My thoughts about books, writing, life and so many other things….Judy Leigh/ Elena Collins.
How often do I read that phrase in reviews of books? 'I hated that character.' 'I didn’t like that character.' ' The character was horrible.' Some reviewers never do it and are much better reviewers for it. Some do it and qualify their comments – they get that not all characters are loveable. That’s a …
As a writer, I’m asked lots of questions about writing. Such as: How do you come up with new ideas? Do you ever get writers’ block? Do you write about people you know? The answers are simple: Ideas come to me quite easily. No, I’ve never had writers’ block. I wouldn’t dare write about people …
I’ve been given the following advice so many times. Don’t kill the dog! That’s what writers are told over and over. It’s a big literary no-no. Readers will put up with a lot in the name of jeopardy – cliffhangers, deceit, murders, infidelity. But not a dead dog. Or cat. Entire films have been based …
Reading was my first glimpse of magic. My mother read to me, which makes me very fortunate. On her knee as a baby, a toddler, a preschooler. I was allowed to point to the words, to sound them out, to close my eyes and breathe in the beauty of descriptions, characters, adventures. I read everything …
This third part of my ‘Getting Published’ guide is all about finding, working with and being grateful for editors. Here’s a true story for you. I go to a great writers’ group each month, and I recall a few years ago at a meeting this wonderful man became really passionate when I was talking about …
A few weeks ago I blogged the first part of ‘How To Get Published’ and the response was overwhelmingly nice, so here’s part two. Of course, this is a guide. There are no guarantees. I know lots of people –six I could name without pause – who are brilliantly gifted writers and why they aren’t …
I love Greek theatre. And it really helps me when I'm writing novels. It helps me create character, action, contrast, tension. It’s a really big deal for me in all my books, whatever the genre. So here we go for some cool elements of Greek Theatre for you to incorporate into your next novel. Or …
I’ve just finished two edits and a novel recently. Book number thirty, maybe - I'm not good at counting them. But this means it’s time to do a few things I’ve missed out on recently. Think. Read. Chat. Blog. Hang out. I haven’t been away in ages, and it would be lovely to do a …
I’ve been in the writing cave recently. I’ve had two edits back to back – one for Golden Girls on the Run, which is out in December and I can’t wait for you to read it – and one for the new Elena Collins novel, published early next year. I’m really excited about that one. …
I recently read There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak and absolutely loved it. It’s currently reviewed at 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon and I highly recommend it. So much so that I left a five star review. So many other people loved it too, so I’m in good company. Of …
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That quintessence of dust 