Book Review: The Queen’s Wife

New Zealand author Joanne Drayton launches her new book The Queen's Wife TONIGHT as part of Auckland Pride Month's Samesame but Different LGBTQIA+ Writers and Readers Festival. Congratulations, Joanne! I reviewed the book for NZ Booklovers. Here is my review: ‘Life is a game of chess. You should try playing it with two queens.’ So…

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Quick Tips #11: Pantsing vs. Plotting: which is better?

A panster tends to write their way into a story, without planning the plot in advance. A plotter does the opposite. They like to plan, then write to that plan. Neither method is better or worse; both have their benefits and pitfalls. Pantsing can open writers up to a wild creativity that advance plotting might…

Quick Tips #10: What writing advice should I listen to?

I was given an invaluable piece of writing advice some time ago that was infinitely more helpful than any “how-to” article or writing course. Back then, I was at a point where writing was becoming more of a pressure than a pleasure; something to work at rather than simply...enjoy. I believed I had to write every day…

Women’s writing: how the world dismisses it

I published my debut novel in March, and was lucky enough to receive positive reviews, wonderful reader feedback, and a stint on three bestseller lists. I'm now working on my second novel, and as I write (and procrastinate), I've been thinking about stories and how we tell them and how they are received. I've been…

Quick Tips #8: Voice

"What is voice?" "How do I find it?" These are questions I hear often from clients, and there's no clear-cut answer. There's no "formula". Your voice simply means your particular way of placing thoughts on the page; your style of writing. What makes you distinctively "you" as a writer. And the way to discover it…