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Nigel Edwards

Goodreads Author

Born

Enugu, Nigeria

Website

https://nigeledwards.wordpress.com/

Twitter

NigelEdwards3

Genre

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction

Influences

J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchet and loads of others ...more

Member Since

May 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/wildlegend

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Born a long time ago in a distant country, Nigel is Welsh but living in England with his wife plus the occasional child or pet (currently we have a pair of rabbits).

Nigel has been a spare-time writer since around 2005 (give or take a year), and has been published by Indie Press names NewCon Press (Ian Whates) and Greyheart Press (Tim Taylor).

For a living Nigel works as a software tester/manager in the IT industry, sometimes in London, sometimes elsewhere.

Nigel's ambition is to become a world famous author and then retire to the romantic coastline of Cornwall. Until then, Nigel just puts up with having to be nice to employers and potential employers. ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Nigel Edwards As my answer to a previous question said, I generally have at least 2 projects on the go. When writer's block strikes for one of them (and it invariab…moreAs my answer to a previous question said, I generally have at least 2 projects on the go. When writer's block strikes for one of them (and it invariably does, somewhere down the line) I simply switch to the other. Of course, there are occasions when I can't think what to write for any project. In that rare circumstance I'm fortunate that (to date) I just don't feel any stress about it at all. If I were a full time professional with deadlines to meet, I'm sure it would be different!(less)

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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Nigel Edwards There are several things that any writer, aspiring or not, should consider:

1. Read. Doesn't matter what, just read. Back of a cereal packet, cartoons …moreThere are several things that any writer, aspiring or not, should consider:

1. Read. Doesn't matter what, just read. Back of a cereal packet, cartoons in newspapers, Shades of Grey, War and Peace, whatever. Reading is one of the best ways to learn. Even when we're not paying especial attention to what it is we're looking at, we are still absorbing things subconsciously: sentence structures, word choices, alternative grammar, transatlantic spelling. Advertisements, for example, are a great source for learning how to encapsulate messages concisely using misdirection, humour and lying.

2. Join a writer's group and LISTEN to what's said. Now, not all such groups will suit all writers, so you may need to try out one or two before you find the one that's right for you, but persevere because the rewards are well worth it.

With such a group you will likely need to grow a thick skin. You will need to be able to critique the work of others, which is a thing I still find incredibly hard to do. I'm always worried I might upset or offend somebody by saying "Nope, you didn't get that right". Try not to be like a certain Strictly Come Dancing judge, and avoid being cruel!

But third-party, constructive criticism is, in my opinion, the absolute best way any writer can improve. If you wrote something and everybody said "Yep, that's great", what would be the result? You'd probably just keep re-writing the same thing over and over again, which means your talent might never grow and, when your work is eventually placed in front of a larger audience, you might well end up feeling a right idiot when it turns out that the wider public thinks your writing is rubbish.. Far better to receive "Yes, that's good, but, have you considered..." because then you have something to build on in your next project.

3. When no literary agency or publishing house is prepared to give you the time of day, but you (and your peers, hopefully) are convinced your work is up to the mark, do it yourself. Be brave and go down the self-publishing route (though be careful of vanity publishing, unless you've got loads of money to burn, aren't at all bothered about who actually reads your work, and don't care if your fellow writers disparage you).

4. Don't expect to become rich or famous.

5. Don't 'borrow' from other writers. Of course, no writer can honestly claim they've never been influenced by others, but do your best to make your work your own, and not just a pale imitation of Dracula or Wuthering Heights. By all means write about vampires but be inventive. I don't, personally, like the Twilight books (or TV series) but the author certainly came up with a great, commercial idea and (importantly) delivered on it.

6. When you've reached the end of your project, you've self-reviewed, edited, crossed all the i's and dotted all the t's, DON'T PUBLISH IT! Put it away for a few weeks or (better) months, then re-read it again. Re-check your spolling and grimmer (DON'T rely on a spell-checker!) Try reading it aloud. Try getting somebody else to read it aloud while you listen to how it sounds (regardless of whether it's a short story, novel, TV play, radio script or whatever). You'd be amazed at how much better your work can become.

7. Keep writing. Keep smiling. Keep believing you are worth it - oh, sorry, that's fashion make up, isn't it? Well, you know what I mean.(less)

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Combine Editions
Nigel Edwards’s books

Average rating: 3.35 · 113 ratings · 39 reviews · 54 distinct works

	Garrison (a military fantasy novelette) 3.35 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Waif 2.86 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Badger’s Waddle 3.40 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ferryman 3.80 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cookie Tin 3.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Snorky's Moll really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Scrapdragon Book 1 - An Adventure Begins: A Tom-Tom Burrow Adventure really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cookie Tin Collection liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Triumph of Hope over Experience: Lessons from the history of reorganisation liked it 3.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	PRISM - Exiles 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Nigel Edwards…

26 posts
Nigel Edwards's Blog

2016

My Reflections on 2016

And so, one year ends and another begins. But has it been a good year? One to cherish or one to throw in a box, hide the box in a cupboard, lock the cupboard, send the cupboard into long-term storage for our distant ancestors to discover and marvel at what we all put up with?

That, as always, depends on your personal point of view, what you value and what your values are. Here

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