This shall be my superhero name. Hmmm, maybe it’s a tad inappropriate... The hook. That jazzy little nugget that keeps your reader reading past the first few pages. But you can’t just stop there, oh no no no! You have to keep on hooking until your book is like the scratchy side of Velcro and… Continue reading Call me…Super Dooper Chapter Hooker!
Tag: #writerslife
A sofa of one’s own
Office, study, a room of one’s own. This space, call it what you will, features heavily in my daydreams at the moment, particularly those “winning the lottery” fantasies. A light room with high ceilings, bookcases on each wall, a window with a view. A space to write. But is it really necessary? Do you have… Continue reading A sofa of one’s own
PICK ME! I’ll make all your dreams come true….
Aaaah, agent hunting. The weird experience of trying to find someone who likes my work enough to sign me up to their agency. It’s the publishing equivalent to internet dating. The agents all smiling their most beguiling smile, with bios that sound attractive, listing what they’re looking for in prospective authors. Choose me, they cry,… Continue reading PICK ME! I’ll make all your dreams come true….
Writing even when you don’t want to
The turning point in Agatha Christie’s career was the moment she stopped writing for pleasure and started looking at it as a job, writing even when she didn’t want to. Like most aspiring authors I have to fit writing into my normal day, which is already pretty full. There are days, though few and far… Continue reading Writing even when you don’t want to
Happiness is…finishing the novel
I’ve finished it I’ve finished it I’ve finished it I’ve finished it. There is little else for me to say this week, other than: I’ve finished it! It’s still too long, and there is the odd tweak here and there that I will, erm, tweak in the coming week, but apart from that it is… Continue reading Happiness is…finishing the novel
Aaaah, my fictional babies
Today marks two years to the day that I first sat down and began writing this novel. Today is also, coincidentally, Mothers’ Day (in the UK) and, this week, I have celebrated my son’s third birthday. All these birthdays and reminders of motherhood have got me thinking; writing a novel is a lot like parenting.… Continue reading Aaaah, my fictional babies
The devil’s in the synopsis
This week has been a week of procrastination. Reading books, cleaning the kitchen floor, wiping the toothbrush stains from the sink, even EVEN doing the ironing. The ironing for goodness sake! All in the name of avoiding the one and only part of writing I do not like. The synopsis. I have dreamed about it,… Continue reading The devil’s in the synopsis
Facing Daemons
This week I’ve been staying with my parents in what I like to call my home-home, the house I grew up in. It brings back many memories, as childhood homes often do, but the one memory I have been contemplating most is the one that spurred me on to start writing again. Have you ever… Continue reading Facing Daemons
My other love…
As it’s Valentines weekend I thought I’d share one of my great loves of writing. It also happens to be one of my favourite parts of reading and one of the things I enjoyed most whilst studying for my English degree all those years ago. It is...research. What other profession allows you to study the… Continue reading My other love…
Word Count Woes (and handy tricks to help)
I have been advised many times to keep my word count below 95,000. This is the max for any psychological thriller, ensuring the pace remains high and the hooks frequent. So, now that I have finished this bad boy (in theory) I am doing the laborious tasks of getting that word count down. Ideally, I… Continue reading Word Count Woes (and handy tricks to help)
Rebecca Tinnelly 