J.K. Rowling - Adversity and Imagination

Something worth watching if you've got a spare 20 minutes this sunny Sunday!

J.K. Rowling gave a Harvard Commencement speech in 2008, where she talked about overcoming adversity and the significant, if painful, benefits of failure. She then talks about where the power of imagination truly lies - not in the ability to escape or picture new things, but in the ability it gives us to empathise with people who are experiencing things we ourselves have not.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jk_rowling_the_fringe_benefits_of_failure.html

Maureen says, 'OMG I'm Pitching!'

by Maureen Lynas

To pitch or not to pitch, that may be a question, but is there a right answer?

Confusion reigns.
You’re going to a conference (let’s say SCBWI Winchester 2012 for instance) and some advice is saying PITCH! And some is saying DON’T PITCH. So you go with the latter and decide not to pitch because it would be rude to foist the five page pitch for your ten-ton WIP on an unsuspecting agent queuing for the toilet. And you are a very well brought up author who knows her/his place in the queue.

A writer's sugary dream: Book meets cake!

by Sally Poyton


There are few dead certs when writing a book. There is no definitive way to get published; some people win competitions, other meet agents and click, and some get picked off the slush pile. There is no one way to write, either – some see where the writing takes them, others plot and plan meticoulsy before writing a word. No agent or editor can tell you the one thing that makes a good book, as they are all looking for something slightly different. It’s all so... subjective.