Wednesday 18 May 2011

Two Wrongs Do Make A Writer

One of my favourite philosophies in life is ‘Learn from your mistakes’. Another equally valuable one to remember is ‘Learn from everyone else’s mistakes’. In writing you are always going to make mistakes (and hopefully learn from them) but it would make things so much easier if most of these errors could be avoided.
How?
By learning from everyone else’s of course. And some people are kind enough not only to write books about these mistakes but alternatives and the things which worked for them.

Here’s a list of 30 such books, exploring everything from plot to punctuation to publishing and everything in between. They’ve all been recommended by fellow writers as being helpful but bear in mind, what works for one person might not strike a chord with you. The beauty of having so much variety in advice is that you can pick and choose what suits your way of writing.

I’ve spent the last eight months completing an Access course in Creative Writing and sure, I learnt about the craft of writing (and crucially, self-discipline) but what my tutors taught me* were just their opinions on how to write a novel. There is of course no right or wrong way to write a novel, but if you read something being repeated in many of these writing books, you can bet it’s something fundamental to a creating successful novel.

Have fun filling up your bookshelf!


12 Point Guide To Writing Romance - Kate Walker
Becoming A Writer - Dorothea Brande
Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life  - Anne Lamott
Characters and Viewpoint: Elements of Writing Fiction - Orson Scott Card
Getting the Point: A Panic Free Guide to English Punctuation for Adults - Jenny Haddon and Elizabeth Hawksley
Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction - Debra Dixon
Love Writing: How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction - Sue Moorcroft
On Writing: A Memoir - Stephen King
Plotting and Editing: for Writers - Anna Jacobs (kindle edition)
Plotting the Novel - Michael Legat
Scene and Structure - Jack M. Bickham
Steering the Craft - Ursula K. Le Guin
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting - Robert McKee
Telling Lies for Fun and Profit - Lawrence Block
The Artists’ Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity - Julia Cameron
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Your Romance Published - Julie Beard
The Elements of Style - William Strunk Jnr. and E.B. White
The Fire in Fiction - Donald Maass
The Marshall Plan Workbook: Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish - Evan Marshall
The Novelist’s Guide: Powerful Techniques for Creating Character, Dialogue and Plot - Margret Geraghty
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers - Christopher Vogler
To Writers with Love: On Writing Romantic Novels - Mary Wibberley
Wannabe a Writer? - Jane Wenham-Jones
Wannabe a Writer We’ve Heard Of? - Jane Wenham-Jones
Write Away - Elizabeth George
Write to be Published - Nicola Morgan
Writing for Emotional Impact - Karl Iglesias
Writing for Pleasure and Profit - Michael Legat
Writing Screenplays that Sell - Michael Hauge
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: Hands-on Help for Making Your Novel Stand Out and Succeed  - Donald Maass
 

This blog post is by no means a promotional banner for these authors (although of course they should be rewarded and acknowledged for writing such helpful books). It’s to help you, the writer, so if you’ve read any other writing books which you’d like to recommend, then please go wild in the comments section (once you’ve hurdled that incomprehensible code you have to translate to prove you’re not a computer).
 

* or tried to, poor suffering souls

Saturday 7 May 2011

Hungry For The Wolfe - An interview with Hazel Osmond

‘Unusual to find such a proficient debut novel.’
‘Didn’t want it to end.’
‘Hazel Osmond is a new talent to get really excited about.’
‘A new slant and a fresh approach [on romantic fiction]’
‘A real page turner.’
‘You will finish it a few sittings.’
‘Highly recommended.’
‘Could not recommend this more.’
‘Laugh out loud funny.’
‘Osmond is an author to watch.’

…okay, I’ll stop there but you get the idea. These are just a sprinkling of quotes from readers and by the sounds of it, newly-dedicated fans of debut author Hazel Osmond. The book they’re all raving about?
 


 The phrase ‘Not just a pretty face’ springs to mind. Not only is this contemporary romantic comedy beautifully presented but the content is pretty special too. Curious as to how and why this new kid on the block has caused such a stir, I interviewed Hazel Osmond hoping to get an insight…


What should readers expect from Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe?
To be kept on their toes by the plot and moved by the situations that the characters face. I wanted to write a romance that had all the traditional elements – Alpha male, gay best friend, etc. but with several twists that shake up the story and the reader’s expectations.
 


Why should readers choose Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? over any other book on the same shelf?
I think what sets it apart is the humour – I believe that humour, even in difficult circumstances, adds to the poignancy of a situation – it’s almost a mark of bravery in a character, being able to laugh when things are going awry.
 

How did the idea of Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? come about?

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of people who are hiding things. It probably comes from reading Jane Eyre when I was a girl. I have a thing about wolves too, especially lone ones. So I wanted to create a hero who combined both of these elements. What gave me the nudge was writing fan fiction based on Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Guy of Gisborne in the BBC TV series – he had wolf’s head clasps on his jacket and did a lovely line in prowling.
 

If Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? was made into a film, who would you have play the characters of Ellie Somerset and Jack Wolfe?

Well, Richard Armitage obviously for Jack… second choices, Hugh Jackman or Jake Gyllenhaal. Ellie I see as Amy Adams from Enchanted or Jemima Rooper from Lost in Austen – with a bit of padding though… Ellie’s all curves.

Where can we find Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe?

Apart from Amazon it’s at WH Smith, Asda, Tesco, Waterstones and Eason & Son in Ireland.
 

As a debut novelist, how do you cope with seeing your name in publications, getting your work reviewed and all the other things that come with having a novel published?

I’ve been lucky that I’ve had a gradual introduction to seeing my name in print, having won the Woman & Home Short Story Competition (sponsored by Costa) in 2008. I’ve also had positive reviews, to date. I think the important thing is to connect with your readers or potential readers in anything you do as far as publicity is concerned… in a way it’s not about you, it’s about what you can offer them. Thinking that makes it much less scary!
 

Where do you find your inspiration for characters and storylines?

Life, I guess, is the answer to that as far as characters go, and once I’ve got the characters right, the storylines suggest themselves somehow. In Mr Wolfe a lot of the characters are based on the types of people I’ve come across in twenty years of advertising.
 

Are there any authors whose writing has particularly inspired or influenced your own style?

I’ve been inspired by all kinds of writers, but it’s the humorous ones who stick in my brain - like Dorothy Parker, Alan Coren, and David Sedaris.
 

When did you first begin writing, and when did it become a career rather than a hobby?

Well I’ve always written for a living, but I guess the first time I got a real buzz from writing was when I started on the fan fiction. Writing in instalments and getting regular feedback was a total turn on creatively and something clicked into place. That was really only four years ago. I still balance my short story and novel writing with my advertising copywriting.
 

Who were your favourite writers as a child?

Richmal Crompton of the Just William books –she has a way of moving a narrative along and is masterful with slapstick and wry, witty scenes. I read Jane Eyre quite early on too and some Dickens and I liked AA Milne – but not particularly Winnie the Pooh… I preferred his nonsense poetry.
 

What is the last book you read that you could not put down?

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke. I love the mix of magic and history, the sheer excitement and sweep of the action and the heart-breaking love story that runs through it. Jonathan Strange is one hell of a hero.


What can we expect next from Hazel Osmond?

I’m currently doing revisions on my second novel set in Northumberland. It’s another romance with plenty of twists and turns, and it explores the way in which people get judged on how they look. I’m tinkering about with a children’s story too called Sushi Baby and still writing short stories for women’s magazines and competitions.


Thanks to Hazel, my curiosity is temporarily settled. If you’d like to find out more, visit http://www.hazelosmond.co.uk/. Now there’s just the wait for Book Two to come out…