Unlike a big bass drum, you can’t beat a good metaphor …I love metaphors. I delight in creating them so that they fit exactly into their context and paint a picture for the reader.I recently ran a workshop for my local writers’ group, Anderida Writers, on the minting of new metaphors. We looked at a bunch of tired metaphors and similes, the clichés we all strive […]

The second novel in a trilogyAt the risk of repeating myself …I’m over 60,000 words into the second novel in my crime thriller trilogy. One of the issues I’ve been grappling with is the need or otherwise to remind the reader of what happened to whom in the first book. Not that my second book is […]

A standalone novel or a series?Which is most likely to grab the attention of agent?I think that what impresses agents most is great writing. Not all of us can produce that, at least not all of the time. We hope that part of what we write is impressive. We always know there’ll be polishing to […]

I recently took the plunge and commissioned a manuscript appraisal for my novel. It was a significant step because there’s a cost involved and, like all of us, I wanted to feel there’d be real value in making the investment. I’m glad to say there was.

How a writing group can help develop skillsI’ve been a member of my local writing group, Anderida Writers, for over a decade. I’d recommend anyone who wants to develop their writing skills to join a club or group and share their work and experiences with other writers.Typically, a writing group will hold workshops and bring […]

I can’t tell you how helpful it was to have readers who were prepared to read through my novel and provide constructive feedback.