Clebs

It sounds like a really difficult issue, Janeshuff. However well done on you for listening to your reader feedback.

I think as others have suggested, a close psychic distance is your answer. The character’s subjective thoughts, feelings, and reactions can never be gratuitous. These will also advance your plot, by contributing to your character’s…[Read more]

Thanks guys. That’s really helpful.

I’m leaning more towards going with a fictional place, although based on a real location to help me be consistent with geographical details. For me, I think it’s becoming clear that there is a particular kind of place I envisage as the setting for this particular story.

Trying to shoehorn my story into a…[Read more]

I had a problem like this in my last effort, and it cost me more sweat than anything else in that story. It was all the harder because it was a husband beating up his wife. I really didn’t want to go there and tried everything to skate round it, but the plot demanded that I meet it head-on. In the end I did almost exactly what Jonathan suggests: I…[Read more]

Some great ideas in there, thanks Jonathan

Jonathan, I don’t want to write more detail of exactly where and how many times they hit her and how much it hurts (or doesn’t) mainly because I don’t think it advances the scene and would therefore be gratuitous. I’ve tried, now, to write enough for the reader to understand that it was horrifying, callous and caused life-threatening damage (which…[Read more]

Thriller/Psychological thriller, Anna. If you have any suggestions of books where you think the violence is done well, I’d be interested!

Kate, I think I am may have let my decision to keep the violence short stop the scene from developing in other ways so I’ve been working on that but I can see, nevertheless, that the violence has been threatened for a long time and I’ve ramped up the tension and fear leading up to it and maybe that is why it seems a let down.

Thanks, all. And I hope some of you will try your hand at October’s.

Forgot to check in on this – A totally deserved win, @seagreen! 🙂

@Stevie – definitely sounds worth a shot

@alanr – no idea but thought it might warrant further exploration (and we may even have some US based people here anyway)

Great writing Seagreen. I thought it was a winner as soon as I read it. Super competition Daeds and what a great effort with all the feedback!

I’m in Loughborough – I wouldn’t call it quaint or pretty…like any town, there are bits like that, but not in the town centre. I suppose it depends on where most of the action happens…

Not sure where you’re based, Philippa, but happy to show you round if you want to see it!

Hi @alanr,

Great! That makes sense. I think all of the points you make about how the manananggal operates within Galina could be turned into a great hook in your blurb, while also satisfactorily answering the agent’s burning question of ‘how does this possession thing work?’

A final couple of super-picky points.

I would be wary of ‘selling’…[Read more]

Thanks guys, and sorry for my slow reply (I am currently on a canal boat!)

These are all extremely helpful ideas, great brainstorming. I am going to take some time to digest it all and see what speaks to me.

I do like the idea of a fairly “quaint” or “middle class pretty” town which contrasts with the trauma of abduction. Also the theme (which…[Read more]

Nice prompt… Looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into this one.