Thanks for the comments on the last blog – it makes me feel wanted! I guess it’s easy to sit here and imagine the emptiness of cyberspace all around. What was that line from Yeats –
‘The wandering earth herself may be
Only a sudden flaming word,
In clanging space a moment heard,
Troubling the endless reverie.”
In reply to Andrew, a former colleague of mine – I am interested in a Linux/Unix users group, but I am not sure how much time I can devote to it. I help to run a writer’s group here in Bury St Edmunds. Of course I am also polishing my fantasy novel Inside Out. Then I have work, family and a thin social life to fit into that. What’s your email?
To Patricia from Cleveland, Hi. Glad you like the blog. It gets a bit random, and infrequent, but now I know someone is reading it….
In reply to the amateurbookblogger, most of my knowledge of writing style and theory is off the Net and through my writer’s group (Write Now!). I think the only thing that improves my writing is doing more of it, but…if you look at how others have achieved certain effects, it can help. Other than that the obvious things: show (dialogue) rather than tell (description); cut down on the adverbs and adjectives; learn how to present your work (look at any published novel); be professional in approaching publishers, agents and magazines. Patience and persistence are the keywords. If you believe in yourself, then sooner or later someone of significance (i.e. who can help get the stuff published) will too.
Lastly, to my nephew Jerome – I will be in touch as soon as my new Facebook password comes through (I made a mess of the last one).