S.J.Budd

Manuscript Presentation A common and sometimes fatal mistake for beginning writers is a failure to neglect the presentation of their work. We all know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover as it's what's inside that counts. As Bollo from the Mighty Boosh once wisely said, "It's not the peel but the banana." But manuscript presentation really counts and is really important. A manuscript needs to be formatted so that it is not only easy to read but also to annotate by your readers who may possibly be competition judges, agents or publishers. If done correctly your work will stand out immediately before it has been read if it looks professional. See below for a really useful post on manuscript presentation that features an example of a perfect manuscript presentation. I advise you to print it out and keep for future reference. http://suemoorcroft.wordpress.com/manuscript-presentation/ Hope it comes in handy :)

How to stay focused when starting out as a new writer I've come to the conclusion that the process of writing is even more enduring than a marathon as it never ends! It's a creative process that you pour in all your energy and thoughts and sometimes I wonder whether it's all worth it? I've come too far to stop but yet the end isn't in sight. So this is why it's so important to stay focused when you're going through a period of doubt. You can do this by reminding yourself why you started in the first place and setting yourself a goal. If you're serious at giving writing a go it's important to do it for the right reasons, if you're motivated entirely by fame and fortune, you'll probably be very disappointed. I started as although I had been to university and got a good degree I ended up as a secretary. It's not a bad job, I'm proud of how far I've come considering I graduated during a bleak time which so far has turned out t

People often say that inside all of us is a novel waiting to be released onto paper, and if you fancy having a go then here is a quick article designed to get you going. Hopefully you've already had that amazing moment when an exciting idea for a story suddenly takes hold. Try if you can and imagine it as a tiny seed. Yes, you've got a great idea but you're going to have to do a lot more if you want it to grow. And it starts with mapping out a basic plot. This doesn't have to be set in stone, but you need to have a rough idea of where you're going when you set out on your own voyage of literary discovery. Carry on reading for my tips on the basic eight point plot. This has been adapted from the utterly amazing book by Nigel Watts - Writing a Novel and Getting Published. This book is essential reading for all writers and it is a book I turn to time and time again. I will also be illustrating these points with a well known fairy tale; Hansel & Gretal.

            As posted in one of my earlier blogs I'm going to give this writing malarkey a proper bash and I've thought up of some good tips that I'm going to live by and see if they help me. I would like to stress that I'm not a published writer so you might think these tips are dreadful, in that case just ignore them. For really useful tips on writing and getting published it's a good idea to visit author's own websites such as Neil Gaiman  www.neilgaiman.com  or Patrick Rothfuss www.patrickrothfuss.com  one of my favourite writers. 1) Write, write and finish. An obvious one I know but personally I've lost track of the number of times I've had a good idea for a story and planned it out before losing confidence and motivation to see it through to the end. Writing is a marathon not a sprint and most of the time the finishing line seems impossibly far away. 2) Write everyday ( especially when you don't feel like it.) It's all too easy

I'm not really sure why I've decided to do this, surely I'm just setting myself up for a fall but I thought it might be fun to keep a diary of my progress,( or serious lack of!) as a writer. I've always been a bit of a writer and have always had a very active imagination but I've never really been serious with it. I've always put it aside when I've had other commitments such as studying and University but now in my late twenties that approach hasn't really gotten me anywhere. I've ended up as a secretary and all my previous and future jobs will never progress into that glistening career job we all dream of. I like to think that each one of us has a unique talent that sets us apart, hopefully mine is in writing and I've decided to give it another go, this time I'm not going to set my hobby aside but treat it like a career. I'm doing this because I want to show people I can do other things besides answer a phone and type up letters. I

The Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence Wow! I read this book cover to cover in a few days despite being a mum to a newborn baby and here’s why. Fantasy fiction is my favourite genre but bloody hell, there's a lot of terrible novels out there, but this isn’t one of them. I was gripped from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. There’s none of the tired clichés associated with fantasy such as a friendly, wise wizard, a ancient prophecy, an epic journey or quest, and so as the plot twists and turns you really never know what’s going to happen next. I found the character of Jorg really interesting, he’s a really strong fresh character and surprisingly charismatic. I’m so happy that the sequel is already out so I won’t have to wait long to read it. This is a really promising debut from a very talented writer.