Mind mapping and creative writing go hand in hand. Each uses the same side of the brain to flesh out ideas into a fully-fledged product. I used mind-mapping extensively, even taught it, but confess to letting the practice slide as my linear mode took over. I was reminded of it while reading a brief article by … Read more
Published July 2018, Scrublands was Chris Hammer’s first published crime novel. Just over a year later, Chris Hammer – the author has won the 2019 John Creasy New Blood Award for best crime novel by a first-time author. The award was part of the UK Crime Writers Association Dagger Awards, one of the top awards for crime … Read more
When you look to models of success in writing, James Patterson has to be at or near the top of your list. You may not enjoy his books but you can’t deny his prodigious talent. Those writers looking for exemplary models of the craft of writing need to look elsewhere for a role model. If … Read more
J.K. Rowling has created arguably the most fantastical world in contemporary times. Her success in the Potter franchise is widely acknowledged. Writing fantasy fiction in any form has not been my interest even though I love Harry Potter and the entire series. I was as captivated as any child, reading those books. Even though it’s … Read more
I love a good writing group. And there are plenty of them. Taree Scribblers is one. Writing Groups Writing groups run along similar lines but do it differently which is why one’s experience of a writing group varies from one to another. Much of the variation between writing groups is down to both the process … Read more
Spotted this cartoon today in my travels and it stopped me in my tracks. So much so I had to write about it! Not that I was doing any of those things, of course. No, I was actually ‘researching’ on the web. Every good writer needs to research – fact-checking, thoroughness of topic coverage, clarifying … Read more