After a day of data-entry and tomato scrubbing (don’t ask) I was keen to relax and catch up with the on-line writing group I belong to. One of the lovely members had posted a link to an article by novelist, Chuck Wendig, outlining 25 reasons a potential reader might give up on your book. Sounded like a depressing topic on the face of it, but I bravely read on and it proved to be a really interesting checklist.
It also led me to discover Chuck’s more uplifting article, 25 Reasons Readers Keep Reading, which filled me with a sudden, irrational rush of purpose and determination.
I must keep in mind, however, that not all advice is good advice. For instance, the old adage, write about what you know, might be misplaced. In the current harsh economic climate, is there room for a techno-eco (tomatoey databasey) crime novel? I’m just not sure…
Clare Chase 