Let’s call it chunking. I often talk about how it’s hard work that puts writers off or leads
Advances, what with the way things are
Interesting post about advances (or lack thereof) [http://pimpmynovel.blogspot.com/2011/06/vanishing-advance.html] over at Pimp My Novel: > True, the vast majority of titles currently acquired are eventually released as concurrent physical and electronic books, but I don’t think the day is long off in which
Have social media, will publish
Interesting piece over at FutureBook yesterday [http://www.futurebook.net/content/if-you-won’t-have-blog-don’t-bother-sending-us-your-manuscript-–-now-add-twitter-and-ecommer] , written by a publisher who makes quite the statement: > As of this summer, unless an author will have a blog, twitter account and fully fledged eCommerce site, we won’t be considering their manuscript.
Slow publishing and keeping faith
Rachelle Gardner gives us the irritating truth [http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/06/why-is-publishing-so-slow/]: > To authors, it seems like publishers (and agents) often take forever to make yes/no decisions on acquiring projects. And that makes it seem like publishing “moves slowly.” But the reason it seems slow is
Fear and hunger in Las Sheffield
Do you know what? I think I might have the fear [http://writeforyourlife.net/writing-fear-whats-the-worst-that-can-happen]. I’ve written a novel, completed an MA and spoken at lots of literary events. I’ve even set up a website to talk about writing and share what I’ve learnt over the years.
Off-site backups for your work
If you don’t backup your writing then for crying out loud what the heck are you playing at? Having recently switched computers, I’ve been taking the opportunity to improve my own backup system. Apart from all our photos, music and videos, I have my entire novel in various