Public Lending Right
It’s sad to see that the budget for Public Lending Right is being cut by the new Tory/LibDem government. It’s a worthwhile scheme that provides income to writers.…
Monday morning inspiration
Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly…
“Becoming a Writer” by Dorothea Brande
This is a wonderfully lucid book. I would not hesitate to take writing advice from Dorothea Brande, for the simple reason that…
Monday morning inspiration
Writing fiction is not “self-expression” or “therapy”. Novels are for readers, and writing them means the crafty, patient, selfless construction of effects.…
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz
I quite liked this book. I think that, perhaps, if I had come upon it by chance in a neglected corner of…
“Bon Voyage, Mr President” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A short book of four short stories. I liked the main one, Bon Voyage Mr President. It’s quite a straightforward story, with none of the magical realism for…
Monday morning inspiration
Honour the miraculousness of the ordinary. Andrew Motion The Guardian, Feb 2010
Forecasting the future
The Society of Young Publishers hit on an interesting idea in a recent issue of its magazine inPrint. They dug up an…