Fi Phillips

One of the downfalls of working on my novel over such a long period of time is that I can lose track of all the changes that have happened over the numerous drafts. More than that, I can forget to add the knock-on changes and repercussions of altering characters and plot lines. In her article How To Create An Editorial Map , Janice Hardy provides a straightforward and valuable approach to re-drafting and editing your novel. Have a look.

20 years! Started with a friend back in 1997 as a way to raise much needed funds for the amateur dramatics group we were part of, I never envisioned that I would still be penning murder mystery plays for an ever increasing number of customers in the UK and beyond by the time we hit 2017. To celebrate this impressive anniversary, Murdering The Text will release a brand new, murder mystery script later this year, a theatrical nod back to our original play, The Tangled Web. Happy birth-year Murdering The Text.

With thanks to BADG Can you see me? I'm in this photo somewhere. I thought I'd have a little fun with this month's photo inspiration and use a moment from the pantomime my daughter and I performed in recently.  What do you think? The night there was a power cut in the theatre? The pantomime characters escape? What does this inspire you to write?

Last month was stupidly busy and productive but as the days passed, it all felt like the tag end to 2016. There were strings to tie off, chores to finish and niggles to appease. This month feels like the real start to the year. My job search has led me to a new path for not only my income but also my writing career. With a new contact in hand, I'm moving into copywriting as another string to my creative bow. Like the door at the end of the alleyway in the image (left), it all looks very promising but until I've stepped over the threshold I won't know exactly where I stand with this new development. At the end of last month and the beginning of this, my daughter and I were involved in a pantomime with the local amateur dramatics group . We enjoyed it immensely, although we were exhausted by the time we helped pack everything away (scenery, props, even a mobility scooter). We made new friends and I rediscovered the buzz of performing. Returning to the stage has also rem...