A close friend just left after spending six days with us. He needed a boost and as many of us have rediscovered recently, keeping in touch means keeping sane. We always enjoy his company and the last several days consisted of good food, movies and indepth conversation over vodka or wine. In the past I'd …
I’m finally writing again!
My local library is open again. As I live in an apartment with my husband, the library is where I can escape to write. So while we were in isolation, my sequel to Social Media Central was left untouched. After several months I can proudly announce, my work in progress is back on track. With …
In isolation but not online much
My husband closed down his Facebook account. He did so early this year and doesn't regret it. It's something I can't do because as an author, I need to have a presence in cyberspace. But since isolation, I drift into my socials, take a quick look, then exit. I've been enjoying a different life since …
The Negative Reader
I noticed something the other day. I was going to write a review of a favourite book for someone else's blog, but because it had been a while since I read the book, I checked its reviews on Goodreads to refresh my memory on elements of the plot. While pretty much everyone praised it, one …
Would you consider a hashtag to promote your most personal novel?
I was thinking about this in a spare moment, of which there are many. I've often written about what real life influences are weaved into my novels, but I haven't always talked about the storylines that come from more personal experiences. For example, one of my novels has a storyline that reflects feelings I had …
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The writers forum, online
Yesterday I logged into 'Gay Fiction, Gay Lives,' a forum hosted by Jerry L. Wheeler for Bold Stroke Books. It's an interesting time for publishers. I applaud this initiative by Bold Stroke Books as there is a large audience sitting at home looking for distractions, and a whole weekend of discussions and book readings is …
Home with my husband. How will I write?
So, all was good. I had each chapter plotted for my current work in progress and a library I visited regularly with a quiet room to write. I could sense this project getting to first draft in a few months. Then the world changed. On top of that, my husband was offered a short term …
Writing about my relationship
The initial draft of my first novel was titled Staging Life. It told the story of two friends, based on me and my husband, who end up in the Afterlife. A few theatre references were thrown in and, hey presto, I had my first draft. Then I had it professionally assessed. Besides changing the title, …
Authors and algorithms
A Twitter post popped up recently about how interactions have diminished. I responded saying that I've noticed this too. Recently I asked #WritingCommunity if they've noted Twitter is behaving like Facebook (i.e. the same small number of regulars reacting to what you've posted). One person responded. For an author, this is not good. I already …
Resurrecting an abandoned manuscript
Sequels never sell as well as the first in a series. It's something I've learnt through time. The final of the Actors and Angels trilogy has had lower sales than the first, even though it's won a Rainbow Award. More people have read Nate and the New Yorker than its follow up. So, quite some …
