I decided to start this blog to journal my experience of having my first novel published. I hope to encourage other debut writers and receive advice from those who know the process. Reaching this point has been both exciting and hard work. I’ve discovered there is no blue print though I’ve masses of books and have attended many courses in an effort to find one.
In addition to developing the stamina to write, research and keep going, I’ve made friends with a variety of people I wouldn’t otherwise have met. That may well be the best bit.
Editing the novel
Last September, I emailed Jan at Cinnamon Press the final draft of A Time for Peace. Before the end of 2015, I sent her the map of Serbia my niece, Rachel Duckhouse drew, as well as a list of acknowledgements, a brief account of the Historical Background and the...
Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones
'Freeing the Writer Within' by Natalie Goldberg was one of the many books I used to inspire me. Natalie noted a connection between the physical act of moving the pen and the heart that moves it. It helps get away from the rational side of the brain which can be overly...
My scribblings…
I currently have two writing notebooks: one for prose, the other for poetry. A Time for Peace was written on A4 size and I chose vivid covers: pinks, blues, patterns. A notebook is a safe place to play. Some writers carry one with them. Others make notes on their...
Flora Sandes, an inspiration…
When I read that during the First World War in Serbia, a British woman became a soldier I was fascinated. I looked up her story and my first attempt at this novel, was of my own hero, Ellen Frankland, becoming a soldier. Only I wanted her to face more obstacles. I...
Copyright
The material on this website is copyright to the credited writer/poet or me. Please ask my permission to use my poems or short stories. I am happy for you to quote from the blog posts but please credit me and provide a link to this site.
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