Recently, I returned my attention to an older project that I really wanted to sink my teeth into. When I last left it, I’d received feedback from one of my friends who told me, in no uncertain terms, that it sucked. This is fair enough. One of the things you have to learn as a writer (or as someone who works in any artistic medium) is to learn how to take criticism. So, after lots of bawling, and weeping, and casting curses on his name, I actually sat down and looked at the feedback he’d given me. Namely the ‘it sucks’ part. Read more…
This came up in the comments of a recent blog post on writing speed. Unfortunately it’s not the case with me, but there are no doubt people out there holding on to work, and not giving it the airing it deserves. So, what are you waiting for, and when exactly should you show your work to someone? Read more…
I dislike teenagers. This is, I’m sure, incredibly unfair of me. It’s not their fault that their reasoning and awareness of others has been mangled by hormones, and there are a few who do a good approximation of human beings despite such disadvantages. But I’m not angry at teenagers really. No, the reason I would pick up most teenagers I meet by their collars and shake them (if I were not afraid of being arrested or stabbed), is that their time-wasting and ignorance of the life that lies ahead reminds me of my own teenage self. Read more…
I am not a fast writer. It can takes me weeks, if not months to finish even a 10,000 word story. My plan of writing on the train and Saturday mornings has certainly got me writing again, but it has not got me churning out the hits. I am anxious. I wonder if such slow progress is even worth it. Read more…
Setting yourself a goal and a deadline is all very well. But with the best intentions the best of us often fall short. So once you’ve set your goal, what are good ways of making sure you stick to it? Read more…