Listen to your Characters

I'm ghostwriting book two of a fantasy trilogy to a tight outline and an equally tight deadline. The upside of a punishing schedule is there's no time to mess about, and certainly no time for self-indulgence. It also means I'm free to enjoy telling the story and crafting the prose, without worrying about plotting, because … Continue reading Listen to your Characters

The Art of Deletion

"Kill your darlings" is a wise piece of writing advice most commonly attributed to Arthur Quiller-Couch. To put it another way, don't be afraid to delete stuff from your writing if it's adding nothing to the story. There's no doubt that deleting handwritten material is tremendously satisfying. You can do it in all kinds of … Continue reading The Art of Deletion

What’s in a Name?

Naming things – characters or worlds or, well, just stuff – can be a thorny problem for the writer of speculative fiction. Do I keep it simple or go off the deep end? Do I invent new words and languages or rely on the old ones? Portmanteau words are a popular option – bolting together … Continue reading What’s in a Name?

Tracking the Word Count

As techniques go it's a simple one. A no-brainer, you might say. Which makes it perfect for a disorganised clod like me. I'm talking about tracking the word count. I'm on a fairly tight schedule to ghostwrite a novel and deliver the 80,000-word manuscript by the beginning of September. The outline's clearly defined and, since … Continue reading Tracking the Word Count