Roadblocks
It used to be that I’d write the first third of a novel, stop and then give up. I’d have thirty or forty thousand words in the bag but I’d get to this stage and feel … like something was off. I...
View ArticleThe Year of Hard Work – February Report
So we’re already two months into the year. It’s going fast, isn’t it? February was always going to be a big test for me. January was about shooting out of the gate and getting a load written....
View ArticleThe Year Of Hard Work – March Report
A quarter of the way through the year and things are going pretty well. My aim was to get half a million words written this year and I’m already about half-way there. My YTD target for March was...
View ArticleLessons Learnt – Why I’m An Idiot This Month
So far this year I’ve been blogging very much about the things that have been going right. I know some of my friends have become secretly a little sick about hearing about my insane word count. But a...
View ArticleThe Year Of Hard Work – April Report
April saw the Year of Hard Work take a marked change as I moved from first drafts to editing and submissions. With hindsight I think I could have handled this a little better. Project 4S surprised me...
View ArticleThe Year Of Hard Work – May Report
I feel like I’ve been very lax lately. Just writing this blog post feels like a lot of work. I worked hard until Easter and then found myself treading water until I went Storm Chasing in May. Of...
View ArticleYear Of Hard Work – June Report
In many ways, June was a funny old month. From the perspective of my overall plan for the year, June was to be the month I knuckled back down after May’s storm chasing adventures. My slow April had...
View ArticleThe Year Of Hard Work – July Report
Things have been pretty quiet on the blog in the last month but that’s not because I’ve not been working hard, but because I’ve been focusing on the rewrite. Whereas previous months have a wide number...
View ArticleThe Year Of Hard Work – September Report
No matter how well you plan or hard you work, there will be times when it all goes a bit wrong. August was one of those months for me. Pressure got to me and my work suffered because of it. What...
View ArticleNaNoWriMo Preparation Article
NaNoWriMo begins this weekend and I recently did this article for Fantasy-Faction on prepping for the big event. Be sure to check it out. http://fantasy-faction.com/2015/preparing-for-nanowrimo
View Article2015 – The Year Of Hard Work
2015 was my Year of Hard Work. I had quite a simple philosophy, it would be the year I knuckle down and work my arse off. I’d follow up any opportunity and keep my irons in every available fire, so to...
View ArticleNew Fantasy-Faction Article
Over at Fantasy-Faction I have a new article up that would benefit anyone currently struggling with their writing. I give you the one piece of advice you’ll need this year to propel you and your...
View ArticleBaby Steps
I’ll be honest… the writing 2016 is off to a slow start. Part of it is simply being busy on other things but a significant chunk is that after writing 600,000 words in 2015, my brain needs to recharge....
View ArticleGetting Started In Scrivener
For all those of you who are budding authors or short story writers, I’ve started the first in a series of articles I plan to write this year on using Scrivener. I think it’s a great tool but I found...
View ArticleOutlining In Scrivener
Just to let everyone know that my latest article for Fantasy-Faction went live at the end of last month covering the subject of outlining in Scrivener. Be sure to check it out!
View ArticleUsing Scrivener To Store Your Research And Notes
With May taken over with preparation and execution of my 2016 storm chase I’ve been remiss in letting everyone know about my latest Fantasy-Faction article. In it, I look at how you can use Scrivener...
View ArticleThe Micro And The Macro – The Climb #50
Sunday 12th March 2017 I had originally planned that issue 50 of The Climb would be my manifesto issue, where I would state my objectives and aims as a writer. But then I realised that my blog post on...
View ArticleWriters Are Inefficient – The Climb #52
Tuesday 14th March 2017 I’ve discovered that most writers are incredibly inefficient. It’s a criticism I’m also guilty of. I’ve done loads of work over the last couple of years to change from a...
View ArticleLevelling Up – The Climb #54
Thursday 16th March 2017 First day back at work after my forced illness break and I ‘ve been feeling the worst I’ve felt all week. I feel like I have a head cold. My throat is so sore I’ve almost lost...
View ArticlePattern Recognition – The Climb #55
Friday 17th March 2017 If you’re trying to understand what I’m trying to do in this window between rewrites and submission, I think today’s issue gives some real depth. Many years ago I worked for a...
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