Subjective vs Objective writing styles could just as easily be titled ‘Autobiographical versus Imagined’. Which type of writer are you? Nearly all writers fall into one of two categories. Those whose writing style almost always stems from their own experience (subjective), and those who construct entirely imaginary scenarios (objective). The former uses his or her own backgrounds, emotional involvements, social circles, lifetime events, to inform the writing, even though using an unfamiliar or fictional setting. The latter constructs stories almost exclusively from imagined circumstances, alth ..read more

Subjective vs Objective writing styles could just as easily be titled “Autobiographical versus Imagined”. Which type of writer are you? Nearly all writers fall into one of two categories. Those whose writing style almost always stems from their own experience (subjective), and those who construct entirely imaginary scenarios (objective). The former uses his or her own backgrounds, emotional involvements, social circles, lifetime events, to inform the writing, even though using an unfamiliar or fictional setting. The latter constructs stories almost exclusively from imagined circumstances, alth ..read more

Planning your book is a complex subject. You’ve got your brilliant idea for a book (play, film). How do you then plan its execution? How do you work out the plot, imagine the characters, determine the twists, the conflicts, the climaxes? Planning a Book – detailed method Many writers cannot begin until they feel they know as much as possible about all these elements. They spend days, weeks and even months thinking about them. They draw up lengthy plot charts, list everything they think they need to know about the main characters – their family backgrounds, their personality traits, their lik ..read more

Tension and pace are the next most crucial items in the writer’s armoury.  It doesn’t matter how vital your subject matter, or how brilliant your writing style, if you don’t have tension in your story, and if it doesn’t move with pace, your readers will get bored or frustrated, and (writer’s worst nightmare) might even give up. Let’s look at those two things – Tension and Pace TENSION  – Or one might call it suspense. This doesn’t mean that every work must necessarily be a murder mystery or a fast action thriller.  The suspense may be emotional (Jane Austen), intellectual (Jo ..read more

Emotional Involvement is perhaps the most crucial item in a writer’s inventory. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your concept, how sparkling your dialogue, how meaningful your insights – if you as the writer don’t have that emotional involvement at every point of the story, it will lack conviction and intensity. This is what makes the task so mentally exhausting, and why you need to take a break every so often. I find that the hardest work comes in the revising. Having completed the main bones of the section I’m working on, I then go over and over it (whole blog on revising to come) actually im ..read more

Okay – let’s get to the writing itself! The first thing to decide is what kind of writing to embark on – i.e. which genre or medium is best for your talents. This may sound obvious, but it’s extraordinary how many people don’t give it much thought. Most assume that they wish to write either a novel, or a non-fiction book about their area of expertise, or an autobiography, or, less frequently, poetry. These are the most obvious genres, and all are viable, but there are other fields. And if you are finding the whole process of writing the next ‘Pride and Prejudice’, or even, having written sever ..read more

Keeping fit is positively the last topic about writing conditions before we get onto the writing itself. This one is important, because one’s state of fitness affects one’s creative state of mind HUGELY. It’s very easy for writers to let their obsession with the work and their sedentary lifestyle gradually affect their health, which then affects their creativity. Keeping Fit is crucial! Keeping fit is surprisingly easy once one gets into the routine, and it takes very little time out of the day. All it requires is a modicum of self-discipline, and the desire to (a) write better, and (b) live l ..read more

Now, before we get onto the actual content of what you are writing, let’s consider the circumstances under which you are doing it. Your working conditions will affect your productivity enormously. Simply sitting day after day, tapping away with no break except for a cup of coffee, is not in the long run going to be good for either your health or your productivity. Let’s take the various aspects of your working conditions separately:- Location working-conditions And as for solitude – when I was young and writing my first stuff, I shared a London bachelor flat with a number of other actors and ..read more

Before we get to the actual business of writing, let’s consider the motivation. What one might call the job satisfaction of the work. Many writers complain that they do not enjoy the process. They find it agonising, daunting, or stressful. I cannot understand this. To me, whilst it may at times be frustrating, it seems one of the most fulfilling jobs there is. Creativity in whatever form, in whatever job, is the secret to happiness – the arts are the most creative of all occupations – and writing is the art that combines both imagination and intellect to the greatest degree. There are 4 Uniqu ..read more

Getting Started With Successful Writing All successful writing in whatever medium contains three basic elements. For simplicity I call them the three I’s: INSPIRATION INDIVIDUALITY INTELLIGENCE INSPIRATION The initial idea/concept/story. Your idea may be of huge significance for you, but is it for others? Is it something that has been covered a zillion times before (boy meets girl, someone finds body, the traumas of breakup/divorce, lifestyle secrets). All of those are relevant, but if that’s your route then you’ll have to find a unique angle on it (Fifty Shades Of Grey, Inspector Rebus/ Mo ..read more