You think publishing is tough but the music world is ten times tougher.
Sometimes you can’t be what you ought to be, you can’t have what you ought to have.
And life changes. Maybe just a little, maybe a lot. And at some point, it just isn’t worth the fight to fix it.
That’s the past for you. Not only does it come back at the most unexpected, and inconvenient, times but it’s set in stone.
When it comes time to write the book itself I’ll shut the lights out, picture the scene I’m about to write then close my eyes and go at it. Yes, I can touch type.
In other words, the people who populate my books are more than caricatures.
I’ve often said that there’s no such thing as writer’s block, the problem is idea block.
If you have a craftsman’s command of the language and basic writing techniques you’ll be able to write – as long as you know what you want to say.
The best way to learn about writing is to study the work of other writers you admire.
In general, I think, less is more, and that if a reader stops reading because a book is too icky then I’ve failed in my obligation to the readers.
Six Seconds is a great read. Echoing Ludlum and Forsythe, author Mofina has penned a big, solid international thriller that grabs your gut – and your heart – in the opening scenes and never lets go.
Breathtakingly real and utterly compelling, Immoral dishes up page-turning psychological suspense while treating us lucky readers to some of the most literate and stylish writing you’ll find anywhere today.
Robert Rotenberg does for Toronto what Ian Rankin does for Edinburgh.
Throat clutching from the outset! The Never List stands as a sterling example of psychological thriller writing at its best. Cancel appointments and give up on sleep. It’s that kind of book.
Trying to write books with a subject matter or in a genre or style you’re not familiar with is the best way to find the Big Block looming.
Too much screaming in Congress. Too much screaming everywhere.
I like the way words go together and I like the gamesmanship of writing poetry. It is such a challenge.
It means working harder to do the research but I don’t really mind – I don’t think I have what it takes to chase criminals through back alleys and wade through blood at crime scenes.
Of course, all writers draw upon their personal experiences in describing day-to-day life and human relationships, but I tend to keep my own experiences largely separate from my stories.
So I work hard to present the human side of my characters while not neglecting the plot.