Writing a novel
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What’s in a name? An honest Blunder
Just a quickie to let you know of a pit I have fallen into with names, not just once but twice. In the past families have often named son after father or grandfather and it is still commonplace to name a baby after a friend you admire or someone you love. That’s all very well…
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‘The Last Word’ or ‘Oh dear, which word?’
As an English teacher I’m intrigued by the power of words and why, when proof reading, I change one for another or delete it altogether. Looking carefully at the words we use is only one small part of the proof reading process, but nevertheless it is a vital one if we want our writing to…
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The Many Layers of Proof Reading – A personal experience
I have learnt so much since my early years of writing a decade ago and something I’ve discovered quite by chance is that proof reading has many layers: The writing in progress – layer of proof reading At the end of every writing session I have tried to get into the habit of printing out…
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Researching for Historical Fiction- A personal journey
I’m still a bit in awe of other people’s blogs with 10 tips for …….. and you must remember these key points when you………I’m afraid I find the advice a bit daunting, although extremely useful. If you are not a full time author – do not despair. You will reap your rewards from your diligent…
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Planning a novel – a personal experience
When I began to think of writing a novel I knew little of the plethora of advice out there for aspiring authors. I was not aware of websites, forums or magazines for writers. I knew there were creative writing course and I taught how to plan stories at work, but never considered attending a course…
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About MY blog!
I asked a fellow Twitter follower what he thought of my blog and this is his reply: JFbookman Joel Friedlander @ @Riduna Diana, your blog is lovely and very personal, thanks for sharing it. I thanked him for the positive feedback because before I introduce my next theme I would just like to focus on…
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The Final Chapter Syndrome
I remarked to my long suffering husband the other day that I was reluctant to write the last two chapters of the novel i’m working on at the moment. I have spent endless hours checking details, carrying out more research, proof reading and rewriting sections but I cannot bring myself to write the end. My husband’s…