I needed to do some weeding in the garden recently. Our rose bed was in danger of disappearing into a jungle of tangled weeds.
Weeding in the garden is so satisfying; in a very short space of time you can see the results of your labours. The garden bed looks much better very quickly. The plants [...]

It is said that Michelangelo, when asked how he had sculpted his masterpiece, David, replied, ‘I looked at the stone and removed all that was not David.”
Not a bad description of the novel revision process. From the mass of words you have created, you’ll take away all that is not your novel. You’ll chisel and [...]

Writing a novel - a writer’s journal: part 21
I strangely find myself grieving.
I am grieving over my finished novel. That may seem a somewhat strange reaction to finishing my novel for children last Tuesday, but that is exactly how I feel. For almost nine months this story has been growing within me-and I didn’t plan [...]

Writing a novel - a writer’s journal: part 20
Rewriting and editing: is there a difference?

There is a fine line between rewriting and editing. One of my lecturers is quite adamant that there is a huge difference. I see them as distinct but closely related. What you call them is not important. It’s the process that [...]

As a writer I have learned that I need to be very goal oriented.

Setting firm goals for my writing keeps me on track.
Setting firm goals keeps me accountable to myself.
Setting firm goals helps me to track my progress.
Setting firm goals keeps me focused and minimizes distractions.

I’ve written about setting writing goals before (click here).
More recently [...]