Let's Get Writing

The time has come …

I’m really sorry to announce this but I shall be finishing my monthly writing blog next month – July 2026. I can’t quite believe it, but this blog has been going, more or less regularly, for just over ten years. During that time, I’ve covered a myriad of writing topics, and I’ve received some lovely feedback and comments – thank you.

I will still be adding articles from time to time, very occasionally rather than regularly, and these will mostly be about travel. Bearing in the mind the world situation at the moment, it might be that “staycations” will become more popular this year.

So, this month there’s a piece that combines a bit of writing and a suggestion for a museum visit (I love museums!)

New article

In the future, I’ll let you know when I post a new travel article, but if you don’t want the reminders, you can always Unsubscribe in the email you receive.

Previous travel articles will be on the Travel page and if you or a friend would like to buy my book “A beginner’s guide to writing fiction”, then I’ll keep that link too. The writing blogs will be left up for a while.

So here’s my Travel article to mark the end of the writing blog and the start of an occasion travel blog.

A Sense of Place

Are you a writer who is influenced by place? Do you go somewhere and immediately want to write about it, or you start imagining what characters could inhabit it?

Then I think you’ll appreciate just how Daphne du Maurier came to write one of her best- selling novels Jamaica Inn.

She was already fond of Cornwall, having spent her childhood summers and the war years there, and was persuaded one day to take a horse ride across Bodmin Moor. It started out perfectly fine. But as tends to happen on the Moor, the sunshine disappeared, the skies darkened and soon began the downpour. Daphne and her companion were not at all familiar with the territory and decided to let the horses guide them, which they did, along the old mining train tracks to … Jamaica Inn.

And that, as they say, is where it all began.

Jamaica Inn was published in 1936, to be followed, amongst many others, by Rebecca (1938), Frenchman’s Creek in 1941, My Cousin Rachel (1951) and The House on the Strand (1969).

Back to Jamaica Inn: that was where I stopped off on my recent journey down to Cornwall and was delighted to find the Daphne du Maurier museum, part of the Inn itself. In the museum, I found the quote:

“I walked this land with a dreamer’s freedom and a walking man’s perception. Places, houses, whispered to me their secrets, and shared with me their sorrows and joys and in return I gave them something of myself a few of my novels passing into folklore of this ancient place.”

Daphne du Maurier is well-known for using setting as an extra “character’, Cornwall’s houses and countryside often used to create somewhat sinister, Gothic moods.

The inspiration for both Rebecca and My Cousin Rachel is thought to have been Menabilly, an historic estate near Fowey in south Cornwall, which was Daphne’s home for more than twenty years from the mid 1940s.

Frenchman’s Creek is a real inlet on the southern bank of the Helford River. And The House on the Strand is set around Kilmarth, where the author lived from 1967. The nearby village of Tywardreath, in Cornish, means House on the Strand.

As she said:

“No person will ever get into my blood as a place can … People and things pass away but not places.”

My recommendation? If you are ever travelling down to Cornwall, please do stop off at Jamaica Inn. It might look a little “touristy”, but the museum is well worth it for du Maurier and writing fans, and for the children, it includes displays and tales of ghosts and smugglers!

Each time I visit Cornwall, I love going to their many tropical gardens, several of which run down to the sea. Each time I wander through all the wonderful tropical plants, I am reminded of the gardens of Manderley in Rebecca and the summerhouse where the first Mrs de Winter held her romantic assignations!

Some guidelines on using setting in your fiction writing:

• The setting must be relevant, adding to the plot
• Sensory details should be included – what can be seen, smelled, touched, heard and tasted
• The setting should relate to your main characters
• The setting should be integrated with the action
• Don’t write long descriptions or paragraphs of information (info-dumping)
• No cliches
• Don’t introduce the setting and then forget all about it
• Don’t overload your story with setting.

Happy Writing

Linda

Music while you work?

Are you an author who writes with music on? Or do you have to work in complete silence?

I’ve always thought I was one of the latter – working better in a noise-free environment, whether it’s my study at home or a remote sandy beach somewhere in the south-west of Ireland. But I know there are so many of you who cannot write without something in the background, and quite often that something is MUSIC.

First the science bit: listening to music, apparently, triggers the release of dopamine – a neurotransmitter that:

• lifts your mood,
• reduces stress and
• increases focus.

The diagram here is by audiologist Pascale Heon.

Music can make us forget we’re tired. So, if you’re having a slow writing day, put on some music and see if it encourages you to keep going. It can also reduce stress and anxiety, and elevate our mood – all effects that can influence our writing.

If you find yourself writing in a noisy environment (a café, the train, surrounded by children), then music can block out distracting sounds, creating a controlled environment just for you.

Evoking images

Quite a number of writers who work with music playing say they prefer instrumental music, as lyrics can be distracting, competing with the language-processing parts of the brain,

We probably have realised at one time or another that certain music evokes memories, images and emotions. If you’re writing about life in the 1960s, put on some Beatles or Stones! If you are writing a scene in a church or a castle, play a hymn or a Gregorian chant.

Music that’s too relaxing might easily send you to sleep! But music that calms you can stimulate your imagination.

 I’m guessing that some of you reading this might just remember Music While You Work on BBC Radio back in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. It was introduced during World War II to help factory workers become more productive. The programme played non-stop popular/light music at an even tempo.

From Wikipedia: Although the programme became very popular with domestic audiences, and later with motorists, it was aimed first and foremost at the factories, and strict rules were applied: predominantly familiar pieces, nothing lethargic, consistent volume, avoidance of overloud drumming (which could sound like gunfire), and generally cheerful programmes to which workers could whistle or sing.

If you would like to read more about the programme, click here . The photo above is from BBC History.

Shaping the writing

Jazz seems to have been a popular choice for several established writers: Toni Morrison is said to have structured her novels to mirror the rhythms of Black music and jazz; Jack Kerouac tried to transfer the elements of jazz into his writing; and Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore) credits his love of music – jazz and classical music in particular – for shaping his writing even more than the books he’s read.

J K Rowling, famous for writing in an Edinburgh café, prefers classical music as she finds human voices distracting.

Stephen King has lists of music he listens to while working, including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and the Sex Pistols.

There are, of course, possible downsides to having music on while you are writing:

• Lyrics and complex music can interfere with the writing process and concentration;
• Using headphones or ear buds at too high a level could cause hearing damage;
• Writing with music close to bedtime can disrupt sleep; and
• Certain types of music can overstimulate and cause stress.

So, the advice is to experiment:

• See if someone singing in the background helps or hinders you;
• try your favourite instrumental or classical records;
• ask fellow writers what they like;
• test a particular piece of music for ten minutes at a time – are you fed up with it by then?
• change your choices according to what you are writing;
• keep volume controls down;
• include some periods of silence.

I’m going to give it a go this month and I’d be delighted if you’d get in touch with your own experiences and music tastes!

Happy writing!

Linda

What’s the best kind of feedback?

Over the years I’ve been teaching Creative Writing, I’ve often been surprised at what writers consider to be good feedback.

Yes, of course, we all like being told our writing is excellent, really good, definitely publishable, bound to win that competition etc etc. But honestly, when you think about it, how useful are such accolades?

I do believe in giving positive feedback, especially to start a critique (never start with a negative). Whatever you can say positively about someone’s writing, get it in first. Not only is that polite, it means you have found the good points in the writing, so the not-so-good points you want to make might well be better received.

But I believe there is a far better way of eliciting the most useful feedback from your critiquers. It’s known as the Socratic Method.

System of questioning

Socrates was a Greek philosopher and teacher from Athens who lived in the first century BC. He used a system of questioning that encouraged critical thinking.

I first came across this method on a playwriting course some years ago now. We would take it in turns to bring in a scene of our current play and have it read by the group. (We had some really good professional actors in the group, so this was a very good experience). Afterwards, instead of our tutor giving an opinion and asking for everyone else’s opinions, she would ask questions, such as:

• What are the protagonist’s motives in this scene?
• What’s the relationship between characters a & b, as shown in this scene?
• Do you get a sense of where this scene is set?
• At what point in this scene do the dynamics change – where she becomes the dominant one and he the submissive?

Questions like this meant we knew we had to really listen and think about what we were hearing, instead of letting it wash over us! And for the writer, it meant that they were being informed of how and what the audience had got out of the scene.

Something is missing

Whether you are writing short stories or novels, you could try the Socratic Method in your writing group or with a writing buddy.

1. Once your story/chapter has been read, you, the author, asks questions to see if what you intended to write has come across to your readers. For example, if you were writing a version of Cinderella, your first question might be: Why do you think this scene is set in a kitchen? You might have wanted to convey the difference between Cinderella “downstairs” and her ugly sisters “upstairs”. If this is what your readers say, then you’ve succeeded. If not, then something is missing.
2. Another question might be: In this scene, what’s the relationship between Cinderella and Buttons? If they says friends, and you wanted Buttons to be in love with Cinders, then that will show you where work is needed.
3. In a scene with the ugly sisters, you could ask what is motivating these two? If you had in mind greed, jealousy and insecurity, then those are the answers you’ll be looking for.

Practical use to you

Clearly, most of us will know the Cinderella story so your readers might be projecting their knowledge of the plot and the characters instead of just getting their information from the scene in front of them. When it’s a completely new story, your questions will elicit new, unbiased answers that should be of real, practical use to you in your edits/rewrites.

A word of caution: if you don’t get the answers you are expecting, please resist the temptation to say “Oh, but what I meant was …” . As the author, I recommend that you do NOT react to the answers, other than to ask more probing questions. It’s difficult, I know! We want to explain what we meant. But if your readers don’t “get” what you intended, then it’s not in the writing.

Enjoy some of the sunny and warm spring days we’ve been promised!

Happy Writing!

Linda 

Too little or too much?

It’s so good to know that Spring is finally on its way here in the UK. We’ve had so much rain and flooding in the past few weeks but now, the daffodils are out, in gardens and along the roadside. They bring with them a freshness and a promise of better weather to come – hopefully!

This month I’m blogging on the fine line between telling and showing in fiction, plus a travel article on my recent, and exceptionally wet, trip to southern Spain.

Too much or too little

At one of my writing group meetings recently, we were discussing the very thorny issue of how much is too much in fiction writing, and how much is too little. It’s the difference between boring or confusing your readers with too much information; and leaving your readers dangling – not knowing or understanding the storyline.

In fiction, whatever the genre, it’s best to give your audience a clear idea of

• who the characters are,
• where they are and
• what is, physically, happening.

What you can deliberately leave out in the early stages are motives, meanings and backstory.

If you find you are intentionally leaving out certain information, ask yourself these questions:
Am I doing so to create tension? Or am I avoiding making a decision as to what should and shouldn’t be included at this point.

Tension is good, confusion not.

If your readers can picture the scene, where it is, who is there and what is happening, then they will be content to read on to find out the motives, meanings and backstory. But if they are confused, from the beginning, as to where the scene is, who is in it and what is happening, then they probably cannot be as engaged as you, the author, would like.

To that end, it is recommended that you include concrete images in almost every paragraph. Concrete refers to the nouns that you choose – and concrete nouns are those that can be sensed: seen, touched, heard, smelled, or tasted. (Non-concrete nouns are known as Abstract nouns and include things like happiness, fear, love, wonder etc.)

The more specific you can be with your concrete nouns, the better the image you will be creating for your readers. Instead of the setting being a room, choose the old-fashioned kitchen where mother and daughter are preparing dinner. (Argument, flying china and recriminations to come)

Instead of a family visiting a camp site, make it one they haven’t been to for ten years, now much more modern with actual showers, the young teenagers reluctant to leave their phones to help put up the tent while Dad gets out the ultra-fashionable barbecue.

Ground your reader

A clear picture in the reader’s mind will allow them to enjoy finding out the motives, backstory and why they are all there. Images ground your reader without over-explaining.

As always with writing, it is such a good idea to have others read your work – but only when you feel you are at the right stage. For some, this will be when you’ve written the first draft; for others it may well be just before they send off to an agent. That’s for you to decide.

Happy writing

On holiday recently, friends and I visited the lovely white-washed village of Mijas near Fuengirola in southern Spain. Go to Me and My Travels to read what we saw in between the rain showers!

Here’s to some warmer weather and Spring!

Linda

This month: Garden ramblings and don’t cheat your readers!

I am not a gardener – not by any stretch of the imagination. But I have three good friends who are extremely keen gardeners. When they visit, I can just hear the intake of breath when they spot something in my garden that shouldn’t be there. I probably already know that. But, and it’s a big BUT, I prefer writing to weeding. Don’t you?

Even with my lack of gardening expertise, I know that this is the time of year to get gardens into order before the spring. I shall leave the garden to nature, and my friends, and instead turn my attention to this time of the year when it’s a good idea to get your writing in order!

Stage 1: Weeding

It’s a great time to have a good old-fashioned clear-out.

How many of your books are you really going to read again? No? Then give them away. I tend to keep non-fiction books, particularly those about writing, but novels I give to family, friends and charities.

Tidy your writing area, whether it’s a desk and filing cabinets or just a space on the kitchen table.

Look through writing files/folders/paper collections and discard what’s not needed.

Take time for self-analysis: be honest – how does your writing need improving? Could you benefit from feedback from a writing buddy or group? do you need to improve your punctuation? – get a book or look online.

Stage 2: Planting

Look ahead six months. Consider a writing holiday. Change direction and try a different genre. Set some goals (yes, they’re like New Year Resolutions)

Stage 3: Nurturing

Keeping a regular routine will keep your writing on track: same time each day perhaps, or a thousand words in a week. You choose – and then stick to it.

My belief is that all writers need feedback. Choose your writing friends carefully or take a chance and get a professional critique.

Enter a few competitions. Don’t over commit. One a month may be too much to start with. But one every three months is a reasonable target.

Good luck with the gardening!

Don’t cheat your readers

A good writing friend and I recently had a conversation about one aspect of published novels that we really dislike – the Deus Ex Machina ending.

I’m sure you’ve come across it:

The murderer turns out to be a character who’s only been introduced in the last quarter of the book.

The hero saves the day with a skill (or a weapon) that has not been mentioned before.

The police turn up just at the right moment

Deus Ex Machina means God out of a machine, a phrase which goes back to Ancient Greek drama. The playwrights of the time would get their characters in an awful situation, from which there was no escape. Then, a god would appear from the sky and sort everything out – as the ancient Greek gods did.

As you can see from the picture here, the Greeks had a crane behind the scenery which held the actor playing god, who would be popped over the backdrop and lowered into the scene just when required!

It’s cheating your readers.

As readers, you know it takes a while to read a novel and, if it’s well-written, you can really get engrossed in the story, particularly if the characters are realistic, have a purpose and then some setbacks. You want to know what happens to them.

But when the answer turns up, quite unexpectedly and near the end, you may be forgiven for thinking you’ve wasted your time or, rather, that the author has wasted your time.

Personally, I think it’s a lack of creativity, lazy writing with no forethought or planning – just an easy way to solve everything and end the story. The Greeks were used to it as gods played a huge part in every area of their lives. But I don’t think it has a place in stories of the 21^st century.

If you find yourself edging towards a miraculous ending, go back and see if you can introduce the murderer/skill/police earlier so that it’s not such a surprise when they appear.

I asked AI for some examples of Deus Ex Machina:

• The Greek god Apollo resolves all the mess at the end of Orestes by Euripides.
• In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, just as the boys are about to commit murder, a naval officer appears and ends the chaos.
• Even Charles Dickens was not immune: in Oliver Twist, long-lost relatives and surprise revelations conveniently rescue Oliver at the end.
• And in Jurassic Park, the T-Rex suddenly appears to kill the raptors and save the humans in the final scene.

AI added another example which actually works! In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the plot is ended by modern police arresting everyone – a deliberate joke about Deus Ex Machina.

So, unless you are writing a Monty Python-type story, please be true to your readers and no surprise, fortuitous endings.

And if you needed any more exhortations about Deus Ex Machina:

Robert McKee, author, lecturer and story consultant, says:

“Deus ex machina not only erases all meaning and emotion it’s an insult to the audience. Each of us knows we must choose and act, for better or worse, to determine the meaning of our lives … Deus ex machina is an insult because it is a lie.”

And British author Charles Stross:

“Personally, I avoid Deus ex machina like the plague – if you have to use one, it means you failed to set up the universe and the plot properly. It’s like a whodunnit where there’s no actual way for the reader to identify the perpetrator before the climactic reveal: there’s no sense of closure for the reader.”

Happy Writing

Linda

Resolutions and results

Welcome back and a very Happy New Year to all writers, friends and families.

What do we have to look forward to in 2026?

• In the Chinese calendar, this is the year of the Horse
• The Winter Olympics are in Italy from February 6 – 22
• The Football World Cup is in the United States, Canada and Mexico, from June 11 to July 19
• And the Commonwealth Games are in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2
• The living Nostradamus – Brazilian soothsayer Athos Salomé – is predicting power cuts, especially between March 12 and 15, and wars between the super-powers in the Arctic.

I think that’s enough to be starting the year with!

I am usually very much in favour of setting New Year Resolutions. But I’m doing something a bit different this year – I’m taking it month by month. I’m hoping this won’t put so much pressure on me, but it might well give me a bit more motivation to get smaller things done more immediately.

So, just a few ideas:

• I thought I’d aim to read one book a month from the “One Hundred must-read classics” list chosen by Penguin readers in 2022. Click here for the link.
• I’m not sure yet whether I’ll re-read those I have already, such as Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird. Or just those I haven’t, such as In Cold Blood by Truman Capote and Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which will undoubtedly keep me going all year!
• I’d like to finish editing my historical novel book in January and then carry on searching for a cover, hoping to self-publish by Easter.
• From February on, I’m aiming to re-plot my sequel to Pathway to the Gods. I thought I had the plot sorted, but two-thirds of the way through, it just didn’t work and I stopped. Time to get going again.
• I’ll carry on with this monthly blog and I’d really like to hear from more of you, with your writing news and ideas.

And a reminder from last month to acknowledge your list of successes in 2025. These can include any sort of results: regular writing, writing flash fiction, short stories, chapters of a novel, entering competitions, planning and plotting a novel, doing research, getting feedback, attending workshops, writing groups and holidays, supporting a writing friend …… I’m sure you can come up with more.

Wishing you a Happy New Year and a productive and enjoyable year of writing.

Linda

A pat on your back!

So, we’re nearly at the end of the year and it’s time to take stock of our writing over the past twelve months. Did you set goals back in January? If you did, how have you got on?

Just a word of caution – please don’t be too harsh on yourself, or too judgmental. We all have lives to lead and, as has been said in this column before now, life does have a habit of getting in the way from time to time! Writing goals, or New Year Resolutions, should be regarded as a motivational wish list, rather than set-in-stone targets.

I know many writers aim for a set number of words every day. A worthy goal, of course. And regular writing is very much recommended by established authors and tutors. The important thing to realise is that one or two days’ failure should only be regarded as a blip, not a full-stop. Have your free day from writing, but make sure you carry on. Nobody but yourself is counting!

Just feel guilty!

I was quite taken with the quote on this page which I found on Facebook:

You don’t have to write every day to be a writer; you just have to feel guilty every day that you don’t!

I like it – and it certainly applies to me! But, in mitigation, when I have days free from writing, I am inevitably thinking about writing on those days – planning, plotting, researching, observing, note-taking, and daydreaming about my characters. So really, that’s job done and it’s certainly not a wasted day.

Among my resolutions back in January were finishing, editing and publishing a historical novel that I started many years ago. My idea was to send it out to Beta-readers, which I did, and then to edit it, taking into account the feedback I received. Yes, ticked that box too. But I also needed to get a cover for the novel and that has proved more difficult than I thought it would be.  Editing is nearly finished and I’m now aiming for April 2026 for publication.

For me, keeping the old grey matter in good order is another goal, so learning something new is always on my list. That includes learning more about writing, which I tend to do through articles, websites, books and talks. But also non-writing learning. This year I’ve attended workshops in pottery, bookbinding and glass fusion, been to several historical talks and visited seven museums. Why not make a list of your writing accomplishments and learning – and give yourself a really good pat on the back!

Depending on what happens on New Year’s Eve, I hope to be back with you on January 1^st! Have your Resolutions ready, including one or two new writing ideas. You might like to try a different genre of writing, or some different competitions, or helping a writing buddy, or reading two books a month. I’m sure you can be more creative! I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy writing and wishing you a most enjoyable festive time.

Linda

Challenge Yourself this month

Usually at this time of the year, thousands of people worldwide are getting stuck into their challenge of writing 50,000 words in the month of November.

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) has been encouraging writers for 25 years. Sadly, it is no more.

NaNoWriMo began back in 1999 when an American student, Chris Baty, encouraged 20 friends to write a novel in just a month. The following year, there were 140 participants; in 2022, more than 413,000 people took part.

NaNoWriMo was always free to participants who, if they completed the 50,000 words, had their work verified and then could download a winner’s plaque.

Here’s mine from 2008!

Over the years, the organisation grew, to include a website, a young writers’ programme, local and on-line get-togethers and merchandise.

Why no more?

• They got into financial difficulties.
• There were complaints about child safety on the NaNoWriMo sites, plus a complaint about a moderator grooming young participants, and
• The organisation’s stance on AI did not go down well with members and sponsors.

So, what had initially been a great idea to get people writing closed down on March 31^st 2025.

But there is GOOD NEWS!

If you still feel you’d like a challenge to get you writing throughout November, there are alternatives. Just look up the suggestions below on your search engine and you’ll find all the encouragement you might need!

• Reedsy Novel Sprint
• Novel November (via ProWriting Aid)
• AutoCrit Novel 90 (90 days rather than 30)
• StoryADay

You don’t have to join a formal challenge to boost your writing this month. Here are some more ideas:

1. Set your own word target. It certainly doesn’t have to be 1666 words a day! Anything will do. A writing friend of mine set herself the target of 200 words a day and it developed into a lovely story.
2. Set a time target eg 15 minutes a day, or 30 or an hour – depending on your circumstances.
3. Meet up with a writing buddy to write for perhaps half an hour or an hour; or get-together on zoom at a certain time to chat about your progress.
4. Set yourself weekly targets and then celebrate when they are accomplished.
5. Join a writing group. Quite often they encourage members to write something for each meeting.
6. Be kind to yourself and don’t stick to November. Plan your next project and set monthly targets.

I know quite a few writers who say they can’t possibly stick to a regular writing regime: they can only write when the mood, or the muse, takes them. If that’s you, I would suggest just trying a routine for a week. You never know, it might just work!

Happy Writing.

Linda

ps I had a bit of rant back in September when I was really disappointed in the early writings of one of my favourite authors. I’ve learnt my lesson and always look at the year of publication now!

But another favourite author has delighted me this month – the historical novelist Philippa Gregory. Her latest book is
Boleyn Traitor.

Every time I start reading one of her historical novels, I just wish I could write like her. But the research alone would take me the next fifty years! If you like reading about Henry VIII and his wives, then do give this one a go. It’s an intriguing character-led story about Jane Boleyn, sister-in-law to Ann Boleyn, who served five of Henry’s wives. A fascinating read.

Who are you writing for?

When you sit down to start writing, do you know WHO you are writing for?

I think at almost every Creative Writing class I’ve been to, the tutor has insisted “you must write for yourself.” That’s certainly a sentiment I agree with. You must have a passion for whatever you are writing and that passion is part of you – whether it’s a place you’re fond of, a political topic you’re enthusiastic about or even obsessive about, a person you love (or loathe), a story you’ve always wanted to tell. Your writing comes from you – your personality, your background, your history, your dreams, your fears and your goals. So, yes, you should be writing for yourself.

If it’s JUST for yourself, then keeping a diary fits the bill. Or you could use a folder or computer file that’s just for you. But diaries have a habit of getting read – after you’ve gone! So, do you want people reading them eventually?

Over the years I’ve been teaching, I’ve come across writers who tell me they are “just writing for themselves”. But they’re still happy to share their endeavours with the class or group. And, I believe, some of them want someone (usually me) to say “Oh, I think you should send that off to such-and-such a magazine.”

Be honest with yourself

When we write, I think we must be honest with ourselves and decide just WHO we are writing for – in addition to ourselves. I am a firm believer in considering your would-be audience when you write.

Non-fiction writers usually have a very particular audience in mind. They might be writing an article or a book specifically for children, or teenagers, or Mums, or seniors, or travellers, or for those following a certain business, craft, hobby or sport. That specific audience will dictate what you are writing about, what vocabulary and terms you use, what you include and how the piece is structured. Of course, you put your own style into the article or book, as well as all the vital information required.

It’s when writing fiction that I wonder whether we consider our audience enough.

Toni Morrison said: “If there’s a book you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

Absolutely fine. But it would be even better if it were written to attract other readers too!

If you are writing a light romance, then you’ve probably read similar novels, and we know that thousands of people are avid followers of Mills and Boon. So, as a reader, you’ll know what’s required. But you won’t necessarily want to write a version of M&B – it has to be yours. Then, it’s a good idea to have an Ideal Reader in mind as you write.

A way of speaking

Many famous writers have said they write for a particular person.

Stephen King says he writes for his wife Tabitha; F Scott Fitzgerald likewise wrote with his wife Zelda in mind; Kurt Vonnegut wrote for his sister Alice, saying he wanted to make her laugh or cry; and Jack Kerouac said he wrote for his friends, like Allen Ginsberg, as a way of speaking to them.

This device can work well as it can make the writing more intimate, conversational and emotional.

If you feel you want to write for a wider audience, be careful not to lose those attributes by writing more generally. Writers who have an audience in mind are thought to take more care with their choice of words, their syntax, their characters, their structure and their plots.

So, next time you sit down to write, have a picture in mind of WHO you are writing for – just another idea to help the creative process!

This month is the last of the workshops I’ve been offering – on how to inject PACE (fast or slow) into your writing. Click here for a chat, exercises and writing practice.

I’d love to hear how you’ve enjoyed the workshops and whether any stories have come out of them!

Happy Writing!

Linda

How is everyone coping with the weather? As I write this, we’re still experiencing hot, sunny days, perfect for the beach, lazing and swimming. But maybe a bit harder for getting down to writing? Don’t panic. Cooler and wetter weather is on the way, and our gardens might well be recovering by the time you read this.

This month:

• I’ve entered a competition
• I’m disappointed in a favourite author
• I’ve pix of a new hobby (writing-related!) plus
• The second of my three Workshops.

1. I managed to get round to entering a novel-writing competition. I don’t like writers being pessimistic about their writing but, on this occasion, I’m not overly confident of getting shortlisted. I think this particular competition tends to go for more literary writing, which is not me. But entering competitions is a good discipline for getting my work ready for other people’s eyes. And I had to get my synopsis down from 1000 words to 400 – another good exercise. If anything happens, I’ll let you know!
2. I recently bought a paperback of one of my favourite authors. Couldn’t wait to start reading but, almost from the start, I was really disappointed. There were far too many characters introduced in the first chapter and I felt the writing was not nearly as good as other books. Then, I looked at the front page and discovered that this book had first been published in 1991. This author has gone on to write several extremely popular TV series so I can only assume that her writing has improved over the past 14 years. Note to myself to check the publication date!
3. My new hobby is BOOKBINDING. I went on a day-long workshop in Worthing which I loved. And then I was lucky to see a free course advertised on the Internet. There were four class in the course of a week – each an hour long plus half-an-hour of Q and As. Excellent instruction. These are the books I’ve made recently, trying out different stiches for the spines. If you’re interested, click here. Now I’ve just got to write in them!

4. The second of my Workshops is called Ups and Downs. Click here. Usual format – a bit of chat, then exercises and writing practices.
Last month, I did the Observation exercise myself when I went into my local shopping centre. The day before I had tripped over in the garden and slightly hurt my big toe!!! That meant that I couldn’t walk as fast as I usually do, so I had more time to look around and notice things that I have never noticed before. I hope some of the exercises have worked for you.

Whatever the weather, I hope you have a good month of writing!

Best wishes

Linda

PS Some people have told me they have trouble getting through to the Workshops from the email. If that’s the case, then ignore the email link and go to your search engine and input letsgetswriting.co.uk. You should be able to use the links from the blog. Sorry!