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How are you? Climbing the walls? Languishing in the depths of a cosy couch with a book or Netflix? Writing your book with gusto? Feeling guilty because you have not written anything? Not. One. Single. Word? Here’s the thing. We are at this moment turned upside down and inside out. It is the perfect time … Continued
This is not exactly the kind of editorial that I expected to write in 2020, or any time for that matter, but life has a way of throwing unexpected things at us. We have choices. We can react, throw our arms up in despair and moan about the harshness of life, be mean to each … Continued
What makes a good blurb? When you pick up a book at a bookstore or library, or read a blurb somewhere online, what engages you? What convinces you to open the book and scan the first page, or to take the book home with you? The blurb is the equivalent of a movie trailer. Seen … Continued
Not too long ago, one of my friends told me that she didn’t think horror was a necessary, or influential, literary genre. There’s too much blood, she said, too much gore, too many nasty details. My gaze drifted towards the pile of books that were stacked next to my bed. Among them were my two … Continued
Congratulations! There are three ways that you can go about writing and publishing a book: Just blunder forth. Unfortunately, it’s extremely likely – if not certain – you’ll run into problems you don’t know how to solve. If you try to muddle through them, you’re likelier to stumble into (or create) bigger problems. Employ a … Continued
What does it take to write a self-help book? Lots of people blunder into it, thinking it’s just about getting everything out onto the page. Then that’s it. But this is tantamount to writing a novel without structure and direction. It’ll bore readers or be hard to follow. Readers will then disengage and put the … Continued
This is the last blog for 2019! Busybird is closing tomorrow, Friday 20th December, at 1.00pm, and will reopen Monday, 13th January, at 9.00am. During the break, we want you to think about your writing. Did you write the book that you wanted to write in 2019? If so, great! Fantastic! Well done! Did you … Continued
When you read, you hear the narrative in your head. The voice you hear won’t be the idealised version of your own – you know the one you hear in your head when you’re rehearsing what you’re going to say to somebody? Like if you’re preparing for an argument with an internet provider, or a … Continued
