8 Mar 2012
By Any Other Odd Title
The Bookseller has released their shortlist for the Diagram Prize, awarded annually to the book with the oddest title. This year the shortlist includes Cooking with Poo by Saiyuud Diwong, Estonian Sock Patterns All Around the World by Aino Praakli, and A Taxonomy of Office Chairs by Jonathan Olivares. Among others. What’s in a name, eh? My current work in progress is titled Untitled. This is not an... read more
8 Mar 2012
Even Writers Audit Their Skills
This month is our “Skills Audit” here are Write Anything. Naturally, being both a writer and English means I’m far better at pulling myself to pieces than I am at ever admitting to doing anything well. I’m not even kidding – if you ask me what I do well, I’ll probably say something like “I can string a sentence together” and “I can spot a misplaced... read more
7 Mar 2012
The Incoherent Ramblings of a Deconstructed Writer
There was a time when I would spend ages trying to find the perfect word to slot into a sentence. I simply couldn’t finish the sentence without that specific word that was on the edges of my subconscious but I couldn’t quite grasp at it and pitch it into my writing. I’d consult a dictionary and a thesaurus and pace around my room until I had it. Then the time restrictions imposed by deadlines and... read more
7 Mar 2012
Digging for gold, finding lead
The silence in the room was strained, but it turned especially uncomfortable when Dr. Glassenkopf began to take notes. The scratching of his pen somehow threw the silence in high relief, made it unbearable. “What are you writing?” asked Tony Noland. “I haven’t said anything.” The pen stopped. “Would you like to say something?” Dr. Glassenkopf’s voice was... read more
6 Mar 2012
Creative Writing: The Essential Guide
It is rather a grand claim to promote yourself as “the essential guide” to anything. When Need-2-Know Books approached me to ask whether I would be interested in reviewing Creative Writing: The Essential Guide my first thought was “essential guide? Well, let’s see about that…” After all, what could a how-to-write book teach a seasoned old hack professional like me? The... read more
6 Mar 2012
And The Title is…’Untitled’
I always struggle to think of titles for my writing. When I put the final full-stop on a piece of writing and sit back, I realise the creative process isn’t over. It still needs a title. I can’t call all my poems and short stories ‘Untitled,’ can I? No, I didn’t think so. Although ‘Untitled,’ does sound incredibly mysterious and arty in some respect, don’t you agree? I don’t think I’ve... read more
5 Mar 2012
Creating Suspenseful Stories Using Dynamic Antagonists, Not Guns
In my opinion, authors today overuse gun-wielding villains to heighten a story’s suspense and action. As a result, storyline and character development suffers, leaving a reader with an easily-forgettable story that’s been seen dozens of times before. With a little work and creative thinking, you can add conflict and suspense to your story by using dynamic antagonists and leaving out the cliché... read more
5 Mar 2012
Writer Deconstructed
March is the month for deconstruction: to get right into the grit of ourselves as writers and examine the good and the bad. The editors call this our “Skills Audit and Self Critique,” and I admit, I’m nervous. We’re our own worse critics, after all. I’m going to start by examining the worst of myself as a writer. My failures. Maybe something I lack. I’m going to take a breath and open my eyes... read more
