Every would-be writer needs luck and even established writers can still need it.  But luck alone won’t help, you need to do something about it !  You need to recognise it, grab it, and make it work for you. Unless you do, it will disappear and that particular opportunity will be missed. It will not work for you unless you help it and you will only be able to do that after you have ‘taken it on board.’  In a writing career spanning over fifty years luck has appeared four times and each time, through acting upon it, my career was advanced.    Watch out for Writer’s Luck. 

I recently read and thoroughly enjoyed a thriller, VANISHED by Joseph Finder published by Headline. I am not going to tell you what it is about; it would be a crime to spoil it for you.

It has 99 chapters !  Don’t let that put you off. There are 403 pages so that works out at an average of  4 pages per chapter. Short.

Would-be novel writers are told to end each chapter on a cliff-hanger; make the reader want to read on. Finder certainly does that. He very often  ends a chapter and starts the next one in the middle of a scene. That really does make you want to read on. That is a special skill – knowing the precise point in a scene to do that withour ruining the scene and the flow of the story.

Want to be a novel writer? You can learn much from this book.

Where are they?   Hardbacks published by Robert Hale appear in libraries; so do Large Print editions. But why are paperbacks absent from booksellers shelves? There must be a market out there ! 

Mixed day today.  Got some writing done – progressed the new novel. Got some reading done. Enjoyed the sunshine in the garden where I have had a seat placed in an advantageous position to catch the evening sun.  Made a bread and butter pudding which my two daughters said was very good. Feeling big-headed now! But the day had its not so good aspects – England were abysmal at the cricket  and Middlesbrough Football Club only played a draw in their first game of the season.  However that’s life.

I’m faced with a dilemma – What do I read now? I love reading but feel sad when I finish a book. However that is soon dismissed by the adventure of choosing the next. So many worlds are open to me.  Cops and killers again? Sail the seven seas? Be tempted by beautiful women?  Learn about Lord Nelson? Explore the Congo? Receive instructions on how to bake a wonderful cake?    Size of book could come into it. So big I would need a table? A hardback when I’m in the comfort of my armchair or a paperback in bed? Something that if I drop it in my bath water it wouldn’t matter?

Decisions – decisions – decisions !!!!

Help !!!    Which book have you enjoyed lately?

Last Tuesday I went to an interesting concert, held in a local Country House, part of a local Music Festival. It was held in memory of a school friend who lived in the USA and died earlier this year. The music was by Purcell and Handel. I have a wide taste in music but the Baroque period is not one of my favourites. However, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed most of it. It was interesting to come away from the comfort zone, something I occasionally try to do in my reading habits. It is good and exciting to make new discoveries.

Hi everyone, I’m back!

The reason for my long absence — one of my daughters has been in hospital for 6 weeks — kidney failure but it was treated in time and now both kidneys are back to normal.  The local doctors and hospital staff were wonderful. She is now at home with me  — recovering with TLC, — a good job she likes my cooking! She hopes she may be able to go to her own home in a fortnight.

I kept my writing ticking over. Now I should be able to get back to a regular writing schedule soon.   Oh,  but there’s cricket  —  the Ashes will hold a lot of my attention.