Looking for images of people and places to help me get into the lives of my characters, I realised that I must be a visual type of person. So I gathered together a virtual scrapbook of images which I have used to help. People, places and objects have helped me to create for myself aContinue reading “July 1st”
Author Archives: Pamela Stephen
June 29th
Rules for Writing Again. The Point of View question. I prefer to write in the past tense using a third person narrator. But I enjoy reading first person narratives. My recollection of reading and marking children’s creative writing is that they like the present tense too. But the problem is maintaining it. I think thatContinue reading “June 29th”
June 26th
My paperback copy has come. It is smooth and pristine, just as I like my books. And this one, of course is particularly special. I think it vindicates my choices; size, paper, font. I loves books, real books. But now that the lockdown is easing, I’m finding it increasingly difficult to put my own textContinue reading “June 26th”
June 22nd
So, believe it or not, and I can hardly believe it myself (though I sat through it) I created my first novel on a tablet, using a notes program. 62,000 words, using a small virtual keyboard and a ten inch screen. It wasn’t pretty. Transferring the manuscript via email, chapter by painful chapter did nothingContinue reading “June 22nd”
June 21st
Been busy designing cover images today. I don’t know if I prefer this to the mask I used a few days ago (June 15th). Perhaps it’s more subtle……..I hadn’t spent too much time before now considering book covers, and I’m not going to buy one in. I’d be interested to hear view on the subject,Continue reading “June 21st”
June 18th
I’m fretting about grammar. No one warned me that the first comments I would receive about my novel (outside family and friends) would come from a grammar quibbler. Yet the first feedback I have had about it comments that I have used American English spelling by using -ize. All I can say is that whenContinue reading “June 18th”
June 17th
I’m wrestling with a character today, so this piece comes as a welcome relief. Some days the text seems to write itself, quick and effortless, whereas on days like these, I struggle to breathe life into these beings. Miss Sophia Pocock, native of Amersham in Bucks doesn’t want to behave, and resists all my effortsContinue reading “June 17th”
June 15th
My mini marketing strategy has given me the chance to give away some electronic copies of my new novel. I’m hoping that people will like it enough to read it again, share the details etc etc. If not, I’ll just stick to chewing my own brain, and writing for my own entertainment. Today’s notes (inContinue reading “June 15th”
June 13th
ARTISTS AND SPIES: a novel Last Friday I managed to finally publish my debut novel. I went down the independent route and it has been quite a straightforward process. And I’ve learnt a lot along the way, about layout and covers, as well as about the discipline of self-editing. It’s certainly not like marking essaysContinue reading “June 13th”
7th June
My Rules for Writing. I have read many words of advice about where to start, and that first rule, ‘Always write about what you know’ seemed to be a good place. So what did I know? At the start, not much, not enough. I was worried that I would never write something of a seriousContinue reading “7th June”
