By Tom: Following on from previous deliberations about how to choose a project, another common dilemma that writers face is whether to write for love or write for money. Framing the question in that way is a misrepresentation, of course, as the most desirable outcome is to do both. However, most writers feel this conflict. […]
How to handle rejection
By Tom Rejection is an inevitable part of writing – an inevitable part of life, actually – so developing strategies for coping with repeated rejections without letting them drag you down psychologically is an important step for professional and personal development. I have some experience with this. Academic publishing is a very effective crucible for […]
The unbearable expectations of the first line
By Tom: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again. Last night, I tried for the hundredth time to craft the perfect first sentence. Do you know what I ended up with? I ended up with: “Master Bascombe?” That took me an hour to settle on. I’m not sure it will be making any […]
‘From Pipedream to Publication’ – some useful takeaways
By Teika: A short while back I had the pleasure of being involved in a panel-type discussion called ‘From Pipedream to Publication’ which was part of ‘Word Up!’ A Festival of Words (supported by Market Place), taking place in March, Cambridgeshire. The event was organized by Jane Levicki of Eyrie Press, and my fellow panelists […]
Coping with self-doubt during saggy middles
By Tom: Urgh. I can’t write for shit. And I’m bored of this character. Maybe I should just abandon this lost cause and start on the new idea that’s been keeping me up for the last few nights. That book could really be something; if only I were talented enough to write it. Self-doubt is […]
Cultivating inspiration
By Tom: I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning — Peter DeVries. We all love flow. The muse is with us, whispering the perfect words into our mind’s ear, we can hardly type fast enough to get the ideas out and discover what our characters […]