The House That Laurie Built

  So I get back from holiday to find my editor’s notes sitting in my In Tray. In case you’ve never dealt with publishers let me tell you how it works. You submit your manuscript, an editor reads it and tells you how much he enjoyed it. ‘I’ll need to read it again, of course,’ he says. ‘And let you…

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Major Chord of Me, Me, Me

I imagine everyone has a scene or a sound or maybe even a smell that resonates with them like a homing beacon. For me it’s roughly this: bare winter trees, low sun, a sprinkling of snow and a five bar gate. I have no idea why. I’m not what you’d call a natural snowbaby nor…

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What Do Writers Do…

 … when they’re not writing? Well, leaving aside the fact that some writers NEVER stop writing, I think the answer is that demob fever can take many forms. Some like to go into the great outdoors, some like to hibernate, some go on cruises and teach creative writing courses. Personally I’ve spent the past week…

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Crossing the Line

Yes. I did it. Three hundred pages of The Liar’s Daughter now sit on my editor’s desk, awaiting her blue pencil. I’ve told her I don’t want to hear from her until after my holiday. This is a nail-biting time for any writer  – will they like it, will they hate it, will they go…

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