Writing

Beginnings…

Endings are vital… satisfactory endings are compulsory but beginnings have to leap off the page and grab your reader. The words have to mesmerise them and pull them in under your spell. My favourite book: “The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn’t dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood’s at all.” […]

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FARHOLM

I was very grateful to the Weston Mercury for writing this article about me, and including a picture! It’s not quite true, however that I was inspired by Steep Holm and Flat Holm – the names were a trigger certainly, but although Farholm Island is an English island, I got more inspiration from Rathlin Island […]

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Paring and pruning

I am continuing to edit ‘The Stalking of Rosa Czekov’. I’m about half way through reading it out loud to myself, cutting out repetitions… of which I seem particularly fond. When I write I have a commentary running in my head which is in normal spoken English  with sentences beginning with ‘and’ and ‘but’, words repetitive for audible emphasis as one would in […]

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Telling a book by its cover

If your book is accepted by a publisher, the choice of cover may not be under your control. What a daunting prospect when it is though! Self-publishing loads all the responsibility onto the author. it is exciting… but anxiety inducing. What picture? What style? What would speak for your book, what would attract your readers, pull them into […]

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Now to do a little editing

I wrote the stalking of Rosa Czekov some years ago but have edited and polished it at various times;  Rosa is one of my novels that I have sent off on numerous occassions to editors and agents without success. I have faith in my story though, and I think it deserves a wider audience. I […]

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