In my last blog I wrote about writing a summary for a book submission. And although it's for a novel I'm still working on, it hasn't stopped me considering how to pitch it to potential publishers. I've created a 500 word and a 300 word synopsis, and a 200 word summary, in line with what …
Help! I’m writing a synopsis for a book submission.
I've learnt the value of working on a synopsis while you write your book. I've also learnt to work on a blurb long before I need to send it to my publisher, but that's not what this blog is about. I'm working on a novel that's not suited to my publisher, so for the first …
Continue reading "Help! I’m writing a synopsis for a book submission."
10 things I’ve learnt after publishing 10 books
In August, my tenth book was released. I've been taking stock as it's the perfect time to reflect. I've got a reason to celebrate and a milestone which is making me consider where my writing journey is heading. 1. Too much is made of genre. I know genre helps market a book, but I'm in …
Continue reading "10 things I’ve learnt after publishing 10 books"
How I changed my writing habits during lockdown
I need to be alone to write. Regular readers of my blog know this. But with my husband at home with me during the extended Sydney lockdown (yes, this blog was written during that time), I've had to find a new strategy to work on my projects. So, I've broken my process into what I …
Continue reading "How I changed my writing habits during lockdown"
Recycling characters
Many authors do it. They place their characters in several unrelated books. I've been doing it for a while although I'm planning to stop after my current release, The Midnight Man. And while the major characters in this novel are brand new, a whole range of characters from my novellas Nate and the New Yorker …
Writing about a dream lover
I was listening to Kate Bush. The track was 'Man With the Child In His Eyes' - a song about a mystical lover that waits for the songwriter at bedtime. It has been one of my favourite songs since its release in 1978. Natalie Cole does a beautiful cover version. Its haunting melody was the …
I wrote a sex scene without realising it.
The Midnight Man started with a nightclub scene. At least it did in earlier drafts. In the scene we meet middle aged gay couple, Stanley and Francesco, as they pick up a guy to share their bed for the night. After that opener was an erotic sex scene in which we discover Stanley isn't happy …
Continue reading "I wrote a sex scene without realising it."
Time to rethink my work in progress
I'm writing this during Covid lockdown. The date is the 9th of July 2021 and due to the Delta variant, we're not allowed to leave our homes here in Sydney unless totally necessary. As I've often mentioned in my blogs, I can't write unless I'm alone without distractions. My husband is home with me and …
The first draft is when you get your ideas down
I'd heard this many times. Due to lack of a private space to write during Covid, I have one completed first draft and one still being written. I usually have three works at various stages of progress. One at first draft, one at third and one almost ready to submit. But this week I finally …
Continue reading "The first draft is when you get your ideas down"
Four writing rules my editors taught me
I learnt a lot with my first novel. I had various drafts of Drama Queens with Love Scenes assessed before I contacted publishers, and through that process I learnt the first rule I still stick to. 1: Find the right word. When my manuscript came back from my assessor, she often had a word circled …
kevin klehr 