Publishers and agents are typically inundated with manuscript submissions from authors seeking publication. And as a result, ‘the authorities’ (as I shall hereby refer to them as) are looking for reasons to reject your book. The standouts are standouts, and speak for themselves. … [Read more...] about Word count by genre: How long should my book really be?
Guide To Writing
Novel Writing: Getting started
I am in awe of people who can write a novel. It is no simple task to write that many words – let alone tell a compelling, well-written story. And it certainly isn’t always easy to commence writing your novel either. Even for the most experienced writers, writing a novel is no … [Read more...] about Novel Writing: Getting started
Want to write great dialogue?
Writing great dialogue doesn’t seem like it would be difficult, but it is actually one of the biggest hurdles that writers face. Done well, dialogue advances the story and fleshes out the characters while providing a break from straight exposition. The key? Good dialogue is not … [Read more...] about Want to write great dialogue?
Show, Don’t Tell
If you've ever received an appraisal from The Manuscript Agency, in all likelihood we would've talked about ‘showing, not telling’ at some point in the report. It’s not because we like repeating ourselves, or regurgitating information to make our lives easier – it’s because … [Read more...] about Show, Don’t Tell
In conversation with children’s books illustrator, Beth Norling…
I met Beth Norling one cold, foggy evening at a CCBA Blue Mountains gathering, where she was being honoured for her contribution to the children's book industry, as an illustrator. Our friendship began in front of the open fire in the vintage lounge room at The Carrington hotel … [Read more...] about In conversation with children’s books illustrator, Beth Norling…