Q. What is White Crane? A. It is a kung fu move invented in Southern China (Fujian or Hokkien province) by a girl who was shooing away a crane who bothered her while she was working. The move is known for its lightness of touch. The idea is that even a weak person, eg a …
The Business of Blurb Once I found this task a chore akin to cleaning or ironing. Now I enjoy it and even do it on other people’s books. It’s the pretty and mysterious sister of the synopsis. The synopsis is a dry technical report of the book’s beats with all the spoilers but the blurb …
Recently, I read Amanda’s international bestseller set in London, Don’t Come Looking, a standalone novel which features the protagonist, Eva Barnes, and additional characters from Leave Well Alone. It is another psychological thriller that sees Eva eight years on as a police detective. Amanda’s pen name is AJ Campbell. Here she shares with us some …
One of the most fascinating aspects about social media is chancing upon a group that I was honoured to have been able to join: the Literary Fiction Writers on FaceBook. The impact it’s had on reading, writing, and millions of subject interest communities is enormous. Without social media, there is little or zero chance that …
We’ve all done it. Self-editing. From my own experience, there’s also a blindness to self-editing because as a creator I am too close to my body of work. I see it every day. It’s like tasting your own cooking. Because you like the taste and you taste it every day doesn’t mean it’s good or at …
In this #thewritinglife post, I’d like to focus on what and who has made us interested in reading and writing. I’ve had the pleasure and honour to work with and talk to Cambridge-qualified Mary-Anne Farah (Maz) and Holly of Marginalia Manuscripts about their personal stories. Editors are one of the key backstage players of the actual …
One of my most vivid memories as a child was watching Jaws in 1977 with my dad. I doubt it’s suitable for a 7 year old as I remember being terrified of swimming in the sea for about two years even though I grew up in Malaysia and it’s mandatory to swim. In the sea. And no, there are no sharks in Malaysia. I now realise the power of imagination and the impact of movies on creativity.
Authors, do you have an Ideal Reader and readers, are you in fact one? I interviewed an avid reader and here’s what I found! Read my blog post here. Most blogs interview authors but that’s boring. As an author, I have been interviewed many times and I also have interviewed other authors. This time, …
1. Write what you don’t know. Writing what you know is one of the worst pieces of writing advice. It must have come from the “old days” i.e. pre-internet where there was not enough information available to anyone so it would be dangerous and idiotic to stray past your own library. But today, how do …
If you are an author, you will not and should not have to spend too much time on promo. Here are some things you can do on the go, from anywhere and at any time. Go ‘live’ on a FB group, your own page or on Twitter. Just introduce yourself. Don’t forget most people don’t …
