The Chopping Blog

I really don’t think I’ve ever had a breakthrough moment, where I thought I’d arrived. I’m still learning, trying new genres, looking at new ways to write. I guess in a way, I hope I never have a breakthrough moment, because I don’t want to ever stop learning something new.

The result is the final version of Girls Need Not Apply, a book that looks at sexism, lack of belonging, and mental health issues in the armed forces. The reception so far has sparked conversation amongst other female veterans, but also men who have bought the book and said they want to be part of change. That’s what the book is all about: change. 

A great novel is a work of balance. When all aspects of a story are in harmony, readers can become fully immersed. If even one element remains unpolished, readers will notice, and in noticing, they will be pulled out of the story. Characterization is an integral part of this balancing act. The storyteller’s ultimate goal is to craft lifelike characters who grip our attention as they struggle, make choices, and take risks.

Waldo would rather defend Earth from aliens than face the drudgery of his junior year. But when the comic-book nerd falls for the most popular girl in class, he vows to become her real-life champion. And the only shot he’s got is to level the playing field…Teaming up with two fellow outcasts, Waldo starts digging up dirt on all his rivals. But as the truth about his classmates surfaces and his own fame grows, he fears his dangerous take-down is spinning out of control.

I started one story, and then another, putting each one into the drawer about a hundred pages in and feeling like a failure. It took me years to realize that I needed to give myself permission to write badly and push through to the end of a draft. The real magic happens in revision. 

Beyond the very basics of genre/market – hook me in with something about the story; I care much more about that than I do about you at this point (sorry, but I need to fall in love with your book first). A useful sentence to keep in mind is: When A (inciting incident) happens, B (character) must do C (action) otherwise/before D (catastrophe).

When you’re reading a great submission, it feels as if you’re in a bookshop. You’ve read a cracking blurb, opened the book, read the first couple of pages, and instantly taken it to the till to buy. 

A local theatre troop wrote a brilliant musical called Ride the Cyclone, which ended up on Broadway. A few years ago they held a fundraiser show in which they performed several numbers that had to be cut because they didn't end up fitting the story. This was an eye-opening experience for me. The songs they cut were amazing!

Publishing moves in cycles and an area that’s struggling this year will probably be hot next year or the year after, when the wheel of fortune turns. In any case, for me, the most successful and commercial writing doesn’t come out of following trends, but out of authors digging deep inside and producing work that has the stamp of authenticity. I would say that is the connecting thread between all the most successful books I’ve represented.

Gesture is one of those things that doesn’t get talked about enough in creative writing workshops or how-to books. I don’t know why. It’s a critical tool of character development and it’s a great way to enhance a scene and break up dialogue. As with most things, when it’s done well, you don’t notice it. When it isn’t, it sticks out like—well, like a shrugged shoulder.

The most polished projects coming into my inbox usually have had multiple critique partners read them. Make sure you get feedback from other writers instead of friends and family who don’t know much about writing and probably won’t tell you the truth. Feedback will help you improve faster and show you the flaws in your book that you can’t spot yourself.

Enter your daily word-count values to calculate how many days you have left to go before your first draft is finished!