Beginnings

Beginnings

The opening chapter of a novel is the element that is rewritten, amended and tweaked more than any other part of a story. Ask any writer how many versions of an opening chapter they have written, and the answer will be dozens, if not more. Deciding on exactly where...
Nothing Wasted

Nothing Wasted

When I completed the first draft of The Engraver, I honestly believed it was pretty good. My brash opinion lasted only a few days. After I climbed down from my pedestal, I looked at the manuscript with fresh eyes and realised that no one would publish it in its...
The Muse

The Muse

When I visited a Frida Kahlo exhibition several years ago, I was struck by her revelation about the inspiration behind her art. ‘I am my own muse,’ she explained. ‘I am the subject I know best. The subject I want to know better.’ It explains why 55 of the 143...

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