Before I began writing novels, this was a question I often asked myself. I thought novelists belonged to a special kind of club only accessible if you knew someone already in it. I had only written short stories up until then and I wrote alone – I thought that was how it should be done. … Continue reading Is it ‘who you know’, or ‘what you know’? Does having industry contacts help a writer get a book deal?
Guest post: My Writing Day by Sam Carrington
This is the first of what I hope will be a series of posts, where I take a peek into the writing life of published authors. Today, I welcome the lovely Sam Carrington, who talks us through a typical writing day. Over to you, Sam. I feel privileged to be able to write full time … Continue reading Guest post: My Writing Day by Sam Carrington
How I Got My Literary Agent (Part two)
If you haven’t read my last post about my experiences of submitting manuscripts to literary agents, click here to read the back story. If you have (and thank you!) then you might recall I’d written another manuscript (The Boy at the Window) based on a family who never left the house. This was from the … Continue reading How I Got My Literary Agent (Part two)
How I Got My Literary Agent (Part one)
Apologies in advance for this long post. If you’re a writer seeking an agent, then you’ll understand that it’s a long ‘journey’ (sorry – that’s so X Factor). I’ve put this in two parts, so as not to lose your interest. And, actually, in some ways, it is a bit like X Factor. In June … Continue reading How I Got My Literary Agent (Part one)
As One Would
My good friend Lydia and I went to see the amazing Margaret Atwood last week. She talked about her recent novel Hag Seed, which is based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Lydia and I celebrated (writers celebrate EVERYTHING!) with these: So, although I did make some notes, they are largely jibberish and a shorthand of a … Continue reading As One Would
99 Red Balloons in Preston!
Okay - so maybe more than ninety-nine..... This has been created as part of the Lancashire Encounter Festival by environmental artist Steve Messam in Preston city centre. Made up of 4000 red balloons, this installation forms The Red Rose of Lancashire. Amazing! PS - Welcome to my new blog! And my first ever post … Continue reading 99 Red Balloons in Preston!
