Friday, 26 November 2010

NANOWRIMO???

I don't think I am going to make 50,000 words this month, but I do have 24,000 words of a new 8+ novel which is wonderful.
I met a young writer from Orkney today at the Scholastic HQ, visiting with the Scottish Book Trust, who has done it this month and already topped 50,000 words! well done.
Today I have recorded some of QUARRY for a web link, spoken to Julia Eccleshare and had a new author photo taken!



I am now thinking about a new teen novel....

NANOWRIMO???

Tuesday, 16 November 2010

NANOWRIMO


arrgh, falling behind...I'm trying to fire out a very rough first draft of my new book, maybe called SCAVENGERS, and it's fun but NOT ENOUGH TIME, am off to find a book to make a plan (I'm nearly 20,000 words in and I still haven't got a plan, that's what nanowrimo is all about I suppose) But free writing (like free diving only with oxygen, you plunge deeper as you go into the unknown) is a good way to generate ideas... but I should have written 26,672 words by now in order to 'win' nanowrimo.

Back to it...must also find out about cliff erosion, sea slugs, shipping lanes and dynamite.

Saturday, 13 November 2010

Swindon Ten Youth Festival

Visits to Kingsdown School and Dorcan Tech, post your stories below if yoiu would like some feedback!

Nice to meet you all.

Friday, 5 November 2010

HAYGROVE SCHOOL VISIT

I visited Haygrove school in Bridgewater today and had a very nice time talking about BEAST and SPARKS and my other books.
Post your story below! Go on, do it! Thanks for being fabulous.
Enjoy the carnival tonight...

HURRAH! SPARKS LONGLISTED FOR CARNEGIE 2011




This is the sort of news that keeps me pounding the keyboard late into the night...






As ever, very stiff competition... but go SPARKS!!




Friday, 22 October 2010

NANOWRIMO 2010

www.nanowrimo.org.


like reading books? why not write one?

I am going to try to fire out the first draft of a new book this November along with the crazed organisation that is NANOWRIMO. You write 50,000 words in a month. That's 1667 words a day. I did my first drafts of SPARKS and BERSERK this way, and most of it was dreadful, and I had to throw most of it away. But some of it was ok! and it is great to have something to work with rather than the empty screen.

Why don't YOU try and write a novel in November too? (but don't make it too good because I don't want to be out of a job!)