Tag: writing process (Page 9 of 15)

The end is nigh

04/11/2010 / Ellie

Well, almost. I was writing up a storm at the weekend, and racked up just shy of 5k words in 24 hours, breaking the symbolic 180k barrier. A bit longer than I’d hoped, but never mind. I haven’t felt this energised about my writing in a looong time. This is A Good Thing.

Naturally I don’t want to tempt fate by pronouncing a deadline in public. That would be, to quote Pterry, like standing on top of a hill during a thunderstorm, in copper armour, shouting “All gods are bastards!”

But let’s just say that a certain work-in-progress is reaching a conclusion. The orchestra is tuning up, and in her dressing room the Fat Lady is performing her vocal exercises.

Stay tuned.

The cutting edge of fantasy fiction?

23/08/2010 / Ellie

Authors of fiction should wear their learning lightly, I feel. Research should subtly inform their writing, not dominate it, and the reader should never, ever feel as if they’re being lectured. After all, they picked up the book to be entertained and transported into another world, not sat down and told to pay attention, because there’s a quiz later.

It’s a widely-held view that fantasy as a genre is one in which the writer can pretty much dispense with research. It’s all made up, so as long as you make sure there are certain natural laws by which your world functions and you stick to them, you can do what you like. It’s your sandpit. You make the rules. Continue reading