Monday, July 6, 2009

When All Else Fails... Buy Another How-To Book!


I'm suffering a SEVERE case of Mid-Book Anxiety! This happened with the last wip too... I get half way (or just before) and I start thinking that everything I've written is absolute rubbish and I wonder why I'm even bothering!!

So... what have I done? Gone out and bought ANOTHER How-To book. Actually... I didn't have to go anywhere cos I bought it online but I think it still equates to the same :) It's called 'Break Into Fiction' by Mary Buckham and Diana Love Snell and the blurb reckons it's ''all you need to master the art of fiction.'' That had me sold.

Pity I still haven't read the last three How-To books I spent hubby's hard-earned dosh on!

Go on... confess... do you have a writing-related addiction?

8 comments:

Jackie Ashenden said...

My only writing related addiction is coffee and chocolate. And compulsively posting on the eHarlequin boards! And trawling around people's blogs. :-)

Lacey Devlin said...

I'm with Jackie I'm a blog stalker all the way ;) but I'm also a book-a-holic I was just wondering the other day what I'll do when I run out of places for my M&B books around the house... that's why people put on an expansion right???

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Hi Rach,
I love my 'how to books' When things don't seem to go right I always lift one from my bookshelf. There are many helpful ones around.
I guess my addiction is not being able to go past a bookstore without buying a novel. It's like a magnet drawing me in and I'm not happy until I make a purchase. lol.. Luckily it's my money and not my hubbies. I think he's unaware of how much I really do spend on novels. lol...

Christina Phillips said...

Oooh I love stationery. Pretty pens and pads. I don't always use the pads, I just like the look of them. I usually scribble notes on the back of ancient rejected mss!!!

Cathryn Hein said...

I dont think you could every write rubbish, Rach.

As for writing addictions...umm...I can spend ages trawling thesaurus.com for the perfect word and then double checking meanings with AskOxford.com. That's about it, really.

Oh, except I'm like Suz and can't walk past a bookshop without at least a quick gander. You never know what gem you'll find and, well, I just adore books.

Felicity Roger said...

If you ever need to revamp your 'how to' books Rach, maybe we could do a swap. I have gazillions of them, and I dont just have them for writing. I am the sort of person who feels you can learn to do most things...if only you own the book. My latest book is "The First Five Pages" by Noah Lukeman and only 1/4 in, but is excellent.

Michelle Diener said...

Rach, much quicker than reading your how-to book, is a great blog post at Paperback Writer about the dreaded middle of the novel. http://pbackwriter.blogspot.com/2009/07/vw2-middlemarch.html When I'm avoiding writing (yesterday) I shop online as well. Did you know Boden has a huge sale on and they deliver to Australia? Ten days and I'll have my purchases in my sweaty little hands :).

Rachael Johns said...

So interesting to hear everyone's fixes... and I think as romance writers, chocolates and books are a MUST!!

Oh dear Felicity - I don't have that one!

Michelle - thanks for that link... off to check it out now.