A couple of books I've read lately inspired this blog. And what's interesting about their flaws is it made me reflect on advice I received when my first novel was published. This was way before self publishing was a thing. Back then the first thing I was told was to have my manuscript assessed. My …
Changing my writing process
I was selling my books at a local author event. On the table next to me was science fiction writer, H.G. Ahedi. It was a very rainy Friday night so not many potential readers showed up, leaving me and H.G. with plenty of time to talk. After chatting about cover artists, the difference between being …
Random thoughts which improve my plot
I'm at an interesting stage with my WiP. I revised around two-thirds of the story after creating an excel spreadsheet with details of the changes needed to each scene. Then I read the revised chapters and realised before I continued, the characters needed to be deeper. They were already demanding extra plot twists, telling me …
Book Review – Poof by J.M. Tolcher
This is not a book for the faint-hearted. When I first began reading this I was reminded of Alanis Morissette's brilliant song, 'You Oughta Know'. The author takes us back to when he was bullied in school, spitting venom at his tormentors in the same manner as Morissette attacked her ex. As a homosexual, I …
Book Review – Dublin Bay by John Patrick
This novel would make an excellent film. It has all the elements of a box office smash or a highly streamed miniseries. Period drama. Likeable characters. Sneaky dealings. A love story. Two teenage boys meet one evening just before the second world war. James is Irish and from a very poor family. Otto is the …
To hell with my outline!
Apologies for not posting for a while. My time has been dominated by listening to, and preparing promotional materials for, a new audiobook. But today's blog is a follow on from my last where I mentioned I've been panstering for a while, rather than sticking to my refreshed outline. And on the days I haven't …
Pantstering my plot
I felt like I was pantstering even though I have an outline. But it’s an updated outline on an excel spreadsheet clearly showing what currently happens in each chapter, and what needs to be changed. And as I created this spreadsheet ages ago, it felt like I was pantstering recently, giving the characters licence to …
Being reviewed through a Romance lens
Two recent reviews prompted this blog. And it's a weird phenomenon when you write gay fiction. There are readers out there who review your books as if they are meant to be MM Romance. It's an issue I've always had. One of the worst examples was when a reviewer couldn't finish listening to her free …
Should I submit to a publisher or an agent?
I'm going through the submission process. I have a manuscript I believe is ready to send to potential publishers and like many authors, I'm combing through lists to see who takes direct submissions, seeing who is a good fit. Ideally, I'd like an Australian publisher. It would make life easier to be marketed in my …
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Book Review – Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
This book is a time capsule. It is of an era when gay life wasn't part of the mainstream. The story is told by young American man, David, who is living in Paris during the 1950s, hanging around older homosexuals he criticises for being too effeminate. While his girlfriend is in Spain, he begins an …
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