1. Chocolate
– don’t get me started.
2. 24 hour access to the local police station The Hayling
Island police suddenly started to follow me on Twitter when I posted a blog
called Vulnerable kids, crime and easy money. The comments on Facebook veered
from ‘Sort out your greenhouse plants!’ to They must have read Illegal!’
3. Other
authors on the Edge. So that we don’t actually fall over the Edge, if you get
my meaning.
4. Readers who can cope. Please apply by snail mail in triplicate. There is a rigorous physical as part of the selection process.
5. The Inner Critic Mine is a tiger ( apt, you might say.) It prowls around the garden watching for the moment when it can pounce on my shoulder, as I sit in my study, staring hopelessly at my manu and growl, “What a load of rubbish!” Exactly what I DON’T need. However, at other times, my tiger will enter quietly ( probably after a large kill next door) and say, “Redraft that scene and I do LOVE the book.”
4. Readers who can cope. Please apply by snail mail in triplicate. There is a rigorous physical as part of the selection process.
5. The Inner Critic Mine is a tiger ( apt, you might say.) It prowls around the garden watching for the moment when it can pounce on my shoulder, as I sit in my study, staring hopelessly at my manu and growl, “What a load of rubbish!” Exactly what I DON’T need. However, at other times, my tiger will enter quietly ( probably after a large kill next door) and say, “Redraft that scene and I do LOVE the book.”
Yes we need our Inner Critics – no,
we mustn’t let them rule the writing jungle supreme.
6. Chocolate Ah ha! I see you don’t know me very well. Of course we have to have 2 points out of 10 devoted to chocolate!
7. Howlers My best one ( back to the police again, folks, sorry ) God Cop! My editor delighted in pointing this one out to me, as you can imagine. In Hidden I have two policemen, Good Cop and Bad Cop who turn up and harass Alix and Samir as they try to hide their illegal immigrant. If you live your writing life on The Edge you’re bound to spill out a great howler from time to time.
6. Chocolate Ah ha! I see you don’t know me very well. Of course we have to have 2 points out of 10 devoted to chocolate!
7. Howlers My best one ( back to the police again, folks, sorry ) God Cop! My editor delighted in pointing this one out to me, as you can imagine. In Hidden I have two policemen, Good Cop and Bad Cop who turn up and harass Alix and Samir as they try to hide their illegal immigrant. If you live your writing life on The Edge you’re bound to spill out a great howler from time to time.
So what is it that some of my
fellow Edge members can’t live without?? ( I’ll let you know when it’s safe to
take off the stab vests.)
8. The Internet I know that as writers we're meant to turn the thing off, but honestly I do so much research that the Internet is a truly invaluable resource. I use Wikipedia, baby naming sites, Google... and I use an online thesaurus and dictionary that stops me making ridiculous mistakes! Bryony Pearce
9. Real live teenagers - to talk to about storylines, slang, pacing and believability. Hearing from readers is the best motivation of all, and my own teens and their friends are my best advisers. Keren David
10. A heart! You need to care about the characters and the stories you write. If you don't care, you'll have nothing to lose and the writing will have no edge! Dave Cousins
11. Inspiration : What do you mean we can't have eleven? We're Edgy, get over it : Inspiration Whenever/wherever I find it. I read, watch, write and experience as much as I can. I never know what might spark my next novel idea. Sara Grant.
12. Yeah yeah - we're almost done..... Katie Dale can't live without her laptop. Paula Rawsthorne can't live without TIME i.e. to let her ideas and plot ferment....can't get much edgier than fermentation, can you? And last ( but not least) Savita Kalhan can't live without books -in fact she can't live without spaces actually lined with books ( imagine trying to get a shower in her house then.)
We are The Edge authors - this is what we can't live without. How about you guys???
I agree with no 10. You certainly have to have heart to write about your characters. If you don't care about what you write about then it will come through to your readers. I think this is why I write about what interests me and my passions.
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