Yesterday, I experienced a profound sense of accomplishment. The four-month writing period of the Six Month Novel Programme is coming to an end, and I actually finished writing the last scene of my current draft about three weeks ago. That felt pretty great, not least because it happened on a writing date with a […]
Author: Annie
Felixstowe Book Festival
Last weekend, a few friends and I went to Felixstowe Book Festival. This was my third event of this kind, and probably my favourite so far. NAWG Fest in September last year was an intensive two days of excellent workshops, with a couple of author talks thrown in. Tremendous fun, but very tiring. Chipping Norton […]
In Print – Prize To Come?
My story, The Decision, has been printed in this quarter’s Scribble Magazine! Each issue has ten stories on any theme, and the readers write in with their comments, including their top three picks for that issue. The comment letters get printed in the next issue, and the three stories with the most votes get a prize, […]
Same Lesson Every Time
I didn’t write anything all last week. Then, I had a tiring, somewhat stressful but ultimately enjoyable weekend away at a gaming event, getting home later last night than planned. And I’d completely forgotten about my dentist appointment this morning. All I wanted to do with the rest of today was sit on the sofa […]
Music for Writing
My relationship to aural input whilst writing has changed dramatically over time. I used to need complete peace and quiet in order to write, and I certainly wouldn’t be able to listen to music at the same time. Then, I started using instrumental music as a way to focus and block out distracting background noise. […]
Subscriber Spotlight
I’ve been featured in the Subscriber Spotlight section of this month’s Writing Magazine, which is a delightfully circular experience. My short story publications are largely due to opportunities listed in Writing Magazine, which now has a piece advertising this site, where I am advertising that piece within Writing Magazine!
Dreaded Revision Not So Dreadful
After two writing weeks on the Six Month Novel Programme, I am six chapters and over 30,000 words into the new draft, which is way more than I anticipated. The outline has changed multiple times, I’ve discovered major issues with the order of events, my favourite character has disappeared from the story altogether, and I’ve […]
The Wonders of Outlining
When I wrote the first draft of my novel, it took five years, a lot of teeth-pulling, and a gradual progression from the original 1,500 word story to the eventual 90,000 word novel. There was a lot of mystery and excitement along the way, coupled with periods of staring into the void, wondering what on […]
Urban Flash – Competition Win!
The Photo Republic of London have launched a new project, called Urban Flash, which is taking place over the next year. It involves text and photographic prompts, which members can respond to either by submitting a photograph or a piece of flash fiction. I entered the Warm-Up Prompt Competition, submitting a short piece based on […]
A Novel in Six Months? I Must Be Mad!
Whilst on the retreat in Devon last month, I got to talking to my lovely host, Charlie of Urban Writers’ Retreats, and she mentioned she was taking applications for her annual Six Month Novel Programme. Since I had just reached the conclusion that the next step for my novel was a blank page rewrite, I […]