The semicolon has been known to divide loving families into shouting melees, and to send careers down in flames. It is the most contentious and passion-inducing piece of punctuation – and the most addictive. How NOT to use a semicolon: 1. Frequently. I once had an editor add more than a dozen semicolons to aContinue reading “The dreaded semicolon. . . of DOOOOOOOM!!!”
Category Archives: Writing Advice
Turtle Publishing
No, it’s not a hip new publishing company – it’s a comment on the industry. Now sometimes publishers are slow because they simply can’t make up their minds (one of my books has been with a major Australian publisher for two and a half years, and that’s way beyond normal). But most of the timeContinue reading “Turtle Publishing”
How not to begin your book
Here and here are two articles on book openings that are way, WAY overdone. Ooh! And here‘s another. I’m guilty of a prologue or two, and the very first book of my children’s trilogy opens with the character waking up. But none of my characters ever, ever look in a mirror and describe what theyContinue reading “How not to begin your book”
Yell for Cadel
I’m breaking with my usual tradition of linking you to writing tips each Saturday, but it’ll be back next week. Here‘s a cracked article on the Tour de France. Most of it doesn’t apply to Australia, because our commentators are refreshingly respectful and classy, and tend to actually talk about what’s happening in the race.Continue reading “Yell for Cadel”
Plot Device Film, and Ten Untranslatable Words
Here is a movie and an article that are sashaying around the writerly blogosphere at the moment. Yes, it’s a long film for youtube. But it’s way shorter than a movie, and just as good. Say hi to the zombies for me. And this is an article by someone who has picked ten words thatContinue reading “Plot Device Film, and Ten Untranslatable Words”
Overdone movie tropes
John Scalzi has his own blog, and also writes a film critic column. This one is so funny I had to link to it. Here’s my favourite of his five tropes: 4. The very special youngster. This is more often the domain of fantasy (hello, Harry Potter!) but it was given a science fictional run-through this yearContinue reading “Overdone movie tropes”
Death of “Traditional” publishing?
A whole lot of people point to success stories like the self-published Amanda Hocking and say, “Hah! Those cold-hearted publisher types are dying, and we laugh at them and stomp on their graves!” These people are stupid. I often wish publishers were more cold-hearted. They’d get through submissions way faster if that were the case.Continue reading “Death of “Traditional” publishing?”
Getting Published in 5 Steps (PG swearing)
At this location one writer describes his journey to publication. The home site is cracked.com, which is MA, and I think this article is PG/M. How to Become an Author, in 5 Incredibly Difficult Steps A while back, I wrote a non-fiction book about the apocalypse. Since publishing the book, the question I get asked theContinue reading “Getting Published in 5 Steps (PG swearing)”
Dialogue
Want to write good dialogue? This article at Ripping Ozzie Reads has links to so much information you can go back to it every week for a year. Dynamic Dialogue Last week Rita asked about ‘beats’ in dialogue. This was a term I had only seen used in plays or scripts when the author leavesContinue reading “Dialogue”
Ten Reasons to Rewrite that Scene
By The Intern. The article is here. Top Ten Reasons You Should Rewrite That Scene When you’re revising a novel, it’s easy to lose objectivitybecome so delusional you can’t tell if you’ve just created a stinking mountain of goat poop or written the next Grapes of Wrath. Each scene starts to read like aContinue reading “Ten Reasons to Rewrite that Scene”
“Send sleep, vodka, and bacon. . .” (PG)
Chuck Wendig did another brilliant post on his new baby, and I couldn’t resist reposting it below (remember, his blog is often MA). The original is here. *PSSSHHcracklehisss* “– you hear me? The stuff’s everywhere — black tar — came pouring out of diapers — could lay shingles with this stuff OH GOD HERE COMESContinue reading ““Send sleep, vodka, and bacon. . .” (PG)”
Ten Things Teen Writers Should Know
John Scalzi (NYT bestselling author) writes a good blog, with occasional writing advice. This is one of my favourites articles (you’ll have to click through to see the picture of young John Scalzi. Hm. It keeps crashing my computer when I try to cut and paste a section. Here’s the address again anyways: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2006/04/27/10-things-teenage-writers-should-know-about-writing/ AndContinue reading “Ten Things Teen Writers Should Know”
Is your writing good?
Literary agent and all-around nice lady Rachelle Gardner blogged an article today that asked the question, “How can you tell if your writing is any good?” Here is the link to that article. How do you learn to write? We talk so much about the business of publishing on this blog, but it always hasContinue reading “Is your writing good?”
Revise, but don’t re-use or recycle
I’m pretty sure I’ve linked to ex-agent Nathan Bransford before. (Incidentally, he’s just released a children’s book.) Here’s today’s article – a revision checklist, which I’m posting today as I re-re-re-re-revise my steampunk novel (I printed it out in hard cover, which always makes me see the book slightly differently, and thus more clearly). –Continue reading “Revise, but don’t re-use or recycle”
Writing Historical Fiction
Depite its many gleeful anachronisms, steampunk is one form of historical fiction (which is why I wouldn’t recommend it to people who refuse to do research*) – so here’s a post by Glass Cases on doing it right. The full article is here. When You Should Go Back to the Future Some of you may haveContinue reading “Writing Historical Fiction”
Why your first book sucks
I follow Rachelle Gardner‘s blog. She is a sweet, selfless literary agent*. I was quietly surprised to see her post on four reasons you shouldn’t even bother submitting the first novel you write. Given that, shortly afterwards, she posted an entry that mentioned her gentle surprise at meeting many writers who don’t even read books in their own genre,Continue reading “Why your first book sucks”
Don’t have contacts in the biz? Don’t worry
Last year I spent a bunch of moolah and time schmoozing across Australia, and I ended up with personal contact (handshakes, names, cards) with staff from four of Australia’s six big publishers. I now have enough data to tell you what those contacts mean to me so far: *drum roll* Drastically longer response time. I am personallyContinue reading “Don’t have contacts in the biz? Don’t worry”
Talking the steampunk talk (PG)
The Victorian Era was a time of miasmic fog, elegant manners, and the criminal classes. The slang of the time was often colourful (to say the least). I took most of the following list from “A Long Way Home” by Mike Walker (and the rest from “Victorian London” by Liza Picard and my own nautical days), choosingContinue reading “Talking the steampunk talk (PG)”
How to be awesome (here)
Today’s article is written by Nathan Bransford, who is a writer, ex-agent, and social media expert. It’s called “How to write a good blog comment” and I can heartily confess to rampant self-interest in sharing it here. Let’s begin: The art of writing blog comments may at first blush seem like a frivolous and unimportantContinue reading “How to be awesome (here)”
Get it right – this time
I knew before I began my steampunk novel that I would need to learn a whole new set of rules when it came to my Koori character, Matilda (you’ll notice that’s not a Koori name – names are just one taboo area). A week or two ago I attended a lecture (in the gorgeously squished building above) byContinue reading “Get it right – this time”