Fi Phillips

Thinking a Career by Steven Pressfield talks about the existence of your 'career-in-potential'. From Blog to Book: An Interview with Author Rachael Herron discusses whether a blog is right for you and how it can enhance your writing. Everything is Fiction posted by Keith Ridgway on the New Yorker site talks about how the writing process doesn't get any easier with practice (and publication). A Right Fit: Navigating the World of Literary Agents written by Michael Bourne, a staff writer for The Millions site describes his journey to find an agent. Making the most of ideas: Part IV - Blindsides, gaps and spinoffs from the Magical Writing site continues the 'making the most of ideas' series.

This post has been created as part of the author event 'The Next Big Thing'. The lovely Zoe Brooks was the one who tagged me so thank you, Zoe. The Next Big Thing is an ongoing process, hence the 'Week 10' in the title.  Within the rules of this blogging event is the requirement to answer ten questions about your current work in progress. So, here goes. What is the working title of your book? Haven Falling. Where did the idea come from for the book? This is a difficult one to answer because the original idea, born decades ago, was completely different from the one I have now. What is the same are the basic characters. It started out as a Tolkien-esque fantasy about the need to join two halves that were once whole and has finished up being a futuristic fantasy about magic, robots and joining two parts of a society that have been wrongfully torn apart. What genre does your book fall under? Fantasy. Which actors would you choose to play your charcters in a mo...

Why Are We Wired for Story? from Writer Unboxed asks what a reader really looks for in a story. Make me turn the page, I dare you! by John G Hartness from Magical Words discusses compelling beginnings. Should writers rethink butt in chair mentality? from Suzannah at Write It Sideways discusses how our writerly lifestyle can affect our health. Work on another part of your story from Writerly Life talks about how to get over a writing stumbling block. Making the most of ideas, part III from Magical Words discusses the fear of being scooped.

Finding the Unfamiliar Phrase from Magical Words discusses word play. The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar on the 109 site is a fun, informative article. Making the Most of Ideas, part 1 and part 2 on the Magical Words site discusses what to do when inspiration strikes. What's Love Got to Do with It? by David Boyne on the Author Magazine site is a wonderful interview with the late Ray Bradbury.

Have I told you that I like to write to the sound of, well, silence? I also like to be alone which is why most of my writing is done while my children are at school. This means that the summer holidays can play hell with my writing routine and my sleep allowance because during those six weeks, I snatch evening hours to write. Without those times of silence in the morning and early afternoon, my brain finds it difficult to centre itself to the place I need to be to write. However before the sumptuous silence sets in, I like to get my creative juices flowing by playing one or two favourite songs. Here is my inspirational playlist this summer. Earthquake by Labrinth Tron Legacy by Daft Punk True Colours by Cyndi Lauper Here comes the rain by Eurthymics David Guetta Without You ft. Usher David Guetta and Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over Inspired by Suz Williams

Throw a Wrench in the Works from Writerly Life talks about adding conflict and complications to your story. How to write with insight comes from a site and a writer that I've only just discovered - Sarah Selecky. It discusses how curiosity can produce some of the best writing but can also be uncomfortable for writers. Calling All Inspiration Hunters by Danielle LaPorte talks about hunting out inspiration rather than just waiting for it to come to us. Getting Things Done and the Mindful Productivity Ninja from Think Productive is all about coping with lizard brain. Confused? Read this article to find out more. Steve Pressfield is fast becoming another writing hero of mine. His latest blog post Inside the All Is Lost Moment is another great read.

My parents on the left with me as a baby. When my mother died (my father had passed away a few years before that), I felt cast adrift. I was married with a family of my own but I had always looked to my parents as an example to guide me. It felt as if they had been on the rung above me on the ladder and now they had stepped off, leaving me to be at the top. If I'm honest, it took me a couple of years to become accepting of, if not comfortable with, my rung on the family ladder but I got there. I realised that to be happy with my rung, I had to own it and become my own parent. In writing, we can sometimes lose our connection with what we create. Perhaps we're embarrassed to share it with others. Maybe we think we're not talented enough to call ourselves a 'writer'. We despair at the lack of time in our lives to write or how everything else seems to be more important (common excuses here are our children, the housework and getting enough sleep). We leave our cre...