Blog: Mel's Muse

Writing In Style Requires Rewriting & Revision

Can any one of us honestly say that the first draft of our book has been written in style? Yes, we fall in love with great chunks of our work – phrases, paragraphs, heck, whole chapters. But I’d be the first to admit that if I put my work away for a few weeks...

Posted at 20:56pm on 5th April 2009

April 2009 Meeting Of Uv Readers' Group

APRIL 2009 MEETING OF UV READERS’ GROUP

We meet on: Thursday 23rd April
At: 7.30pm
Where: The Library, Grand Hotel
Book: The Shack by William P Young

Posted at 15:30pm on 5th April 2009

My Mother In Law Or Voluntary Work? My Husband Says Charity Begins At Home

Dear Mel,

You once wrote something about trying to please everyone – I forget what – but you know what I mean – people like me who still have kids at home who don’t seem to want to leave, and who have to hold down a job, ok its only part time - and now...

Posted at 21:03pm on 3rd April 2009

Really Good Writing Requires Really Good Editing!

Anyone, it has been said, can write. But as any published author knows only too well, the secret of writing well is in the rewriting.

GOOD WRITING STYLES

I was very fortunate in that my first book was commissioned. Actually, what happened was that what had been one book became two. It had taken me many...

Posted at 17:52pm on 3rd April 2009

2 Comments

To Be A Good Story Teller You Need To Understand What Makes A Good Piece Of Writing

I wrote, yesterday, about a lady who had e-mailed me from Greece to ask what the difference was between a Good Story, and A Good Piece of Writing. It's a good question!

Many years ago I was speaking to an agent who knew Jeffrey Archer well. Lord Archer was a Member of the British...

Posted at 21:00pm on 31st March 2009

What Is A Good Story? And What A Good Piece Of Writing?

"Is there a difference between a good story and good writing?"

I was asked the question by a lady living in Greece, who has been reading my blog posts for sometime, and who e-mailed me, direct. She, like many would-be authors, is frustrated by the stone-walling she has received from the publishers to whom she’s submitted...

Posted at 11:20am on 30th March 2009

2 Comments

The Structure Of A Novel: Twelve Tips

You’ve decided to start writing a novel but you’ve no idea where to begin. Or perhaps you’ve already made a start but haven’t a clue how to proceed. You thought that once you’d started it would simply flow, but now you’re finding that pulling all the strands together to bring the wretched thing to its...

Posted at 20:35pm on 26th March 2009

2 Comments

Six Blogging Styles: Which Approach Turns You On?

Do you write and own a blog? Or are you simply a reader of blogs? If so, what sort of blog most turns you on? What makes you want to subscribe to regular updates? And what urges you to leave a comment?

I’m not asking you to describe the niche for which you’re writing, nor...

Posted at 14:43pm on 23rd March 2009

2 Comments

Rejection Slips And Bad Reviews Of Your Book? 4 Ways Of Coping

There’s no such thing as bad press! So says the old adage. The idea is that a literary review for your work – regardless of how damning it may be – is, nevertheless, a step up from no review at all! That may be, but how, when you’ve already waded through an emotional ocean...

Posted at 16:59pm on 18th March 2009

6 Comments

Fact, Fiction Or Fable: Is This A Sorry Story Of Fault-finding?

I wrote a few weeks ago about Friedman’s Fables, which my daughter gave me for my birthday. The book is a collection of short stories – very short at times – each of which highlights a specific pattern of human behaviour. Because of events in my family, one of the stories particularly caught my...

Posted at 16:21pm on 15th March 2009

2 Comments

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