We live in interesting times. By which I mean we live as ever in difficult times; given the state of the planet we can be forgiven for a penchant for weaving apocalyptic narratives. It can be comforting to think that it’s only because we know so much more about what’s going on thanks to the…
Category: Writer Wednesday
Writer Wednesday: Finishing Things
Okay, maybe the picture is a bit heavy handed 😉 but this is an important issue, one worth repeating. When I mentioned typing “the end” on my latest novel this week, the fabulous academic/comics writer Mary Talbot wrote (perhaps somewhat jestingly), “But do you really just write to THE END then stop? What about the…
Writer Wednesday: Tracy S. Morris
I’m pleased to have Tracy S. Morris as my guest today. A fellow Broad, Tracy is not only a writer but a podcaster. She has photographed two of the Presidents of the United States, taken a hot air balloon ride and met two of her favorite sports legends from separate sports. She’s been a photographer,…
Writer Wednesday: The Power of Narrative
Many modern novels have a beginning, a muddle and an end. ~ Philip Larkin In the beginning was the story and the story was good and good was the story and that simplicity escaped no one. From the earliest marks of our kind, we have told stories. We are story-telling creatures. See this bison? We…
Writer Wednesday: Write by Hand
It happens eventually to every writer, that moment when you stare at the blank page or screen and nothing comes out of the brain even with knocking and/or poking with sharp sticks. There are all kinds of ways to kick the recalcitrant brain pan into action, but here’s a really simple one: Write by hand….
Writer Wednesday: Do It Anyway
When I was living in Los Angeles and working a full time job and trying to write seriously for the first time — on my monochrome screen with its giant CPU with a little locking clip over the 5-1/4″ floppy disk drive — I had a little note stuck on the top of the monitor…
Writer Wednesday: Finish That
Last week I urged you to send things off, to brave the market and try your chances. Some of you have not done that — in fact, some of you may never do that, because you have trouble letting go of a story. Are you an inveterate tinkerer? I know some people who have been…
Writer Wednesday: Submit Your Work
Writing is important; just as important is exposing your work to light. The act of writing is an end in itself: it releases the natural creativity we all have. I always say that I never know how I feel about something until I’ve written about it. Writing organises your thought. But it need not be…
Writer Wednesday: Feed Your Head
While idling in London, as you do, I decided to catch the much ballyhooed “David Bowie is” exhibit at the V&A. I knew a few people who’d gone and perhaps more importantly, I knew a few people who wouldn’t have the opportunity to go, so I wanted to share the wealth, so to speak. I…
Writer Wednesday: Postcard Fiction Winners!
I’m happy to announce the results of the 2013 Postcard Fiction Contest, images of the winning entries above. My grateful thanks to everyone who sent in a postcard. I’ll just copy the stories here. Second runner up with “The Right Time” on a WTC postcard is John Williams-Searle: The Right Time When the elevator stopped…