Writing
Using the right tools to edit a novel
I’ve never enjoyed editing. Have avoided it like the plague, in fact. Until now.
Writing
Diary of a serial writer
Wednesday
I wake.
I glance at my notifications: there’s a bunch of responses already to the previous night’s chapter of The Mechanical Crown. (more…)
Productivity
Serialised storytelling is perfect for busy writers
This is the story of how serialised writing has helped me write two books, one of which won an award and has been read by over 27,000 people, while having a busy day job and not annoying my family.
When I grew up, I was going to be a writer. As a kid, I was always writing short stories, poems, screenplays and anything else that came to mind.
Then I got distracted, went to university, studied film and English and stumbled down a visual effects rabbit hole for 14 years. I got married, had a kid. These were all great things in their own ways, but I never quite found time to realise that childhood writing dream. (more…)
Productivity
Online serialisation – free webinar!
Last weekend I was part of the Publishing Day School at Writers’ Centre Norwich, speaking about online serialisation alongside an excitingly broad mix of traditional, digital and self publishers. Here’s a webinar version of the talk:
About eight years ago I went to Eastercon, my first science fiction convention. It was a great weekend full of fascinating panels, including the likes of Neil Gaiman, Cory Doctorow and China Mieville. As engrossing as the discussions were, there was a narcissistic room in the back of my brain which wanted to be up on the panel, rather than sitting in the audience.
Being part of the Publishing Day School, sitting on a panel alongside other writers, I achieved that goal. It was another critical step along the road of becoming a writer.
(more…)
Writing
5 things Wattpad needs to do if it wants to be taken more seriously
I love Wattpad, because Wattpad turned me into a writer. I’d always claimed to want to be a writer, and had always been writing bits and pieces here and there, but I’d never published anything or even really finished a project. Writing had become something I did at work in my capacity as a copywriter, while my dreams of being a novelist flapped about in the winds of nostalgia.
A couple of years after publishing on Wattpad I had a novel called A Day of Faces, 116,000 reads, a Watty 2016 award and a lot more confidence. In April I’m talking about my experience as part of the Publishing Day School at Writers’ Centre Norwich. Wattpad even ended up on the International Literature Showcase last year.
But it ain’t perfect. In fact, there are gaping holes. It aspires to be YouTube for words, yet is failing to even replicate that platform’s basic features.I love Wattpad, so hopefully this insight will prove useful to the engineers over there… (more…)
Writing
On converting Wattpad readers into patrons (or not)
I started a Patreon last year, coinciding with starting work on the A Day of Faces audiobook, The Mechanical Crown and the How To Write Serialised Fiction guide. Given the success I’d had with A Day of Faces on Wattpad, I’d hoped it would have a steady start.
As of right now, I have one patron. He’s the best kind of patron: always has interesting feedback, frequently sends over suggestions for improvement, and is generally supportive. But he’s my lone Patreon supporter, which makes for a slightly awkward situation. (more…)
Writing
Designing The Mechanical Crown’s new cover
There’s a brand new cover for The Mechanical Crown which I unveiled last night. It looks like this: (more…)
Writing
A Murder in Four Dimensions – my next short story
There’s another Wattpad Block Party approaching, which means I’ve penned a new chapter to contribute to the month-long celebration of online literature. Previously I’ve written behind-the-scenes articles, partly because I was right in the middle of working on A Day of Faces and also because I didn’t feel confident about exposing Read more…
Writing
How to write serialised fiction
I’ve started publishing a how-to guide all about writing serialised fiction. It’s an approach to writing which I tried with A Day of Faces to a fair bit of a success, especially in terms of banishing my usual procrastination, so hopefully the guide will help others do the same. A Read more…
Writing
Evinden: rescuing a novel
It’s been a long time since I blogged about Evinden, my long-gestating fantasy novel. The last time, apparently, was in July 2013, and that was only an oblique mention. I have to delve back to the heady days of February 2011 to find a proper mention, at which point I’m talking Read more…