As many people will tell you, whether you ask them or not, good writing is really about what you don’t write, rather than what you do. Brevity has immense value. What may not be apparent is that you need to write prolifically and then begin the process of fearless removal. As Blaise Pascal said (originally […]
Writing fiction twists your brain in knots. You get to experience the life of a compulsive liar. You are constantly double-checking for consistency, acting as continuity supervisor for your own imagination. You become a detective, picking through the diary of a suspect; checking for the slip up that undermines the story and breaks the alibi. […]
“Why have you spent 15 years of your life publishing academic journals Jim?” “Because they’re important. And it’s James, not Jim.” “No. You you’re getting it all the wrong way around. You tell everyone they are important because you’ve wasted fifteen years on them. Maybe you even believe it – but the importance you attribute […]