Andrew Jack Writing

Andrew Jack's Writing Blog

Beating Writer’s Block

Writer’s Block. It’s the grizzly bear of writing problems, casually pushing over any trees you climb up to try and avoid it. Sooner or later as a writer you are going to confronted by a blank page (or these days, screen) and have no idea what to write. It’s frustrating, painful and frightening. It’s also [...]

Required Reading

I can’t stop adding links, it’s an addiction! This one is required reading though Nathan Bransford is a literary agent for Curtis Brown LTD. His blogging of writing advice is just plain excellent, if you’re wanting to get published any time soon, give him a visit.

Chapter Two of The Shadow Library is up

As promised, Chapter Two of The Shadow Library is good to go right here. Things get scarier, and gorier in this chapter. Of course that meant I really enjoyed writing every bit of it. I really hope you all enjoy what I’ve written, please feel free to leave your comments here or on the free [...]

A quick pimping

Okay, so the title sounds dirty but I got your attention. I wanted to give a mention to an excellent writing blog I found today while ostensibly doing ‘research’ (reading twitter) by the name of Writer’s Remorse. Chock full of interesting articles and useful links, I fully recommend it. I got 1800 words out tonight. [...]

Thirteen Lines

I first picked up on this editing technique at Orson Scott-Card’s website Hatrack and then expanded on it to suit my purposes. Uncle Orson (he’s not my uncle, he just refers to himself that way) advises that the first thirteen lines of a manuscript are the first thing a potential agent or editor sees. The [...]

Impossible Goals?

I’ve set plenty of them, failed at most, but achieved a couple. It’s been a while though, since I set myself something so truly monumental, so utterly ridiculous my girlfriend will once again consider calling the men in the white coats. So here it is. First, finish the first five chapters of The Shadow Library [...]

Grammar Girl review is up

I just finished a review of Mignon Fogerty’s excellent book Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. If you’re struggling with your grammar then this book can help you. You need help. So do I. Check out the review here.

I caved

I couldn’t look at adversarial spelt as adverserial any more. It was a nice idea while it lasted but I’ve gone and changed the front page to the correct spelling. I’m finalising the very last bits of Chapter two ready to go up on Monday for you all right now, then going for epic lunch [...]

A momentum of silence

I haven’t listened to anything by Michael Jackson for many years, and I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself a fan. In that vein my only memories of Farrah Fawcett are watching Charlie’s Angels re-runs. However during a moment of silence a local radio host had for both for them this morning, a problem I [...]

Change is coming to you

One the major themes of The Shadow Library is that no matter how you resist change in your life, change is coming to you whether you want it or not. Right now, publishing is undergoing a change that many people are resisting. Consequently some (lots) of publishers are going under, those that are still around [...]

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