I had someone ask a question recently about how to write a first draft and thought I'd do a blog post on this. The short answer is: you just have to write it! That's not the most helpful piece of advice in the world, but it is the truth. Writing out that first draft can… Continue reading Writing a first draft
Tag: writing
Writing a Synopsis
When I first started trying to write, I spent ages agonizing over how to craft a good synopsis to send to literary agents. It was before I worked in fiction publishing, so I didn't have as much knowledge about how it all worked as I do now. But after a question from the lovely Rae… Continue reading Writing a Synopsis
Plotting vs winging it
Whenever I speak to other writers, one of the things I'm always endlessly curious about is whether they plot out every stage of their novel, or simply start writing and see where the book takes them. I'm definitely in the latter camp, although I did try to plot as much as I could for my… Continue reading Plotting vs winging it
Your publisher’s decisions
Signing with a publishing house is undoubtedly a very exciting experience, but it can also come with a side of confusion, especially for debut authors. It can be hard to let your work go, because you’ve worked on it so hard and up until now, you’ve been in control (perhaps with your agent too). I… Continue reading Your publisher’s decisions
Self-publishing vs traditional: author interview with Mel Sherratt
I'm so delighted to be hosting the wonderful writer Mel Sherratt on the blog today. I've had quite a few people asking me about self-publishing over on Facebook, and because my experience is only in traditional I decided I needed a bit of an expert to step in, and Mel very kindly agreed to answer… Continue reading Self-publishing vs traditional: author interview with Mel Sherratt
Managing your writing time
One of the things people ask me quite often is about time - how there's time to write, especially when you have a full time job/several other jobs/children or a family to look after. I don't have kids so I can't currently comment on that, but I will say that I have the utmost respect… Continue reading Managing your writing time
Dealing with rejection
One of the things that crops up again and again when speaking to writers is the idea of rejection. Hand on heart, I don't think I know a single author who has not been rejected in some shape or form, so believe me when I say it is not uncommon and you are NOT alone!… Continue reading Dealing with rejection
Why the submission process takes so long
One of the things that gave me a huge amount of anxiety when I was first trying to get published was being on submission, which I've written about briefly before. However, the thing that crops up time and time again through talking to other writers is the waiting times - how long it can sometimes… Continue reading Why the submission process takes so long
Publicity – what to expect as a new author
I had some great suggestions for blog posts this week from the lovely Book Connectors Facebook group - thank you everybody for commenting! It was really interesting to see some of the questions people were wondering about, and I want to do my best to try to answer some of them in the next few… Continue reading Publicity – what to expect as a new author
What an editor looks for and why
This should really be called what a commercial editor looks for, as that's what I'm talking about here! As part of my day job as a fiction editor, I need to commission a certain amount of titles per year to make sure that our division of the company makes money. This is, in fact, a… Continue reading What an editor looks for and why
Pigeonhole – the book club in your pocket!
I'm so excited to be partnering up with Pigeonhole, a digital serialisation company that will be giving away sections of my book, The Doll House, for FREE! It's very simple to join up and they will then deliver the full book (in sections) to your phone, along with extra content from me and the opportunity… Continue reading Pigeonhole – the book club in your pocket!
How the editorial process works
So you’ve reached the amazing stage where someone wants to publish your book. You’re excited, you’re nervous, you’ve finally been able to tell your friends and family without panicking that you’ll somehow jinx it and your publisher will call you to tell you that actually, sorry, this whole thing has been a strangely elaborate joke.… Continue reading How the editorial process works
That two week feeling…
Yesterday, someone asked me if I was feeling happy about how my first book, The Doll House, is doing. 'I don't know,' I replied, and I wasn't trying to be evasive or modest or cagey or any of those things, I just really found it hard to explain how I am feeling two weeks after the… Continue reading That two week feeling…
Facebook Live on the HarperCollins page
Tomorrow afternoon at 4.45pm, I will be live with my lovely editor Charlotte answering readers' questions about The Doll House and writing in general. I have done some of these before as the interviewing editor, so it will feel very strange to be on the other side of it! It will be hosted on the… Continue reading Facebook Live on the HarperCollins page
How it feels to have a book published
It's 4.38 am, in the early hours of Thursday, 14th September. I'm wide awake, staring into the darkness of my room (well, mainly darkness. I live next to a train line so there is the occasional flashing light!). I have to be up for work in less than three hours, but even though I know… Continue reading How it feels to have a book published
