Writing by numbers

There is nothing more unnerving than having to write an outline for a story you’ve already started and (let’s be honest here) are struggling to finish. Happy-go-lucky, write-first-ask-questions-later gal that I am, I’ve just had to do that for the second time with the same manuscript.

I’m sure there were writers in the past (as there will probably be in the future) who could simply sit down, write like mad, edit, and one year later, have a phenomenal book published, immortalised, raved about, and so on. The type of writer that discovers an amazing story while writing it. I always told myself that if you plan a story from start to finish and then write it, you’re ruining the punchline – even if it’s just for yourself. So I decided that outlines were for other people. Besides, I had a plan: my plan was, once I reached 80,000 words, I was done. Easy, right? Wrong.

Brave new world of publishing

Yesterday morning I decided to step away from the desk and join the Geneva Writers Group to listen to three literary agents – Ayesha Pande, Oliver Munson and Nicola Barr – talk about the current state of the publishing industry. I was really curious to see what the prospects are for non-published writers. There were a couple of articles recently trying to convince people that writing cannot be considered a “real” occupation as the chances to strike gold are bleak, to put it mildly. Although the three agents weren’t as straightforward – or cruel – to put it that way, they didn’t sugar-coat the fact that, especially since the economic crisis (2009, that magical year), publishers are taking fewer risks.

Bring it on, 2013!

I know most people make promises they can’t keep for the upcoming year.

Negotiating books

Once upon a time, when The Angry Chef and I decided to “kind of move in, with boxes” as one person put it at the time, something not quite so obvious was put into motion although it took me no time to figure out. We weren’t just combining our things within the four walls of his apartment (where my boxes and I were gladly and enthusiastically invited to live).