Author: Brett Jackson

So…. where have I been and what have I been up to?

Posted on by Brett Jackson

Many of you have probably wondered where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to.

Well, there was Christmas for a start, and it it was really good, as I hope yours was.
Then a not so happy new year as I’ve been laid in bed for the last few days with the flu.
And now, I’m up and about and back to writing. 179 pages so far and still going. And I’m still loving every minute of it 🙂
Here’s a sneak preview.

Taking a break for Christmas

Posted on by Brett Jackson

After a full on day yesterday to visit my first grandchild born on Dec 21st, I have decided to have a break over Christmas, and look foreward to seeing you all next year.

Remember to take care of yourselves, please no drinking and driving, and have a smashing new year.

Fed up with writing?

Posted on by Brett Jackson
Have you become fed up with writing?
Here are a few things you can do to get the excitement back 🙂
  1. Go for a run, take the dog for a walk, or buy a dog and take it for a walk… seriously. Running helps the blood pump more oxygen around your body and wakes up your brain.
  2. Do something mundane. There’s nothing quite like washing up to get your mind wondering about other things. Try it, you might be surprised.
  3. Try reading a Book from a different genre. Different genres generally mean different authors, different ways of thinking, and different plotlines.
  4. Have a rest – our brains, like our bodies, need rest. You may enjoy writing, but your brain is probably just tired. Even the best authors rest, to relax their brains and get back that creativity. But don’t rest for too long, otherwise procrastination starts to creep in.
  5. Have you tried changing medias? If you type, grab a pencil and pen, if you scribble notes down, try a laptop instead. Writing isn’t just words, its creating. We create using pictures, mindmaps, and more. Why not try drawing  a map, it will help you to describe what you are trying to explain. 
If you have any useful tips, please, feel free to add some 🙂

Writers block?

Posted on by Brett Jackson
Have you ever been driving down the road and gone the wrong way to a dead end? Every time that happens, you reverse the car and try a different route. 
Writers block is similar, you can sometimes write yourself into a dead end… soooo, go back a chapter and see write from there, see where it takes you 🙂
Have fun, happy writing.

How long should a chapter be?

Posted on by Brett Jackson

New to writing? Wondering how long a chapter should be?

There are no rules and no magic number.
Let me explain.
————-
Think back today… what did you do?
  • Chapter 1
You woke up, you got up, you got dressed, had breakfast, checked your email / social media, and then went to work.
  • Chapter 2
You arrived at work, checked your work email, got some work done, and had a coffee. Your colleague invited you to lunch
  • Chapter 3
You and your colleague met up for lunch, you both ate the same thing (how cool is that), you complained about work, then, without warning… a bomb goes off
  • Chapter 4
Dazed and confused you make your way to the front door, and emergency services sirens are in the background, there is confusion all around, dust and debris everywhere, your glasses are dirty and your ears are ringing… the fire team arrive.
  • Chapter 5
And so on.
—————
In the example above, the story goes from one chapter to another, and if you count them, the wordcounts aren’t the same. The chapters don’t always switch from location to location either… they do however switch chapters at important moments, where you don’t necessarily need to fill in the details, and that’s a great place for the reader to fill those in for themselves.
Too summarise, there is no magic number, just keep writing until you feel it’s a good time to switch chapters 🙂
Hope this helps, and happy writing.
Brett