Ray's Blog: March 2009
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
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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...
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...
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...
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...
Issues Of Trust Between A Mother And Her Child
“Can it ever be right for a mother to expose her child in the name of literature?” I asked on an online forum. It was a question which has provoked an impassioned response. But it was, itself, a response – my answer – to a recent news story which has spread itself across the...
Posted at 16:59pm on 11th March 2009
Crafting Fiction: Understanding How Scenes In Novels Are Constructed - Part 4
By now I hope you’re beginning to understand the importance of conflict in a novel, and how to incorporate the three elements of Goal, Conflict and Disaster into each ACTION scene. I’ve had some feedback from readers via Twitter, but it would be great if you could post your comments and queries at the end...
Posted at 14:16pm on 7th March 2009
Crafting Fiction: Understanding How Scenes In Novels Are Constructed - Part 3
Earlier in the week, I posted some articles about ACTION scenes. We looked at the necessity for both emotion and conflict in a novel and stressed that your reader will want, and expect, to be engaged at an emotional level. That means that they will want to live the life of your main character...
Posted at 17:44pm on 4th March 2009
Uv Book Group - Why Trust The Bible By Amy Orr-ewing
The Library at The Grand is such a comfortable venue, and so conducive to feeling comfortable in every sense of the word. Seventeen of us met on this occasion and a lively discussion followed. We all agreed it was a most enjoyable evening, with everyone making a valuable contribution. This time the questions were compiled...
Posted at 22:50pm on 3rd March 2009
Crafting Fiction: Understanding How Scenes In Novels Are Constructed - Part 2a
I know it’s not very professional to abandon a blog post half way through, and I apologise for having done so yesterday. But when your mother’s poorly and needs you, there’s just no way round it. So in the hope that you’ll forgive me, and have come back for the second half, here it...
Posted at 16:35pm on 2nd March 2009
Crafting Fiction: Understanding How Scenes In Novels Are Constructed - Part 2
I finished Part 1 of this series a couple of days ago by saying that a scene is invariably made up of three simple elements:
Goal Conflict Disaster THE CONFLICT IN A NOVEL IS VITAL TO ITS STRUCTUREIn a previous post, I’ve written about what makes a story a plot, and highlighted the significance of conflict...
Posted at 19:35pm on 1st March 2009
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