Category: Writing AdvicePage 1 of 5
Graeme Shimmin’s thoughts on creative writing based on his twenty-plus years of experience as a novelist.
A lot of aspiring authors talk about writing a lot but don’t actually write. If you suspect that’s something you do, then here’s how to turn talk into action.
Maybe you spent ten years writing your novel, but you still only have ten seconds to sell it to a potential reader… and that’s why you need to know how to write a blurb.
An iconic scene from the movie Amadeus encapsulates what I call ‘The Amadeus Myth’. Picture this: a dimly lit room and the sound of a piano in the…
A great tagline can make the difference between your novel selling like hot cakes and it not selling at all… and that, fundamentally, is why you need to…
Did you ever stare at a blank page or screen for so long your eyes went funny? Or rewrite a sentence fifteen times and then finally delete it…
How to tread the fine line between making your story dramatic and slipping into melodrama.
What a frame story is, why they’re hard to get right and how to write one that works.
So, you’ve heard about writing groups? Maybe you’re even thinking of joining one. Good, because if you want to write and publish a novel, then joining a writing…
In order to understand what a deus ex machina is, first we need to go back in time. In fact, we need to go all the way to…
You’ve probably heard the term “vanity publishing”. But what is it exactly? Everyone seems to think it’s bad, but why is it a problem? What’s the difference between…