Posted by on Apr 26, 2007 in A Gentle Axe, novels, R N Morris | 6 Comments

While the wheels spin … I’m reading. One of the things they never tell you about becoming a writer, is that you’re going to have to deal with the books and stories of other writers. By which I mean, people you know, and like, will get stuff published – and you are going to have […]

Posted by on Apr 24, 2007 in inspiration, journal, writer's block | 3 Comments

Not the Primrose Path As Shakespeare has it,“I shall the effect of this good lesson keep,As watchman to my heart.But, good my brother,Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;Whiles, like a puff’d and reckless libertine,Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,And recks not his own rede.” Not, […]

Posted by on Apr 19, 2007 in burnout, novels, projects | 3 Comments

I was ‘talking’ to McKenna the other day – or whatever verb we are supposed to use when we email back and forth with somebody we’ve never met, but feel we know extremely well – and she suggested I needed to talk about how people need to have different kinds of work; some of which […]

Posted by on Apr 17, 2007 in Uncategorised | 5 Comments

One for Ren Holton It’s a sad but true fact that my three writing personalities compete. It’s also completely pointless, as Carmel Lockyer (the erotica writer) wins every year; not only does she get most stories published, she makes much more money than the other two. Anyway, today is Ren’s day to crow a little […]

Posted by on Apr 12, 2007 in competitions, contests, judging, themes | No Comments

Contests – again … It must be contest season – I’m judging/reading for or have judged/read for three in the past two months. Some things bear repeating: Theme contests require you to submit a story that RELATES to the set theme – not one that you wrote a year ago and haven’t placed Everywhere I’ve […]

Posted by on Apr 10, 2007 in Uncategorised | One Comment

Being a novelist … I know I bang on and on about the importance of networking and the value of Zoetrope for just that purpose, but once again it’s proving its worth to me, in the bittersweet wisdom of Carol Lefevre, whose picture graces this post. Carol’s a fellow writer, and a good one, and […]

Posted by on Apr 5, 2007 in elvis, guru, moondance | 3 Comments

When a plan comes together … I love it, to misquote Colonel Hannibal Smith. When I sat down a few months ago to write my quarterly essay for Moondance, I knew I wanted to write about my own guru, who has shaped my life with his wisdom for over two decades, but I also knew […]

Posted by on Apr 3, 2007 in cadenza, literary magazines | 3 Comments

If you want to be a writer … buy literary magazines It amazes me that people expect to be published in places they haven’t read. That’s like expecting the barman to pour champagne for the house on your birthday when you’ve never graced his barstool before – it might happen, but it’s unlikely: if you […]