Geri Schear's Blog

November 26, 2025

Waking your Writing Mode

The internet, that marvel of modern science, is full of opinions and suggestions regarding writing and the creative spirit. This morning, as I was scrolling through the platform formerly known as Twitter, I read that if you are in a creative slump you should:

Take a shower. It never fails, said the Twit. Alas, it doesn’t work for me. I’m more concerned with how to bend down — I’m a woman of certain years, you understand — to scrub my feet. Or how to keep the shampoo out of my eyes. Or staying warm in the frozen wasteland otherwise known as my bathroom. Still, it may work for you, so I pass it on in hopes that you may find it useful.

Play your main character’s theme music. I like the idea of this. Then I spent several weeks listening to various tunes trying to select the right piece of music. I gave up in the end. Still, you may have better luck.

This one, from a well-known author, suggests that plot is overrated and we should focus exclusively on character. So if you want to write a story about half-a-dozen interesting people stuck in a lift (elevator) for several hours, you have a future bestseller on your hands. But as I learned from Reginald Rose, author of 12 Angry Men, a good story still needs conflict and drama of some sort.

Turn criticism into creativity. Hmm. I have to admit, I like the idea of this one. However, like most people, I suspect, criticism tends to freeze me. If it does get me moving, I’m apt to swing too far in the opposite direction. Tell me a character is too nice and I’ll be sure to turn her into a serial killer. Or that the novel is too long, it will probably end up as a short story. I’m exaggerating, but only slightly.

Success is the best revenge. This is true, but there is an obvious caveat: you have to, you know, actually succeed in order to reap that revenge. I know, I know, the idea is to motivate yourself towards success so that you can avenge yourself on your enemies, real or imagined. That said, if it keeps your bum on your seat and your fingers on the keys, have at it!

Tickle your olfactory. Some writers swear by keeping some familiar scent that tells their subconscious that it’s time to write. I’m allergic to scented candles generally, and I’m not fond of the idea of a drawer full of wrinkled old apples, but if you can find the right odour and it works for you, well, who am I to sniff at it.

And my favourite. Create a space for writing. A desk and a chair, ideally, but some writers wrote standing up, or in bed, or even in the bathtub (how did they keep the paper dry?). Make it relaxing and inviting and as quiet as possible. Make it a place where you are not allowed to play games or chat with friends. Just write. If you do this consistently, the idea is it will have the same impact on your creative receptors as the word, ‘Walkies!’ has on your spaniel.

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Published on November 26, 2025 10:31

November 18, 2025

Rhythm in Writing

Last week, my post came to an abrupt halt thanks to my intermittent internet. We seem all right today, so I mean to continue on as originally planned.

As you may recall, last week I wrote about rhythm of writing or, more accurately, the rhythms of a writer’s life. This week, I want to focus on how writing, good writing, has rhythms of its own. If you’ve never noticed this or thought about it, that’s all right. Most people don’t unless they are struggling to write themselves and cannot figure out why their writing seems flat.

While novels are not poetry or music, they should still have a rhythm. To see what I mean, try this exercise: write a piece of about 8-10 sentences. Each sentence should run about the same length and take the same form. For instance, “I woke up. I got dressed. I went to work…” You can imagine how a whole paragraph like this would make your brain go numb and your eyes feel like they are bleeding.

An even better example is the character Uncle Colm (played by Kevin McAleer) in Derry Girls. You will find clips on YouTube, if you haven’t already encountered this show. Uncle Colm is the most boring man who ever lived. Listen to him speak. His delivery is a monotone. The stories he relates are meandering inanities. In the hands of the actor, however, the monotony becomes hilarious.

Of course, if you were to read such ramblings on the page, you would either fall asleep or toss the book into the bin. There is no rhythm in a straight line.

Rhythm is about making your sentences rise and fall, like the undulating Irish countryside. Understand, I’m talking about the structure of the sentences and the paragraphs, not the content. The rhythm of a narrative should contain sentences of different length, and these sentences should vary in how they are structured. The same is true of paragraphs. It’s fine to follow a longish paragraph with a short one.

Like this.

Or to use repetition.

Like this.

Not only should the rhythm flow through the sentences, but the sentences should create a visual pattern. No one willingly reads an entire page of prose that is essentially one l-o-n-g paragraph. As an example, look at this blog post through narrowed eyes after you have finished reading it. Look at the way the text is jagged with very brief passages and longer ones. See what I mean?

As an example of true musicality, here is a passage from one of my favourite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. (If you haven’t read it — and why not? — this is something of a spoiler.)

Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird

Look at that long first sentence, it contains 13 words. The second sentence, in contrast, contains just 4 words. This is followed by another long, then another short sentence. You can see the rhythm as clearly as if it were being played on a drum by Phil Collins.

To understand rhythm, read how it is handled by wonderful writers. Look at your own favourite books and see where the rhythm is.

Here’s another of my favourite writers, Aharon Appelfeld, in his magnum opus about the Holocaust, Badenheim 1939:

“An engine, an engine coupled to four filthy freight cars, emerged from the hills and stopped at the station… ‘Get in!’ yelled invisible voices. And the people were sucked in”.

See how, here, Appelfeld find rhythm inside the sentences. The repetition of the word ‘engine’. Then the ‘get in’ is followed by ‘sucked in’. The sentences seem to rumble, like a train engine on a discouraging track. Look where the verbs are and how the content combined with the rhythm creates a sense of foreboding.

Another element that creates rhythm is the pause, or caesura. Generally speaking, it’s most commonly used in poetry, but you can find it in music too. A great example is the song, I’ve Got You Under My Skin by the fabulous Cole Porter (that man could write!). Can you guess where the caesura comes in this verse? It’s pretty obvious:

“Don’t you know little fool, you never can win?
Use your mentality, wake up to reality”
But each time that I do, just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
‘Cause I’ve got you under my skin”

Did you figure it out? Yes, it’s right after the ‘stop’.

This is also used in the song, Love will Keep us Together in the line, ‘Stop! Cause I really love you. Stop!’ If you’ve ever seen the film ‘Get Over It’, the opening credits use this song to great affect, with star Ben Foster pausing every time the word ‘STOP!’ is said. Uh, sung.

In the Harper Lee quote above, it would come right after, ‘and our lives.’

In prose it can be harder to detect, but if you try reading passages out loud, your voice will pause automatically when you reach those moments. Alternatively, listen to some audio books. Hearing a great actor finding the music in prose is a joy to behold.

The caesura will add to the rhythm of your writing, but it also allows the reader to some strong statement you just made. Think of the famous Hamlet speech, To Be or Not To Be. The pause comes right after, ‘that is the question.’ It allows Hamlet and the audience to consider what he has just said, if only for a moment.

Get used to reading your work out loud. Pay attention to the way it sounds. While all the elements of fiction remain important: characterisation, plot, and so on, it’s easy to focus on the twists and turns of the story, but don’t forget the hills and valleys of your narrative.

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Published on November 18, 2025 22:31

November 11, 2025

The Rhythms of Writing

When I was a teenager, the big thing was ‘biorhythms’. If you were having a bad day, it was put down to your biorhythms. If you couldn’t get your hair to look right, biorhythms. Or if you failed an exam or your driving test — you guessed it. Biorhythms.

You don’t hear about them anymore. They’ve been replaced by other more hip terms, no doubt just as authentic.

As you probably figured out, I’m not a believer in this sort of psycho-mumbo-jumbo. Even that bastion of reliability, Wikipedia, (NOT) calls it pseudo-science. However, I have noticed that there are definite peaks and troughs throughout the writer’s life. These can be from year to year, but they can also be hour by hour.

There are days when the words don’t come. I can sit and stare at the notepad or the computer screen, and… nothing. An hour later, or the next day and whoosh! Your fingers can’t move fast enough to get the story down.

I bet I know what some of you are thinking: if the words don’t flow, then there’s no point in trying. I should take the day off and hope tomorrow will be better. Right?

No!

If you were a lawyer, would you tell the judge and your client that you just weren’t feeling it that day, and they would have to defer the case for a day or two? You can imagine how that would work, can’t you? Or if you were a doctor, would you cancel a surgery because you were having a bad day? Of course not.

“But,” some of you say, “That’s different. I’m creative! Rules don’t apply to people like me.”

So, does that mean you don’t have to pay rent or a mortgage, like a normal person? Or buy groceries? Or make dinner.

Buckle up, Buttercup, the real world doesn’t give a toss for your ‘creative’ muse.

Writing is a job, and if you hope to succeed, you need to treat it that way.

Well, friends, I had intended this piece to be rather longer & to cover other aspects of rhythm in the writing world. However, my internet is being temperamental, so I shall have to leave things there.

Let’s hope that normal services will resume by next week.

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Published on November 11, 2025 22:31

November 4, 2025

Best Gifts for Writers

We’re galloping towards that time of year again. Lighting candles, hanging tinsel, exchanging gifts.

Speaking of gifts, I thought I’d share some ideas with you of the sort of thing you might consider getting for the writer in your life. If you yourself are a writer, print off this post and leave it in an obvious place, perhaps underlying the item(s) that particularly appeals. As for me, well, no, of course I’m not dropping any hints. Would I do that? Ahem.

Anyway, here are a few of my favourites gift ideas. They range from the very expensive to the stocking-stuffer variety.

Community Items

These are unquestionably expensive, but will be greatly appreciated by almost any writer. These include a stay in a writer’s retreat or membership in a writer’s organisation or group. If the local writers’ group requires a fee, you could pay that for a year, for instance.

If your writer is a playwright, or just a theatre fan, you could look into getting them access to a theatre workshop, or just treat them to some theatre tickets. Likewise, membership in an artists group or a photography club, if their interests run in those directions, would be welcome.

Tools

In general, these are not as pricey as the items above, but it depends on what you pick and how much you want to spend. All of them are guaranteed to help the writer uh, write.

So, if they need one, how about a new laptop? Or would they prefer a typewriter? (I’d love a typewriter. Just saying.) Or if the budget won’t stretch that far, how about a writer’s planner? Here’s a good one.

You might consider grammar guides, a book of style and standards (The Elements of Style by William Strunk is a classic), or a book of English usage (Fowler’s Modern English Usage is unbeatable, and can be a fun read, if you enjoy words.)

Fun Stuff

These won’t break the bank, and will be appreciated by your budding Hemingway. For instance, writers’ mugs. You can order these online from a variety of places. They come with slogans such as, This is what a published author looks like, or Don’t be alarmed by my browser history; I’m a writer, not a serial killer, or I’m an author: I dream while awake. I bought one from Zazzle years ago, and I still use it.

One caveat about ordering online: make sure to read the reviews before you part with any cash. Sometimes you don’t get what you’d expected. I should add that the one I bought from Zazzle was perfect.

Other fun items include, ‘Do not Disturb’ signs, pens, notebooks, etc. Moleskine notebooks look professional, they have narrow feint lines, which are my favourite, and they are light enough to fit into a (large) pocket or a handbag. They come in a variety of colours, as you will see in the image below.

I should add, too, that Moleskine also produces sketchpads, organisers, journals, and a host of other goodies. They will also personalise your gift for a few pence more.

Notebooks come in all shapes and sizes, of course. They can be large, life-organisers, funny, thought-provoking, or just functional. There really is one for every taste. I’m surprised no one has yet produced a psychological analysis based on what kind of notebook you select. (I’m a simple black Moleskine. What does that tell you?)

By the same token, you can find pens that run from pennies to thousands of pounds. A selection of nice, but not too luxurious pens will make any writer’s heart beat faster. Again, though, if you’re ordering online, make sure you know what you’re getting.

Something else I like are stickers. Yes, I am still five years old. But you can get these specifically for writers, or for people who want to stay organised, or just to give them a laugh. You can get these for pennies and I think most people would appreciate them.

For Writers and…

Many writers are also artists, photographers, teachers, and so forth. Perhaps you might get them a new set of paints. I have expensive tastes here and I love Daniel Smith or Michael Hardings watercolours and oils. Paintbrushes, canvas, sketchpads, and so forth will be appreciated by any artist. Alternatively, a selection of drawing pencils will always be welcome. A new camera or a set of lenses or filters will gladden the heart of any photographer. Though I should add that many photographers would prefer to select their own, so if you don’t mind spoiling the surprise, you should ask them for a wish list before you part with your hard earned cash.

Most people will appreciate a good messenger bag. They come in canvas, leather, fake-leather (they tend to call it ‘PU’ which, to my mind should be pronounce Pee-ew! Have you smelled that stuff?) You can get male or female specific, or unisex. Some even have room for a laptop, A sturdy bag is great for writers who like to write in the local library or in a café . Your writer can also tote a camera, art supplies, and a host of other goodies if the bag is big enough and has enough pockets. Lots of pockets, please!

Finally

Books. Lots of books. Books about writing. Novels. Books about books. Did I mention books?

And not to plug my own books (much), if your writer is a Sherlock Holmes fan, they might like my collection of books of the Holmes Diaries. In order from left to right, they are:

Happy shopping!

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Published on November 04, 2025 22:31

October 28, 2025

Lessons Learned from Writing Success

Before I begin, I want to tell you that this post is not meant as a ‘woe is me’ rant, but as caution to writers about some of the downsides to the early stages of writing success. I was blindsided by some of the things I experienced in those early days, so I’m hoping that by sharing some of those thing, that you will be better prepared than I was.

Decreased Opportunities

For many years, I identified myself as a beginning writer. I had seen a poem or two and a handful of short stories published, and I’d finished well in a number of competitions. I was still a beginner, but I was making progress.

Then, suddenly, it all changed. I won a big writing competition and a short while later, had my first novel accepted for publication. I was flying high for some time. Well, I’m sure you can imagine it: all my dreams seemed to be coming true. The book sold well and I got blisters from patting myself on the back. I may not have been sitting in the front row, but at least I wasn’t at the back any more. It took some time to realise these seats weren’t nearly as comfortable as the ones I’d been used to.

Although I was unaware of it at the time, I later realised that there’s a lot to be said for being a beginning writer. First among these are writing opportunities. There are, for instance, competitions designed just for beginners; classes and books aimed specifically for people at the early stage of professional writing; and a fairly decent amount of support available. The seats of the beginner may be at the back, but they’re very comfy.

High Expectations

At first the changes seemed positive. Now, when someone asked, usually in a snide tone, if I was a published novelist, I could smirk and reply in the positive. I was even asked for my autograph once or twice. But then I started to notice how some people reacted badly to my success. I wasn’t rubbing it in their faces, honest, but when asked what I’d written, and I was able to answer honestly, some people became cranky. As if my success had robbed them of something. Worse were the friends or, I should say, former-friends. There were the ones who made excuses such as, “Oh, anyone can get published these days.” Or, “I’m surprised anyone would want to read it.”

Then there were the grifters. The ones who said, Now you are a published novelist, you must be rich. I need a new house, car, loan… Or the ones who offered me €50 to ghost write their life story. Others gave me their manuscripts and expected me to ‘fix’ them — as a friend, you understand. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the people who asked me to introduce them to my agent / publisher because it\’s all about who you know. You know?

Hitting a Plateau

I’m sure you’ve heard about those second-book woes. It’s no secret that some people who had great success with their first novel, never wrote another. The thing is, if you wait until you got book one accepted to start writing book two, you’re going to be unnecessarily stressed. As much as possible, try to get that second book started almost as soon as you have finished writing the first. I say this now, but I didn’t actually do it myself. After years of sending my writing to various publishers, I was thrown for a great big loop-de-loop when the acceptance finally came. After the parties, the streamers, and the champagne, came the ice cold water of expectation with the question, what do you plan to write next?

Uh…

Earlier, I compared writing success with moving up theatre seats, but a better analogy would be climbing up a long flight of steps. We all begin at ground level, and with each success we move up, bit by little bit. Only a handful reach the top: Dickens and Hemingway, Tolstoy and Joyce. Most of us are stuck somewhere in the middle. I’m not knocking it. There is much to be grateful for, grifters and high expectations notwithstanding. But knowing that there are some downsides — and there are — can prepare you so you don’t feel ambushed when they happen to you.

To be a beginner is to be in a hurry. We are anxious to grab the prize and clutch it to our bosom. But as someone once said, be careful what you wish for.

One final aspect of potential problem to beware of is the unsuccessful self-publishing route. It isn’t just those who have achieved moderate success who are shut out of many opportunities. A friend of mine, against my advice, self-published his novel. He doesn’t have the sort of personality to get out and publicise his work so, despite how good the story was, it didn’t sell. On top of that, he found himself cut off from many of the resources available to new writers. As a result, he hasn’t written anything else. It’s a shame because he was very talented.

Being a published author is a dream come true for many of us. But even dreams end sometimes, and the waking world can be cold and cruel. Being prepared is the best gift I can give you. No, not my publisher’s number…

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Published on October 28, 2025 23:31

October 21, 2025

Should Writers Use AI?

No. Not if you’re writing fiction, anyway.

What, you want more? All right, let me tell you a story.

Recently, a friend we’ll call Liz received a letter from her ex-husband. It was, well, gushing in tone. Not at all like her dour former spouse. A long paragraph of apology, credible sincerity and came just one daffodil short of nausea.

‘As soon as I read it,’ she told me, ‘I knew he’d written it with AI.’ Liz uses AI in a professional capacity, so she knows what to look for. After some discussion about how she should respond, she eventually sent him a reply… written in AI. ‘I added some Liz,’ she said, laughing, ‘so he wouldn’t be sure that I’d used his own trick.’

That’s the problem with AI: we can tell. Don’t believe me? Watch YouTube and listen to the AI narration. When the robotic voice speaks the year as, ‘One thousand, nine hundred, and seventy-five,’ it’s a dead give-away that this is not a human. Then there are paintings that will turn your photos in a ‘Van Gogh’. Vincent would cut your ears off for making such a claim.

Now don’t get me wrong. AI has its uses. I’m just too old and too curmudgeonly to use it. If I were writing a piece of nonfiction, I might consider using it for a first draft. But for a short story or a novel?

Definitely not.

I should put my hand up and say I have given Grammarly and some other tools an indifferent go, but I just don’t trust them. There’s one whose name I’ve forgotten that has you enter the characters’ names and description and a bunch of stuff about the story, and then it generates a chapter. I tried the free version but gave up after a couple of tries. It seemed like I, the writer, was doing all the scut work and the programme got the fun of the actual writing. That seems a bit back to front to me. The writing is the fun part.

Before I go on, let me say that there are ‘AI’ tools that do not play any part in the creative side of things. There are spellchecks and grammar checkers and thesauruses (thesauri?), and so forth. I use these on occasion, but I never rely on them. Think of it this way: most computer geeks… uh, people are great at doing the techy stuff. You want letters to dance a rumba or a sentence to twinkle like a wand, they are your guys (and girls). But, in the main, grammar and spelling are not their forte.

As a result, you’ll see all sorts of weirdness show up. So as far as those tools are concerned, I would say use them if you wish, but don’t rely on them.

The biggest concern regarding AI tools is using them to write a scene. You can, I am told, tell the programme what the scene should contain, let AI do its thing, and then you can edit it afterwards. However, as my friend Liz demonstrated, people who are familiar with AI will recognise it. In fact, Reddit automatically prohibits the use of AI and will delete it when it shows up. I’m told that editors and publishers do the same thing. In my opinion, that’s not sour grapes or bias, it’s because fiction writing is about far more than simply putting a story down on a page or a screen. For instance:

Voice

We all have our own unique way of writing. We may emulate our favourite authors, but we soon learn that there has already been one Thomas Hardy or a Carson McCullers. We, you and I, are the only ones who can sound like us. That’s something to be cherished. There are subtle identifiers in how we write that breathe through our word usage, in our style choices, and in how we apply the rules of grammar. I’m a pedant so I never misapply the word ‘literally’, unless the character using it doesn’t understand its usage, and I’m still drawn to ‘whom’, though even my most pedantic friends have moved on. Tsk tsk. I like semi-colons, even if they are out of favour, and I use accents in words like naïve and café. See?

Character

At time of writing, no computer can create a brand new individual character. It can come up with a Rhett Butler type, or a sort-of Bridget Jones, but those already exist. Writers are drawn to create our own heroes and villains. Without our creativity, where would we find our next Dracula or Sherlock Holmes?

Fun

I enjoy writing. Admittedly, some times it’s more fun than others, but I do enjoy it nonetheless. Even when it’s tricky, when my characters do something I hadn’t planned, or when the chapter ends with a cliffhanger and I’ve no idea how to get out of it, it’s still fun. I may not be William Shakespeare, but I can be the best me possible. All the errors are mine, but so, too, are the good bits. Not only that, but I develop as I go.

Integrity

If I put my name to a story or a novel, the reader deserves to know that this is my work. Yes, I may have input from a Beta Reader (BFF Jane or Una), but the choices remain mine. Sometimes I take their advice, other times, I decide not to. In the end, it’s up to me, the writer, to decide.

What do you think?

Are you a yay or a nay? Or perhaps you’re one of those who uses some AI tools some of the time. If so, you’re not alone. According to Author Media, around 45% of writers use AI in some capacity or other:

The first story that we have is how many authors are actually using generative AI. Bookbub did a survey of over 1200 authors and trying to figure out what the numbers are of authors who actually use AI and trying to separate it from the noise and the yelling that’s going on on social media right now. And it has found that about 45% of authors who were surveyed are actually using some form of generative AI, whether it’s in their writing, whether it’s in their marketing, whether it’s in their illustrations or what have you. About just under 50% are saying, hard no, don’t plan to, it’s the devil, know, burn the witch. And then just about six or 7% is like, no, but I might in the future. I just don’t really know enough about it yet, I don’t know what to say.

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Published on October 21, 2025 22:31

October 14, 2025

Fear of Editing your Writing

There’s even a name for it. Graphophobia, the fear of editing. Some writers genuinely loathe the idea of editing their own work. Why? It’s probably different for everyone, but I suspect the most common reasons are:

Unfamiliarity with the editing process.Unleashing bad memories of school days.Fear of ruining their first draft.Unease with facing that rough first draft.Being overwhelmed by the size of the task.

You may suffer from any of these issues or a combination of them. If the issue is fear, you can learn to cope with it. Of course, some people don’t like editing because it’s too much like hard work, and they are, frankly, too lazy to be bothered. Others prefer to believe their first draft is perfect and they refuse to consider it might be improved.

What is your issue with editing? Does it really make you break out in a cold sweat? Why is it, do you think?

Editing is an essential part of the writing process. It may seem dull and mechanical, but actually it’s where the magic comes from. I don’t know any writer, be he ever so talented, who can produce a perfect first draft. So, uneasy as it may make you, you need to saddle up and accept it.

You may be tempted to hire someone else to do the editing for you, but there are good reasons why you shouldn’t. For instance,

It’s expensive.You are surrendering your vision to someone else’s, and their interpretation may not match yours.Not all editors-for-hire are equally talented — or reliable (no offense to the many who are excellent).

Let’s look at those reasons why you might be reluctant to face editing and see how you may be able to overcome them.

Unfamiliarity with the editing process

A lot of things relating to writing have developed a certain mystique over the years. Merely the process of writing can seem magical to the uninitiated. Of course, some successful writers are happy to reinforce that notion. Most, though, know that writing can be learned, and, like any art, must be practiced. Nowhere is this truer than in editing.

Take it slowly, one paragraph at a time, or even one sentence at a time if you need. Read it and decide if it gets your meaning across. If you are puzzled by it, you can be sure your readers will too. Decide what the meaning should be and write that, as simply and as concisely as you can. And here’s a tip: it doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as we can understand it, it’s fine.

Fear of the unknown

This is another common cause of fear of editing. The answer to this is obvious: learn as much as you can about editing. Listen to podcasts, read books (I like Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.) You can also get books on grammar and spelling, there are dozens of them around. I should add, however, that if these are your weak spots, such books may seem intimidating. Alternatively, you can also use the spell- and grammar-checks that are in MS Word, but be careful. They have some quirks built in that really get my nanny goat! They’ll tell you ‘some day’ should be all one word, when ‘someday’ and ‘some day’ have different meanings.

These quirks make it essential that you find a good Beta reader or writing group. Not to do your editing for you, but to check that those computer-suggested changes make sense.

Fear of ruining the first draft

This was always my bugbear. When I started writing, I used an Underwood typewriter (or, sometimes, a Remington) to produce my ‘masterpieces’. This process usually took me a long time; I wasn’t much of a typist. Then, having to use editing marks on the manuscript would make me want to cry. It took so long to produce it in the first place.

These days, I’m a touch-typist (thanks, Mum!) and use a computer. The best thing about working electronically is that I’m able to save various drafts of my work. That means, no matter how many changes I make, the first draft is still there.

Even if you write with pen and ink, I’d suggest you photocopy your manuscript, and make your changes on the copy.

Unease with facing that rough first draft

I always think of this in terms of housework. You face a total mess in the kitchen and you don’t know where to begin cleaning it. We all have our own approach. Some of us with put away all the items that belong in cupboards, some will wash the dishes, or wipe down counters. It’s the same with editing. There is no one right place to start. You may decide to review the manuscript for clarity first, or fix the grammar, or something else. Do what feels right to you. I would, though, caution you to work from the big picture to the small. Make sure all the scenes are in place and are clear. Fix holes in the plot or in the characters. Only when that is done should you worry about things like spelling. After all, why take the time to fix the syntax in a scene that you are going to completely rewrite?

Being overwhelmed by the size of the task

I truly relate to this. Looking at a novel of about 300 pages or more can be daunting. But it’s like the old joke about eating an elephant (How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.)

I make a chart of how much work I plan to do in, say, a week. Perhaps I’ll work on so many pages or words a day. Or perhaps I’ll tackle one chapter at a time. If you keep a log and update it each time you edit, you’ll see your progress right in front of you. It’s great motivation.

Remind yourself that today you are just going to read the first three pages (you can make it paragraphs if you prefer) of your story. You can make notes for changes as you go. I often find that I am so caught up in the story that I’ll read many more pages than I had planned. Not always, of course. If the writing is a mess it may take longer than I anticipate.

But as long as you keep your editing to fairly small amounts, it should help you cope with those feelings of being overwhelmed. Better yet, the more you do, the easier it will get. Firstly, you have fewer pages to get through, and secondly, you overcome your resistance by simply doing.

Finally,

Fear is not rational, so I’m not going to insult you by saying you have nothing to be afraid of. Only that your fears can be overcome with some determination, and, I hope, by the support of your friends.

In the end, for all the headaches and anxiety, the end result is worth it.

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Published on October 14, 2025 22:31

October 7, 2025

The Dangers of Falling in Love (with your writing)

“Falling in love with love is falling for make believe,” the old Rodgers and Hart song goes. It’s true in romance; falling for the idea of love rather than a person has broken many a heart. It’s also true in writing when the writer falls in love with a word, a character, or just a concept.

Of the millions of people who think that they may someday write a book, very few will ever begin, and fewer still will succeed. There are many reasons why this is so, but today I want to look at just one: the way that falling in love with your story can hinder your progress.

The Concept

Some would-be writers dally with the a germ of an idea. They can hold on to it for years, keeping it safe and warm in their hearts, never letting it breathe in the sometimes hostile air. Over time it becomes more like a fantasy than a story idea, but don’t you dare tell them that, or there will be hell to pay.

The problem with becoming deeply enamoured with an idea is that you don’t want anything to touch it lest it becomes tainted. If this image were to become part of a novel, it might lose its power. Worse, the very act of creating a logical structure around the idea might reveal how untenable it actually is.

You see this sometimes in two-part TV episodes. Part one ends with a cliff-hanger, but the writers don’t know how to fix it, so they wimp out. Remember Sherlock jumping off the roof of St Bart’s Hospital? Accomplished writers Moffat and Gatiss couldn’t figure out how it was done, so they offered a bunch of increasingly silly ideas, and moved on, hoping no one would notice.

Some people will start to write a story based on their magical concept, but they quickly become stuck. I’ve had many writers (actual, or would-be) ask me for advice, and I make suggestions as to how they might proceed, but in many cases, they don’t want to know. They’ll listen, they’ll nod, and they say that they’ll think about it, but when you ask them in a few months how they’re getting along, they will change the subject. In some way, I’ve tainted the romance by treating it as a mere story idea. Or worse, showing them that the concept as they have imagined it isn’t viable.

Sadly, this is not only the way that love can savage a story.

Prince Charming is not a Character

Falling in love with your characters can be a problem too. After all, you’re supposed to put them through their paces, even kill them off if the story requires it. Hard to do if they are based upon the love of your life — unless you have some strange relationships with real people. And, honestly, it isn’t much better if they are purely a figment of your imagination. It may be worse because these characters are idealised. That means you cannot bear to see them as fully human. Think Prince Charming: it’s his job to rescue Cinderella (or Snow White, or whoever), be handsome, charming, and brave. He never catches a cold. He doesn’t hog the blankets. And he would never, ever lie. As if!

Prince Charming might work in fairy tales, or as a trope, but readers expect more from their fictional characters.

The Perfect Syntax

Let’s say you have an idea and you start writing it. It’s going well. OK, not perfect, but you’re pleased so far. Then you write a sentence that is a joy to behold. Seriously. It makes your mouth water to think that you, yes, you! have crafted such a perfect line. Wow. But, wait, there’s a problem. Perhaps the sentence doesn’t really accomplish anything in the story. Or it doesn’t really lead anywhere. Still, it’s so perfect, why would you cut it?

You may end up with a book full of wonderful sentences that fail to tell a story. Some people may even celebrate your prose, but eloquence isn’t the reason most of us read. We want a story, Mummy!

Another way a perfect sentence can destroy your work is you are determined you will not write another line until you can match it. This, friend, is called making a rod for your own back. One great sentence does not a bestseller make. Nor does a plotless book full of great, but meaningless, sentences. I hate to break it to you, but even classics are full of bad sentences and droning paragraphs. Have you read Henry James? Great stories, but oh my, the man could go on!

The story comes first. Always.

Tough Love

Any decent parent knows the importance of tough love. You give a child, be he ever so adored, everything he wants, and you end up with a spoiled child. Just ask Willy Wonka. In the same way, you will spoil your writing if you don’t take a firm hand with it. That sounded a little perverse. Oops. Moving on…

So my advice to you, my friends, is this: You can be as fond of your writing as an ancient relative is of romance novels, you can be proud of your accomplishments. Indeed, you should be — crafting a story is praiseworthy! But save the love for you paramour and your family, and never be afraid to kill your darlings.

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Published on October 07, 2025 22:31

September 30, 2025

How to Develop your Style

I heard a story many years ago about Picasso having lunch with a friend at some tapas bar. When the bill came, Pablo picked it up, scrawled a quick sketch on his napkin and signed it, and handed it to the delighted waiter. The friend looked at the great artist in envy and said, “Amazing that you can make so much money for just scratching an image in 20 seconds.” Picasso shook his head. “It took 20 seconds to make the image, but 20 years to learn how.”

I don’t know if the story is, but the point it makes is still valid. The thing that makes an artist, or a writer, unique is their style. And to put it in a thimble-sized nugget, style cannot be rushed.

Style is indefinable, at least while we are trying to develop it. We can look at some of our favourite writers now and talk about the sparse prose of Hemingway, or the musicality of Steinbeck, but when it comes to determining our own style, well, that’s not quite so easy. Hard as it is, though, it’s nothing to trying to consciously develop your own style when you are just starting out. As style cannot be rushed, neither can it be faked.

Some writers may disagree with me — it wouldn’t be the first time — but style comes from the subconscious. It develops over the years from the lessons we’ve learned, the things we’ve read, and the feedback we have received from people we respect. That said, there are things that we can consciously learn that will guide the way our style develops. Here are a few:

Read. Read a lot. Read widely. Read as many different types of things as you can get your hands on: plays, biographies, light fiction, classical fiction, nonfiction, poetry. You may not love all of it, but some things will seep into your soul and bear fruit.

Write as widely as you read. You may not be a natural poet, but how do you know you can’t do it if you never try? Try writing a play or a movie. Work on articles and novels and anything else that comes to mind. Many writers credit their experience in journalism with their success as novelists. Every type of writing will help you develop new skills and will help you tap in to unexpected talents. You won’t know until you try.

Story first. You may be tempted to apply some flashy style as you write; use long words that you have to look up, play with symbolism or other literary devices, but hold off on that, my friend. The story must always come first. Just get the details down and worry about refining your language later. Indeed, you may find that simple, ‘just the facts’ approach works perfectly well and is, in fact, your style.

Be yourself. I’ve had my Steinbeck period, and my Raymond Carver era, but eventually I learned that the best writer I can be is me. With all my flaws, weird structure, and humourous oddities, I need to sound like me. And you need to sound like you. Perhaps one day other writers will be citing you as the style others should emulate. Remember:

Be the voice, not the echo.
Albert Einstein

Experiment with different methods of writing. Use pen and paper, pencil and paper, laptop, typewriter, dictations. You’re not looking for a method that suits you best (though if you find one, that’s good), but you’re seeing how your style changes based on which method you use. Why? Because each one enables you to write at a different speed. You may find that your writing flows best if you work slowly — as you will with pen and paper — then again, perhaps the speed of dictation suits you best.

Learn from the best. Whether you attend classes on writing, read how-to books, or watch podcasts, see what lessons work best for you. Study the techniques of your favourite writers, but don’t restrict yourself to them. Some of the best teachers of writing are unknown as authors, but are outstanding communicators on the craft. Also, don’t be surprised if your favourite writers disagree with one another. We all have our own way of working. You don’t have to slavishly follow one person’s advice even if you love their books. Develop an approach that works for you.

Engage your subconscious. Keep a dream diary. Write first thing in the morning when you are still half-asleep and before your brain has fully wakened. Try meditation and see if that might help.

Vary your technique. Start your story in different places, for instance, some time before the main event occurs. Yes, it flies in the face of standard wisdom, but this is merely to get you used to trying different things. Start in media res — in the middle of the crisis. Or a long time afterward the climax and tell the story in flashback. Write in short, clipped sentences or in long ones. Change points of view. Keep notes of what feels most like ‘you’ and what feels fake.

Consider your market. I add this with some caution. For the most part, style is not planned or predetermined. However, if you are writing for a specific market, you improve your chances of publication if you match certain elements to their tastes. I’m not just talking about word length, although that is important, but things like point of view, the tense in which your story is written, if humour is welcomed or not. I realise that a lot of these things would be considered extraneous to style, but some writers tend to get into a habit (rut) of applying the same approach to everything. Mix it up from time to time. Remember, style is ever-evolving. The more variants you explore, the richer your style will be.

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Published on September 30, 2025 22:31

September 23, 2025

Mind the Gaps: Filling in the Holes in your Story

Last week, we talked about starting a story even when you know very little about it LINK Today, I want to look at how we begin to turn that flimsy portion of a tale into a full-blooded novel.

Firstly, though, I want to caution you not to begin this stage until you have completed that first draft, even if it runs no more than a few dozen pages. The function of that first, clumsy draft is to serve as a signpost. While it would be optimistic to imagine that these pages will remain unchanged over the course of your novel building, they should give you a few ideas of how the story will look. By the time you finish that first outline, ideally you should who your main character is, and maybe a few other characters, too; the source of the conflict; some of the obstacles along the way; and how it should end.

I say ideally because, of course, you may know no more than a few of these things. That’s all right. You can still make a start on the second stage: filling in the blanks. So, how do we begin?

One

Once you have finished your outline, never mind that it is the literary equivalent to a piece of Chantilly lace, your next task is to read it through from beginning to end. Now that you have a clearer picture of the story, may notice that there are more bits missing than you had identified with your notes. This is the time to make up a list of all the additional scenes that you need to write. Do this for the whole manuscript. No, it won’t be perfect even after you write all those missing bits, but you’ll be well on your way.

Two

As you put your story together, you may notice that there are some issues with your original concept. It’s good to notice that now. Some of the changes may be fairly simple — you make George Sarah’s brother rather than her boyfriend, for instance. Or you realise the story would work better if told in the third person. Try to resolve these issues now because it will save you a lot of unnecessary re-writing later. As much as you can, aim for a big picture approach. By that I mean if the story doesn’t work as it is, maybe you should consider setting it in a different location. Or perhaps a different time period might be preferable. If it feels top-heavy — I mean all the action is at the beginning, rather than throughout — you might want to play with the timeline. For instance, start it many years after the main event, and then go back and forth between that incident and the novel’s present day. That brings us to step…

Three

Using all your notes and the initial draft, put together a timeline. What happens when? What are the big turning points in the story? Again, you don’t need to have it all figured out, but the more you have clearly in your mind, the easier your subsequent rewrites will be. There are several ways to approach the timeline. I like using a spreadsheet, but you do you. I know of one writer who uses index cards. He writes a summary of each scene on a different card and then shuffles them around. This is particularly helpful if you are going for the fractured narrative* approach. You can, of course, just go with the old pen and paper and write down your various events. Or, if you are visual, follow the example of film directors and use storyboards, that is, use drawings or pictures to represent each scene.

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PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Once you have a timeline sorted — don’t worry if you have to change it, and change it again — you can plan your approach to filling in the gaps. Even with an altered timeline, the individual scenes will still matter.

Here are some ways you can proceed:

The Diary Approach

If you are something of a control… no, not freak, exactly. Let’s say enthusiast. You may as well go with your strengths and create a schedule of what you are going to work on and when. I’ve read some portions of John Steinbeck’s diaries, and this seems to have been his approach. He knew what he needed to write on any give day, how many words it would take, and how long he expected to work on it. It’s not for everyone, but it’s one option.

Chronological

To take our advice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: start at the beginning. Go on until you come to the end. Then stop.

This is my personal choice. It gives me a good feeling for where the story is going. I don’t plan out any of the details. I know where I want to start and where the the next event should be based on my first draft and my notes, so my writing becomes a series of steps. From the opening to the first crisis. From that to the reaction. Then on to… You get the idea.

Embrace the Chaos

There are a variety of ways of doing this. If you’re nervous about writing a strong ending, for instance, you could start there. Get that all wrapped up and then go on to another scene that either intrigues or worries you. Just pick scenes at random and write them according to your whim.

One of the advantages of this approach is that you can write whatever scenes fit your mood. If you’re angry write about an argument. If you’re sad, then make it a tearful scene. You will, of course, have to keep track on what you have and have not done or you may forget some crucial bits. The biggest downside, of course, is you can’t help thinking of some scenes as boring because they cover exposition or some less exciting scenes. It can be hard to stop that boredom from conveying itself to the reader. So, tread carefully.

All of this serves to help you write a very good and complete draft. No, it won’t be perfect, but it will be something you can be proud of. Of course, this is just the beginning, there is still a lot more to do. But making your way seriously through these steps will build your confidence and help you to feel more like a ‘real’ writer than you ever have before.

*Fractured narrative is telling your story in a non-linear way. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 is a great example. You can tell your story from several points of view, some of which may be contradictory to the others, and with a variety of plot lines.

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Published on September 23, 2025 22:31

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