Tag: Writing

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Halfway through the major re-write, and a good many story elements yet to change. That’s the result of working as a pantster: plot develops as the story is created, and that impacts on parts already written. It’s particularly influential on the denouement on this occasion, since I had a ‘light bulb’ moment during an interrupted …

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Forces of Nature, by Professor Brian Cox, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Nature, Reading, Review

This surprising book exudes the author’s enduring sense of wonder and delight at the natural world. Such qualities, when demonstrated by a leading academic, who is also a well-loved and respected TV presenter, can motivate and inspire. I hope many non-scientists read this book. Not an ‘easy’ read, it demands attention and concentration. But it …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Editing has started! So far, I’m halfway through chapter 3 with the major re-write. But, prior to that, I’d reduced the ‘story’ element of the editing notes from 20 to 12 items, and dealt with 15 of the other notes I’d made whilst writing/re-reading the first draft. I’ve also made progress on the drawing I’m …

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Perils and Pleasures of Penmanship.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, opinion4 Comments

Writing is such an odd occupation, requiring peculiar minds combined with unusual personalities. All writers are weird; that’s a given. We know we’re strange, some of us peculiar to the point of near insanity, others merely eccentric. We’re definitely an odd bunch. But there’s a strange beauty, a wonderful schizophrenia about writing, especially when the …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #34

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Grammar, Word Choice

Help for writers who want to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by using the best words. The series also provides language learners with insights into the oddities of the English language. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all are true synonyms: context is …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Mars, Progress

Easter, and my wife, Valerie’s, birthday occurred in the last seven days, so progress has been interrupted. Valerie reached a ‘significant’ age, so I took her away for the day and night and we didn’t return home until this evening, after a smashing short break. Of course, I did absolutely nothing on the book during …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #33

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Help here for writers who want to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by using similar and dissimilar words. The series also provides language learners with some insights into the oddities of the English language. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all are true …

Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #33

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress3 Comments

A busy few days. But I’m now approaching the point where I can actually begin the editing process. So, what have I been doing this past week? Well, I visited 81 different website posts to consult them on various relevant topics. Some of those were just a few paragraphs, others a few pages, with much …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #32

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Grammar, politics, Word Choice

Help here for writers, making their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by exploring similar and dissimilar words. The series also allows language learners some insights into the peculiarities of the English language. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all are true synonyms: context matters. Placing …

Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #32

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Mars, Progress3 Comments

Writers know you never completely let go of a project at the first draft stage, but it’s sensible to take some sort of break from the work. Last week, I did a few odds and ends but nothing substantial. This week, I’ve been domestically quite busy. The garden called for some labour. I attended a …

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Creating Stories, by Hank Quense, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Reading, Review2 Comments

This writing manual is about making stories; the creative process and the practical work involved in getting the story from mind to page. As a fairly ancient and experienced writer, I’ve come across quite a few books about writing, so it’s difficult for an author to present something new for me. In this volume, Hank …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #31

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Grammar, Word Choice3 Comments

There’s help here for writers trying to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by exploring similar and dissimilar words. The series also gives language learners insights into some peculiarities of the English language. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all those are true synonyms. …

Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #31

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Now that the first draft is finished, I’ve had a rest from it this week. Though, as other writers will appreciate, you never completely let go at this stage. I’ve been tinkering with the character sketches of the new players, adding some new research links, watching a bit of TV related to the subject, and …

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Looking for the Best Word? Tip #30

On By stuartakenIn Author, charity, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Something a little different this week. A small insight into the British psyche and an exploration of a two-word phrase instead of a single word. There’s help here for writers trying to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by exploring similar and dissimilar words. The series also gives language learners insights …

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The Writer’s Lexicon, by Kathy Steinemann, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Grammar, Review, Word Use

Are you a lover of words? Do you write? Is language use an issue of interest? If so, you’ll find Kathy Steinemann’s ‘The Writer’s Lexicon’ a veritable cornucopia of expressive words. A thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word. A dictionary gives definitions and, sometimes, origins for those construction blocks we use daily …

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