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“I think this might be my favourite book ever!”
The Time Camera The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. Or was it the perfect crime? Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon propelled into a deadly struggle to save the future. The Time Camera received great reviews when it was first published and...
read morePerils of Poor Editing: Part Three
As a writer, you can never undertake too many checks before your work is finally released to the public. Cut out a few steps of the revision process and you could very well live to regret it. Here are some more newspaper headlines that should have been corrected prior to publication. Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over Let’s hope this isn’t in full view of the zoo’s visitors. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant This seems to be a rather drastic course of action. War Dims Hope for Peace Now who would have...
read morePerils of Poor Editing: Part Two
Writers should always check their work before publishing their novel, short story or article. This is equally important for journalists, especially those composing the attention-grabbing headlines for news stories. Here’s a collection of newspaper headlines that could certainly have used a little more attention to detail prior to publication. Cannabis Smuggling by Troops. Investigation by Joint Chiefs These people would seem to be an ideal choice to handle the case. Strip Club Shock – Magistrates May Act on Indecent Shows This...
read morePerils of Poor Editing: Part One
For writers, it’s vital to examine your work in detail many times before you submit your work to publishers or upload the text of your ebook to an online bookstore. Even if you’ve checked the text a hundred times, you might still find errors that need to be addressed. Good editing and revision is very important and yet many new writers often overlook these crucial steps in the creative writing process. However, even the most experienced writers and journalists can still make embarrassing mistakes. Here are just a few classic...
read moreThe Importance of Professional Editing
You’ve finished your first novel after years of painstaking work. You’re sure it could be a best seller and everyone you know is very enthusiastic. Yet your manuscript is returned by publishers, with a form letter providing no clues as to why they didn’t like it. Having your work independently evaluated gives you an unbiased opinion, helping you to tighten your manuscript and fix problems you may have overlooked. I’ve provided substantive and copy editing services for many other writers over the years. This has been for novels, short...
read moreWriting in the Holiday Season: Part Five – Sources of Inspiration
Even at Christmas, activities unrelated to writing can often unlock your inspiration. These include wrapping gifts, stringing lights, decorating the tree and house, or even more everyday tasks such as doing laundry, walking the dog, tidying the house, or washing the dishes after a family meal. It’s surprising how even the most mundane situations can launch you on the road to your next story. Ideas might also be generated from your own influences, either from childhood or later in life. Something you see in the run up to Christmas might...
read moreWriting in the Holiday Season: Part Four – Seasonal Stories
In the holiday season, an interesting exercise designed to get a story moving is to randomly use a collection of presents or Christmas decorations drawn from a bag. You then create a story in which these objects must all be used as a significant part of the narrative. You then draw out four or five at random and use them to create your story. This type of exercise always sparks the imagination and you’d be surprised at what you might come up with when confronted with a group of seemingly unconnected objects. You can establish a time limit...
read moreWriting in the Holiday Season: Part Three – Creative Opportunities
Despite the mayhem of the Christmas season, the final weeks of the year still present considerable opportunities for writers. You might even find the missing piece of the puzzle that allows you to create your masterpiece or at least get some really great ideas. Consider an overheard conversation and where it might lead. How about “there’s no way I’m inviting him to our house for Christmas ever again”, or “after that incident last New Year’s Eve, her family will never be the same.” Any of these could be overheard in the aisle...
read moreWriting in the Holiday Season: Part Two – Finding Time
For many of us, December is a very busy period that requires good time management. For example, if you normally try to write a certain number of pages or words each day at other times of the year, the occasional day might have to be cancelled due to family duties. However, in December it can seem as if you lose entire weeks of your creative time. There’s shopping, cooking, planning, and the kids are off school. You may have to attend your workplace’s office party or that of your partner. The holiday season is always a very...
read moreWriting in the Holiday Season: Part One – Generating Ideas
During the holiday season, some people have a week, or even two, off work. While the Christmas and New Year period is invariably a very busy time, filled with family, friends, visiting, food and drink or even long distance travel in some cases, that doesn’t mean you can’t be working at your chosen craft during the festive season. Actual writing may not always be possible, especially if you have kids at home for a couple of weeks. Opportunities might also be in short supply if you have a seemingly endless amount of family gatherings or you...
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