Well it’s that time of year again and we are all desperately trying to buy just the right present for our loved-ones. Books are always a popular gift and while we still have them in physical form, we should enjoy them. As writers (which the majority of readers of the Crafty Writer are) we all need to pull together to keep the industry afloat. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti e-book (in fact I’ve recently released my own novel,The Peace Garden on e-book) but I do still love holding a ‘real’ book in my hand. And so do most young children. A few years ago I wrote a guide on how to choose a good children’s book. I think it’s worth repeating here, but before I do, may I just recommend two of my own children’s books that have been recently published? David and the Hairy Beast and David and the Kingmaker are beautifully illustrated tales which address issues commonly faced by young children, such as their sense of identity and self-worth, facing fears and making friends.
And now, here are those tips for choosing a good children’s book (apart from mine!): Continue reading ‘How to choose a children’s book for Christmas’
Salt Publishing, one of the UK’s most respected independent publishers, faces closure. The Bookseller reports that Salt has relaunched its “Just One Book” campaign after a tough first half of the year has left them with “less than one week’s cash left”, despite its grant from Arts Council England.
The company needs to sell roughly £45,000 worth of books to keep afloat for the rest of the year. Publishing director Chris Hamilton-Emery said the company had not wanted to repeat the initiative “because we thought it was unrepeatable, but we have just reached crunch time this week”. He added: “We realised if we didn’t get some sales, we would probably go bust very shortly.”
Hamilton-Emery said a number of factors had contributed to Salt’s financial woes, including the recession, the World Cup and the demise of Borders UK late last year. “They were a good customer of ours, so that was a real blow,” he said.
The Crafty Writer’s guest poetry tutor, Andrew Philip, is published by Salt. He says: “It’s harder and harder these days for authors – début authors and mid-listers in particular – to find publishers. The big houses are taking on fewer writers and concentrating their marketing power on certain titles in their lists. So writers need publishers such as Salt more than ever. Publishers who don’t simply bend to the howling winds of celebrity memoirs. Publishers who will take a risk on writing they simply believe in. Publishers who believe in you and give readers the chance to let your voice enter their hearts and minds. If Salt goes, we all lose.”
Writers and book lovers are being asked to buy just one book to help save Salt, Andy recommends:
I first encountered screenwriting teacher and script consultant Phil Parker at a workshop for the shortlisted candidates of Northern Film and Media’s Maxi Stinger scheme. I had to leave early to pick up my daughter from daycare, so unfortunately missed the last 90 minutes of the workshop. So I decided to get Phil’s book The Art and Science of Screenwriting to see what I’d missed. I’m so glad I did.
Phil is a producer and freelance development consultant whose clients include Aardman Animation (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) and The Mob (Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather). He is the founder and Course Director of the MA in Screenwriting, at London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London.
Continue reading ‘The Art and Science of Screenwriting’
Welcome to the first of three guest posts by RS Downie on writing historical fiction. Ruth is the author of Ruso and the Disappearing Dancing Girls (‘Medicus’ in the USA) and Ruso and the Demented Doctor (‘Terra Incognita’ in the USA), the first in a series of historical crime novels set in Roman Britain. Now over to Ruth:
Twenty years ago I knew nothing at all about historical fiction except that some of the novels I’d enjoyed had been set in the past. I’ve learned a great deal since then, mostly from other writers and sometimes from my own mistakes. I still have much to learn and frequently don’t practise what I preach – but if you too are fascinated by the past and want to set your story there, I hope you’ll find some useful pointers in this series of articles. If you have anything to add or questions to ask, feel free to post your comments below.
Continue reading ‘Writing historical fiction 1 – creating your historical world’
If you’re looking for a comprehensive book on screenwriting, then Write Screenplays that Sell might be the one for you. This beginner to intermediate guide is written by a UCLA Screenwriting graduate programme lecturer, Hal Ackerman, whose students regularly go on to receive professional Hollywood commissions. The book provides a good overview of narrative structure, a detailed guide to writing scenes and some useful and thought-provoking exercises. If you want to know a bit more about the book before you buy it, why not listen to the author himself?
Writers love to read. If you’ve read any good books lately why not submit a review to the Book Review Blog Carnival? You won’t get paid, but it’s an excellent oppportunity to hone your writing skills and check out what everyone else is reading.
How many of you set a writing goal for 2009 that included earning money from your writing? Or earning more money from your writing? I’m in the second category. My creative writing, feature writing and screenwriting are going well but not earning that much money. (For a lively discussion on how much writers really earn check out Can you earn money as a writer?) With this in mind, I’ve decided I need to expand my commercial copywriting activities. I’ve set up a new Crafty Writer Copywriting Service website and am working on getting some new clients.
I also thought I’d better brush up on my copywriting skills. So I bought Write to Sell: the Ultimate Guide to Great Copywriting by Andy Maslen. Although the pompous title initially put me off (I’m suspicious of anyone who claims to be the ultimate or final word on anything) the reader reviews on Amazon convinced me it was worth having a look.
Continue reading ‘Copywriting: write to sell’
As some of you may already know, I’ve just made my first foray into screenwriting and have received a commission for a short film – ‘Enemy Lines’, produced by FNA Films. It will be screened next month in Newcastle. Since receiving that commission I’ve written another short film and have been hired to write the pilot of an animated children’s series – first draft in the bag.
Up until now I have simply been writing on instinct. I felt like a bit of a fake because I hadn’t read any screenwriting books and wasn’t fully aware of the ‘proper’ way of doing things. I had simply downloaded the free Scriptsmart Gold software from the BBC Writers’ Room and figured it out by trial and error and looking at sample scripts.
Continue reading ‘Screenwriting for Dummies’
This month’s Crafty Writer Book Club discussion is Shakespeare: the World as a Stage by Bill Bryson. For those of you new to The Crafty Writer, once every two months (give or take) we discuss a best-selling book from a writer’s perspective. If you’re just visiting the site and haven’t participated in one of our Book Clubs before, just jump right in and leave your comments in the section below. As this is our first non-fiction book we will divide our discussion under the following headings:
Continue reading ‘Shakespeare: the World as a Stage’
For all you Crafty Writer Book Club members, we will open again this weekend to discuss Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare: the World as a Stage. That gives you a few days to finish, revisit or speed read the book. For those of you new to The Crafty Writer, once every two months (give or take) we discuss a best-selling book from a writer’s perspective. Continue reading ‘Book Club Reminder’
