3 rules for writing novels

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The difference between an amateur and a professional

Write Drunk , Edit sober

No wonder writing is so much fun and editing isn’t.

Freedom of the Press

Freedom of the press, yeah right!!! What I am finding more and more is that there is no such thing as freedom of the press. That is just a glorified saying that people use to convey the message that what is published is the absolute truth, uncensored, unbiased in any way. What a joke!

I am not a journalist, but I write for two local papers, and I am here to tell you that there is absolutely no such thing as freedom of the press.

Everyone and everything has an agenda and we are all censored accordingly to some degree. It’s all about not rocking the boat or upsetting the wrong people. As a writer I find this very difficult to come to terms with. At least when writing fiction there are no external influences that I need to be mindful of. The world I create is mine alone, it exists only in my imagination, and I am free to envision it any way I like. This unfortunately is not so in real life.

Pick your battles. Sometimes it’s better to lose the argument in order to win the war. You name it I’ve heard it all. The papers I write for are not political in any way, and yet politics are rife.

I am sure you are all aware of this, as am I, but it really does get my goat. We should be able to write without censorship and leave it up to the reader to form his or her own opinion once they have all the facts.

Image is courtesy of Google images.

Free Homes For Writers ( in Detroit)

Write A House, is a different kind of writer’s residency program. Writers are invited to apply to live rent-free for two years in a recovered Detroit house, with the chance to get the deeds to the house at the end of that period.

Write A House is refurbishing three two-bedroom houses in Detroit – all within walking distance of each other – and offering them for free to writers to live in. If the writers stay for two years, engage with the city’s literary community and contribute to the project blog, they’ll get the deed to their house.

The homes are in emerging, active, and diverse neighbourhoods. It won’t be Beverly Hills, but maybe that’s okay. Even if you already live in Detroit, you are encouraged to apply.

The houses are promoted as ‘80% inhabitable’, which essentially means that writers need to paint their houses and provide their own furniture. From the photos in the gallery however it would appear that a lot more than a simple paint job is required to make these homes liveable.

Of course there are conditions, Writers need to have been published before, though the organisation is particularly interested in supporting emerging writers. It’s open to low-income writers only. Writers don’t need to be US citizens to apply – but they do need ‘some legitimate proof that US government would grant you permanent residency’.

Write A House was co-founded by journalist Sarah Cox and novelist Toby Barlow, who both moved from Brooklyn to Detroit within the past decade, attracted by its cheap housing and the lifestyle that offered.

‘People who move here will have to be prepared for some boarded-up houses on their blocks,’ says Sarah Cox. ‘But you’ll get the opportunity to be part of a community, own a house, see some real change happening.’

Sounds interesting I must admit. If you are interested or would like some more information check out the website www.writeahouse.org.

Book Review – Last by Joshua Harkin

I was privileged today to read Joshua Harkin’s second novel “Last” available on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HLFLOF2

Those of you that do not know Josh, he is a fellow blogger and a really wonderful writer/storyteller.

From the very first page his novel draws you in. The suspense throughout the book is captivating. You don’t know what’s going to happen next, but you can’t stop reading. Even after the story ends you can’t stop thinking about it.

What appealed to me most apart from the uniqueness of the story and the twists along the way, is that there are only really two or three characters throughout the whole novel. This just goes to show that a novel does not need to be too complicated crammed packed with multiple characters and events in order for it to be good. Two characters, one story and talent like that of Joshua Harkin is all you need.

If you like me you love reading, than you will no doubt love this intense story ‘Last’.

Joshua Harkin’s blog address is harkinjosh.wordpress.com check it out.