Finally it’s here! It’s almost exactly a year ago that Mike Baker at Wiley asked me to write a follow-up to the successful Creative Writing For Dummies. It wasn’t exactly an easy journey, not least because, a short while after I started work, with a very tight deadline, I developed a very severe case of frozen shoulder which meant I was unable to use my right arm and couldn’t type – and was also maxed out on painkillers. I had to write much of the book using voice recognition software – an entirely new experience for me!
All For Dummies books go through a very rigorous editing process, and in addition, authors are now expected to get their own permissions for quoting extracts from other books. So it was very hard work indeed. However, it’s all done at last. The book is based on my 20 years’ experience of teaching creative writing, and is packed full of exercises which should help you on your writing journey and contains lots of tips and examples as well.
I want to give a special thanks to my Project Manager, Michelle Hacker, who was a star. And thanks also to Howard Cunnell for acting as Technical Editor and making such helpful suggestions in places, and Rachel Knightley who helped me hugely while I couldn’t type!
I’m launching the book at Waterstones, Islington tomorrow, 9 October, from 6-9pm. You can order the book from them, from Amazon (click here), or from any good bookshop.