Usually, when I sit at my desk in the morning, it is to silence. There is no music, the phone is ignored and no one is around. Essentially, I work to exam conditions (but without a scary exam lady watching over me). I need to be free of distractions to be able to turn inside…
Category: Story ideas
Creative Bubble
Today is the first day of a long weekend and, as I don’t usually work Tuesdays, this means I have the next four days off work. Four days of no commitments. Four days of sleep-ins and doing whatever I want. While many Australians will use the long weekend to go away camping or down the…
Softcopy
A group of Australian emerging writers recently published an eclectic collection of short stories. To confirm for yourself that the future of books is not dead, have a look here.
The 26 Challenge
As this time of year is all about resolutions, I thought I’d throw mine into the mix. BUT…with a little twist. Rather than trying to change my behaviours, I’ve decided to expand on what I already do, pushing myself further. To do this, I’ve set myself a series of challenges. Read 26 books. This one…
Welcome to NaNoWriMo 2017
There is just one day to the start of NaNoWriMo 2017 and while I won’t be participating this year (I am currently mid-manuscript), I thought I’d share a few things I learnt last year. Work with your most developed story idea. This might seem obvious, but it can be tempting to begin writing the story…
Fictional research – yes, it does exist
All fiction, regardless of genre, requires some research. This may be choosing a spot in the middle of the Pacific to create your own island nation, discovering if it’s physically possible for a plane to fly five times the speed of sound, or finding a common Scottish name for your hero. There might be small…
The writing retreat
I am halfway through my week long writing retreat and I have to say that so far, this works for me. The days a so long that I feel like I’ve already overextended my stay and my worries seemed to have fallen- out of the car somewhere along the drive here. Each day, I stay…
Tools to help you write (pen excluded)
Listening to a great song can make you run up a hill faster. Silence can focus your concentration during an exam. And candlelight can bolster romantic feelings during a special dinner. Like all these pairings, there are certain things which support the act of writing. Here’s a list of situations and activities which I have…
WOW! I want to write a book!
When I tell people that I am writing a book, I get one of three standard responses; 1) I could never do that, 2) Do I have a great story idea for you? Or 3) Oh, wow! I’ve always wanted to do that. The people in the first category are probably the smart ones…
Meeting your protagonist
There are countless articles and writing courses that tell you to know you main characters before you start writing. Not just what they will do throughout the manuscript, but why they do those things. What is their motivation, history, personality? The list goes on. The need to know your character like you would a friend…
jennicurry 