Fi Phillips

Wow, the summer holiday break is racing by in a blur and it's been incredibly busy so far but that doesn't mean that I haven't searched out some choice writerly words for you. First off, I have an article from Tim Grahl of Book Launch entitled Publisher Questions: What to ask before you sign a book contract . I'd love to be at that stage but this is a good reference article to file away for the future. It took me a while, and a lot of coffee, to write my About Me page. As an unpublished writer, I just wasn't sure what I could or should say. In How to Write an Amazing About Me Page , Autocrit answers all of my (and probably your) questions on this topic. Finally, here's some wise and choice words from writer, Alexa Donne.

Wow, July is almost over and the school summer holidays are in full swing. There's so much going on but I've still managed to find some choice writing advice for you. The first is an article by Rae of Barely Hare Books - What is a Character Arc? And why does your character need one? The 'character arc' topic crops up time and time again in writing advice but Rae's article really breaks the notion down into an easy to follow read. Have a look. Following (a lot of) changes to my novel, I'm struggling to come up with a new book title so I found How to title a book: What do good book titles have in common? by the folks at Reedsy really useful. As you know, I'm taking part in Camp NaNoWriMo this month and as part of their Camp Care Package, they provide some brilliant writing advice videos. Here's one on interviewing your character. And here's another on World Building.

It's June already. Summer is here and I'm suffering as usual with hayfever. Still, it gives me an excellent excuse to stay at my keyboard and find some excellent writing advice to share. First off is this article from Kathryn Evans on Notes from the Slushpile - Highlighting the Heart of Your Story with Motifs . I found this an incredibly useful way to approach my novel and I've already worked out my motif, its significance and how to include it in my story. Second is this wonderful article from reedsy, What is Chekhov's Gun and How to Use It . Finally, I've been following Rae Elliott's website Barely Hare Books for a while now for its excellent writing advice. Here's Rae herself being interviewed by fellow writer Hannah Heath about her books and her writing process.

Okay, hands up, I admit it. I have been decidedly absent from this blog in May. Profuse apologies but penning a murder mystery play for a client, along with other client work too, has kept me busy. But here I am, dropping in before the end of the month (just) with some deliciously choice words for May. First is this article from S M Metzler, guest posting on Barely Hare Books - 6 tips for effective character development . I especially like the advice on character arcs. Puzzled over the benefits, downfalls and just the differences between beta readers, editors and ARCs? There are plenty of answers in The Book Designer's (obviously) Beta Readers vs Editors vs ARCS . Have a look. Finally, here's a video from writer Chris Fox on 'Making it as an author in 2018'.

Progress on my novel is coming along nicely and by the summer, I should be starting back on the submitting to literary agents trail. Am I the only one who finds that process scary? According to Write It Sideways, while the process may be a tad terrifying, it's also good for you. Check out their article - 5 reasons querying is good for you to find out more. On a completely different note, writer Suzanna Williams asks, Real life doesn't make sense but does fiction have to?  Finally, I have a video from Piers Blofeld, who is a literary agent himself from Sheil Land Associates, on the 5 types of rejection (and what to make of them).

Spring is sprung de grass is riz I wonder where de boidies iz It's true! Spring is finally upon us. The grass is going rampant in our garden. However, the noisy pigeons that sit on the roof of our house and coo loudly first thing on a morning leave me in no doubt where de blummin' boidies iz. Facebook is in the news again (when isn't Facebook in the news?) about the Cambridge Analytica 'situation' but I'm more interested in how Facebook's algorithm changes will affect my page's visibility. Fauzia Burke discusses just this topic on the Writers Digest website in How Upcoming Facebook Updates Will Impact Authors . I've also come across a brilliant article on Three Different Ways to Approach Blogging as a Novelist from Aliventures. Finally, I've a video for you from the Creative Penn on how to find time to write. Enjoy the Spring.

The word for 2017, so far, has been 'busy', in a good way. I'm not the only one living the busy life either. My email inbox is full of inspirational writing goodies so this month, I've three treats for you. Suzannah Windsor Freeman's blog post, 3 Things Small-Space Living Taught Me about Writing talks about overcoming challenges but also about getting back to the basics of writing. Elizabeth S Craig shares wisdom drawn from her personal experience in 5 Things About Being a Writer. Finally, Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn shares her thoughts and advice on self doubt as a writer. How to deal with self-doubt as a writer The Creative Penn

There's plenty of choice creative advice out there at the moment in the enthusiastic light of the new year. I recently came across a wonderful article by brainpickings,  Margaret Atwood's 10 Rules of Writing . It's not new but it's well worth a read. Have a look. In My Personal Zero Moment: How I became a writer  I mentioned that I'd signed up for Gabriela Pereira's diy MFA book club. Well, now I have a wonderful TED talk from Gabriela for you too. 'Creativity is a craft and it belongs to everyone' Gabriela Pereira of diy MFA

I'm on the countdown to the school summer holidays and I know that once my two are at home all day, my writing time will be eaten into by trips out and requests for food, drinks or to watch one of their latest animations or memes. So advice on how to keep writing thoughout those six weeks is always welcome. Julia Munroe Martin's article on Writer unBoxed, Survival Pack or How to Keep Writing No Matter What is ideal. And just as a little extra for you this month, Em Lynas' article Who Is Driving Your Story? is well worth a read. Have a look.

One of the dilemmas that many unpublished, or even published, writers fall into is how to cope with differing advice. One agent says this about your manuscript, another says something completely different. One publishing company expresses their slant on what is market-worthy fiction, while a competing publisher disagrees. Even editors and writing coaches don't see eye-to-eye. Who can you listen to? For me, the answer usually lies with other writers, the people who have gone through the grindmill and hammered it into submission. One such writer is Chuck Wendig, novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. For me personally, his website terribleminds is a delight to read and darn-right useful too. A recent offering - A Hot Steaming Sack of Business Advice for Writers is just what I needed at the moment. Have a read. Borrowed from The Writer's Circle Facebook page

Although I'm working on the latest draft of the first novel in a series, I'm aware that I really need to finish the plot for the whole series. I've even bought an A3 pad for this purpose. Shaunta Grimes of the Writing Co-operative has come up with a different approach - a plot board. Have a look at her article, How to make a plot board , to find out how she did it.

Back in January and February, I returned to an old love of mine - acting. It was a small part in a pantomime, and it's definitely not the most attractive I've ever looked, but I enjoyed it immensely. It wasn't until after the show had finished that I realised how acting on the stage had sharpened my scriptwriting skills, reminding me how my plays felt to perform and looked to the audience. Fellow writer Nick Cross came to a similar conclusion recently. His blog post Can Acting Make You A Better Writer?  appears on the Notes from the Slushpile site. Have a look.

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.

One of the problems I have always had with my protagonist, Steve is wondering whether readers will like a grumpy teenager. He isn't a magical like Blessing. He isn't gung-ho like Hartley. Steve is trying his best to find his way in a world that is constantly changing. Writer, K M Weiland discusses this topic in her article, Worried Readers Won't Like Your Character?  Have a look and tell me what you think.

As you know, this year I began to submit my novel 'Shadowbinder' to literary agents. After ten rejections, a reassessed novel, and a rest over the summer break, I'm about to re-start the process. I'd like to say that I'm revved up and raring to go but the truth is that doubts are beginning to chip away at my self belief. I've come to the conclusion that the only way to get where I want to go is to keep on keeping on so I'm readying my next submission. Novelist, Claudia Cruttwell writes about this whole process in Finding An Agent: Why You Shouldn't Give up . Well worth a read if you too are feeling fraught from submission rejection. 10 easy ways to put agents off in your submission letter Piers Blofeld

Write what you know is a phrase that's often thrown at writers. I've even talked about it myself on this blog . Like most lessons, it can have different meanings and challenges to different people. Author Emma Newman wrote about this topic in The Untrue Truth of "Write What You Know" as a guest writer on Chuck Wendig's terribleminds site. Her article is well worth a read with its discussion of transferable skills. Have a look.

No matter what stage of my life I was in (childhood, teens, adulthood) or what roles people identified me by (daughter, secretary, colleague, wife), I always thought of myself as a writer. There have been stops and starts, and lulls in my writing, but it's something I have always persevered with, even when it seemed that the world was telling me I was wrong. I will always be a writer. I will always write. Novelist Pat Walsh is very much of the same opinion. In this interview ( Keep Writing, Keep Reading and Never Give Up ) on the Notes From the Slushpile blog, she discusses her love of the supernatural, mythology and fairytales, her novels and how she came to be published.

It truly feels like autumn now, the turning of the year into cooler days and tawny shades. I love this season for the same reason that I love spring - there's change in the air. My choice words this month come from the award winning writers Doris Lessing and Octavia Butler. The wonderful Doris Lessing talks about writing.

It's the first day of September (pinch punch, white rabbits, something like that) and the last day of the summer holidays for me and my children. Tomorrow, I go back to being a grown-up. Today, however, I can still relax - phew. So along with the first day of September, this is the first monthly Choice Words post. Today, I'm sharing an article about another 'first' from the Writer's Digest website written by novelist Jeff Gerke, 4 Approaches for the First Chapter of Your Novel . I've started my novel with approach no. 2. Have a read and you'll see what I mean.