It’s often said that if a writer’s heart isn’t in the words she’s putting down, readers will know when they come to read them. This is entirely true. Happily, having first readers and a professional editor, if I skimp on detail to get to (what I perceive as) ‘the really good bit’, there are plenty […]
After those first grim weeks of the new year, spring is finally on the way. And with it, for me, a pleasant outbreak of Social Life. Last night I was up in London for the star-studded Orion authors’ party, where I indulged in my traditional pastimes of attempting to drink my weight in free champagne, […]
Though I don’t get out much, yesterday evening I had cause to walk into the centre of our village, and on the way I passed a house which usually has the curtains drawn, but for once, didn’t. It’s a Victorian end-terrace, and always sports extravagant displays of lights and other tat at Christmas, Hallowe’en and […]
I’m a bit unusual, writing-wise. For me, the part of the story-making process that other writers enjoy most – the rush of creating that first draft – can be like nailing jelly to the ceiling while shitting melons. Revising is far easier and less painful. And actual editing of an ‘almost-there’ story – something that […]
Though I’m careful to apply the Cup of Tea Rule* to any reviews of my work that I come across, some comments do stay with me. It tends to be the negative ones, which isn’t my natural glass-half-empty nature so much as a reflection of many years giving and receiving critiques. Positive comments may warm […]
Here, in a not quite exclusive (cybermage saw it first) is the cover of Bringer of Light, by graphic artist Nik Keevil: Having bribed you with pretty (and it is very pretty – definitely the best Hidden Empire cover yet), I’m now going break the news that the book is going to be late. It’s […]
If you go strictly on metrics that’s about how far I’ve now got with Queen of Nowhere. Approximately two thousand words out of a contracted hundred thousand. Not much, but a start. Of course, as any writer will tell you, writing a novel doesn’t actually work like that. Though I’ve never tried to calculate what […]
(a) love (b) novels I can’t speak with much authority when it comes to (a). Or perhaps I can, given I was lucky enough to score a win there early on. But that’s not what this blog is for. As for (b) … how very true. Possibly thanks to apprehension about tackling this new and […]
I have to confess I’ve been pretty lazy this last week. The sum total of writing-related work I’ve done has been a little background reading on codebreaking and jotting down the odd ‘imaginary bet’. I have also watched more bad TV than in the previous twelve months combined. And now I’m going to point you […]
… for the festive season, whichever festival(s) you celebrate.
There’s plenty of people I don’t have time for but today I feel moved to mention two women of my acquaintance who live at the ‘gold star’ end of my mental filing system. The first is my editor, Jo Fletcher. Or rather, my ex-editor, as today is her last day at Gollancz. I will always […]