Writer’s Life | Where do ideas come from?

‘Where do you get all your ideas?’ is the most common question I’m asked. I laugh. ‘From God, I suppose. I used to tell people I was born with a pen in my hand.’ Ideas seem to be everywhere. Sometimes they interrupt me at awkward times, like when I’m falling asleep. I used to lie …

Writers Life | Ferreting the Facts – Approaching Strangers

Does your writing require you to interview people? Or to be interviewed?People you know or people you don’t know?Do you enjoy it, feel intimidated by it …or what? As a fairly timid person, I was initially quite daunted by the idea of sitting down with someone I barely knew – or had never previously met …

Writers Life | An Often-Overlooked Key To Successful Writing – Know Your Readers

We writers are lucky these days. We’re swamped with books, articles and teaching on how to write well. Many of them focus on plot and structure, writing style or characters. There are others, of course─setting, mood, point of view and all the relevant how-to aspects. No doubt I’ve forgotten many others. I feel an important …

Introducing Jeanette Grant-Thomson

Today we’re interviewing Jeanette Grant-Thomson, who will be joining our group of frequent contributors to the ACW blog. Fast Five Kiwis or koalas? Koalas Mangoes or kiwifruit? Mangoes Books or TV? Books Desert or sea? Sea Plotter or pantser? A bit of each. I have to do a bit of plotting or I let the …