50k

I just tipped the 50,000 words mark on the novel I've been working on this year (working title: I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marbled Halls). This is not, I should hasten to add, an amazing and stupendous NaNo performance. I started the novel sometime around February this year.

But, 50,000 is half-way to a real and complete novel. This will be the first novel I've completed since about five years ago, so I feel happy. Between 1998 and about 2005 I wrote two stand alone novels and a trilogy (all of it unpublishable hackery). I then switched focus to short stories because deep down I could see that my writing wasn't very good and much much much practice was needed.

I clearly won't be finished this new novel by the end of the year, but I never thought I would. Two years is about right for a novel. I think... who was it who said this? I'm pretty sure I've heard it attributed to Salman Rushdie: "No good novel has ever been written in under two years"... and to be honest, I think that this little gem of writerly cold, harsh advice is a good general rule. There are always going to be exceptions, but I suspect they apply to better writers than me...

Episode Twelve - Imagination & Ideas

After too long away, at long last an episode of Work of Fiction. I can at least say that I never did promise to be very regularly timed with these things... this episode addresses (in a rambling, creative, disorganized and unscripted way) a few issues to do with creativity and ideas.

Episode Twelve - Imagination & Ideas
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Episode Eleven - Confidence & Determination

I wasn't really intending to move too far off the beaten track of writing craft and technique in this podcast, but recently have been feeling that a show dedicated to... well... dedication was in order.

Episode Eleven - Confidence & Determination
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Episode Ten - On Tolkien

So, I finally podcasted the article on J.R.R. Tolkien that I was going to record about a month ago. I have had some computer issues, which is something of an excuse perhaps, but have also just been very busy. I suppose, also an excuse.

Anyway, this is the MP3 recorded version of the text article I posted below.

Episode Ten - On Tolkien
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Episode Nine - 'Wonderful Holes'

I have a fear that the few individuals (of clearly excellent taste... ahem) who are stopping by here will eventually decide that this podcast is a waning effort. It's not, really... more of an intermittent effort. I'm keen to keep it going... but... well... intermittent. Yes. That'd be the word to keep in mind.

In this episode I discuss 'wonderful holes', which sounds vaguely... well... like something celebratory to do with orifaces. In fact, I'm referring to those parts of a story that the reader fills in for you without ever knowing it. Writing and reading are collaborative, but sometimes we writer's forget this...

Episode Nine - 'Wonderful Holes'
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Episode Eight - Characterization

It's been a while since my last episode went up here, but I did warn you that it could be intermittent... Anyway, this show is about characterization and how to approach making your characters think, act and speak in ways which distinguish them from one-another.

Episode Eight - Characterization
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Episode Seven - The Old Oxford Charm

Just a very short little story this week. This story, which is more or less about a young woman and a troll and the value of a good education was originally published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine (ASIM), 2006. Hope you like it.

Episode Seven - The Old Oxford Charm
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