August is my birthday month, so I have already been pondering the onward march of time and the date of my own demise. A little dramatic? Maybe. Last weekend, a friend and I went to a discussion at the Word Festival on writing about time travel. US author Ted Chiang and NZ authors Whiti Hereaka …
“Second-hand books are wild books, homeless books; they have come together in vast flocks of variegated feather, and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. Besides, in this random miscellaneous company we may rub against some complete stranger who will, with luck, turn into the best friend we have in the …
Is it lazy to research the history of a place by reading fiction stories set there? Asking for a friend. I do love finding out about the history of countries before I travel there and a good novel is such an interesting way to do it. Before we went to live in France, I searched …
Do you have a self-hosted blog? Perhaps it has a shiny domain and an even more brilliant theme? The next step is to drive traffic to read your fantastic words. Once you have written one or two pages of content, it is time to think about being discovered by readers through search engines. This article …
WordPress, backlinks and SEO – what’s the big deal? Read More »
Writing in New Zealand is a tough business. I’ve recently started reading a lot more New Zealand fiction and as a country, we are producing some great work. I’ve discovered some talented authors in the Twitter writing community. These hard-working creatives should get more exposure. The idea for this segment grew from a desire to …
Looking for something to read? A book that makes you think and you can’t put down? I read literary, sci fi, fantasy and historical fiction – pretty much anything, as long as it’s good. By that, I mean, as long as it is well-crafted and with believable characters. Check out my book review list. I …
Every now and then, a reader emerges from a story surprised that the world around them still exists. How can the world still be turning when everything has changed? How can my house still be standing when the walls of my consciousness have been shaken this much? This book honestly changed my perspective on everything. …
When it comes to research, a picture is worth a thousand words. I search Pinterest for inspiration and ideas on how everyday life would look for my characters. This week, I have been researching 18th century chatelaines and etuis. Read on to find out why French mistresses of the household would have made a clinking …
What is it about the shortest day that makes you ponder where you’re at? I’ve been reflecting on how life has changed this year (to distract from my freezing toes) and I think my writing has been a big learning curve not just for me, but for my kids. Reading My son eats books. By …