IWSG Day and Photos from London and Telford
ack to London...in photo form!These are a handful of photos from our trip in November.
Churchill!
The Royal Stag pub in Datchet
Where we spent our last night before heading to Heathrow in the morning
(recommended, if you don't want to take trains or the Tube, and want a 20 minute ride to your terminal for £20!)
London
The British Museum
Mummies!
Argh! Upside down again! This was the view from Waterloo Bridge...
Telford
Pub
Argh...Sorry, horse!
Sunrise
Ruins of something in the town centre, right near a playground. There's no sign explaining what it is!
Back home! View from the office:
Today is Insecure Writer's Support Group Day!
This month's questions is: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
I find this one very difficult to answer because I've been writing for nearly as long as I've been reading. I hope I've picked up the basics by now from all the books I've read over the years -- the strength of story, the importance of voice, the foundations of grammar. One thing I do look for nowadays is to see if I can spot how and when the characters come to a moment of truth about themselves, and when and how the author raises the stakes for them. I'm still making things all too easy for my characters, and not getting them into enough trouble!
Speaking of which, editing is going well. I sent Druid's Moon to a handful of betas, and I've started reading The Charm of Time on paper. I'm going to focus a bit on getting the beats right in this story, since so many of my stories seem to ramble...
It's lovely to post some real writing-related updates once more, after such a long hiatus!
Are there any projects or hobbies you've come back to after a break?
Comments
Ooh! Out to betas, eh? I love/hate that stage. Here's hoping you get some fabulous feedback!
I notice errors more often and am frustrated because I think they shouldn't slip through in an author's work ... just shouldn't happen! Still I find my own too sometimes ... cheers Hilary
Just keep throwing stuff at your characters. The kitchen sink if you have to.
Now they're 15 and 12.5, and I have lots of writing time (and so do they, when they opt to do it).
Like you, I've been writing nearly as long as reading, but I'm far more aware of the underlying structure than I once was.
I'm emailing you for all the tips and tricks. I'm planning a London tour in June. Loved all your photos.
Mostly, I think writing has made me more observant about story, and less likely to forgive a lazy author. But, good stories are not hard to find. Even when my inner editor shows up, she doesn't ruin every book.
Hope the beta feedback is favorable.
Awesome job on your writing goals! I loved hearing about the things you notice in books. Great things to pay attention to for sure. :)
~Jess