Fi Phillips

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting what was supposed to be a  Tuesday Choice Words article. A hospital appointment distracted me for the day. I'm fine, although a little tender and light headed, and raring to get back on the horse (or should that be a unicorn?). Perseverance is an important part of my life. I persevere as a parent to keep my children safe, healthy and happy. I persevere in trampling though the tangles that life throws in my way. I also persevere in my writing, even when I want to tear my hair out over a plotline or a paragraph. Isn't that what human existence is about, essentially, striving to continually move forward? In her article, Acme Anvils and the Long Unicorn Ride to Publication , Beth Cato discusses how she persevered with her own writing journey through agent and publisher rejection, penning her books, and the fight against self doubt. This is a topic that affects most of us writers. Have a look.

I'm a firm supporter of working out 'the rules' for yourself, not just in writing, but in life itself. Chuck Wendig discusses this in his own way in his article, In Writing, There Are Rules, And Then There Are "Rules" .

Today's choice words come from novelist, Chuck Wendig on his blog terribleminds . Chuck discusses plotting by 'mystery' and 'questions' in his post The Question Mark is shaped like a hook: question-driven plotting . It's well worth a read and something I'll be trying out for myself.

I'm currently working on the third draft of my novel - rewrite, tinker, expand, delete - and I'm actually finding it more difficult than producing the original draft. Thankfully writer Chuck Wendig has come to my rescue with his article 25 Steps to Edit the Unmerciful Suck out of your Story . And finally, Benedict Cumberbatch says...