I have a deadline. A novel I'm writing needs to be published in five to six months. I usually take years on my manuscripts, working on a draft, then putting it aside for a few months. When I pick it up again, I'll see what needs work, fix, then put it aside for another few …
So, you’ve lost interest in that book you’re reading.
I admit, it takes me a long time to ditch a book. I always get into a story, admiring the prose, until there may be a point three quarters in where I lose interest. But at least I've given that novel a decent read. Sometimes I'm still keen to know the ending and skip to …
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Killing my darlings!
I have a conundrum. There's a lovely scene in a current work in progress which takes place at a Marriage Equality rally which actually took place during the 90s. Me and my husband were there, never believing for a minute this proposal would be even seriously considered in our lifetime. In this chapter, a former …
When reviewers have sex issues.
Something odd happened. A review came out for The Midnight Man which complained about the graphic sexual content. I was confused as the opening chapter has the only sex scene. It's not a scene which titillates because its purpose is to show the reader how unhappy the main character is in his relationship. There are …
Are you sure your novel is ready?
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 …
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 …
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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