Category: Writing
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How to manage and format your book manuscript in Word
While there are a lot of great software options out there for writing your novels, I use Microsoft Word. Why? Because it’s simple – there’s no distracting features, just you and the page. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out how you should format and manage your manuscript in Word, especially if you’re new to…
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What are the best books on writing genre fiction?
I asked some of my writing friends to share the best books on writing. There are some great suggestions here, including several books I’d never heard of. I’ve included several of my favourites at the bottom of the list.
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Researching an Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association
I’m currently researching the establishment of an Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Association by surveying local authors and creative professionals. This research was part of my grant I got from the UNESCO City of Literature last year.
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Why comparing yourself to everyone else is stupid
I was having one of those days. Sitting there writing, thinking that even if I write and write and write, I’ll never be as good as [insert author name here]. Funnily enough, it seems like a bunch of other writers were having those days too. I checked into social media, where at least three author friends…
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Hardboiled Holmes: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Valley of Fear
In researching a new novel, I stumbled across a curious tidbit within The Scientific Sherlock Holmes by James O’Brien. It briefly mentioned The Valley of Fear, one of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, as an early precursor to the hardboiled novel. Intrigued as Holmes coming across a mystery, I immediately sought out the story. I’m a perpetual dabbler…
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The Terrifying Act of Making Resolutions
Since I was a teenager, I wanted to be the lead singer in a rock and roll band. It was something about watching Renee Zellweger rocking out on the top of Empire Records that did it for me. Everything in that moment was thrown to the wind in the name of music. The movie finished,…