Jessica's Blog (4)

I'VE FINISHED MY FIRST DRAFT!!! I'm pleased with how it turned out actually. I'll need to use the rewrites to flesh out the characters and sneak in a few more red herrings, but on the whole I am rather pleased! So, keeping in the Stephen King tradition, I shall allow the manuscript to ferment. Like leaving a pie on the window sill to cool. Yum... I like pie! OK - focus. Now that's finished, I need to take my mind off the draft and think about something else so when I come… Continue

My USB corrupted and I lost half a chapter before I could fix it. I'm pretty upset about it, because that was half a night's work!!! Grrrr... I can never concentrate on writing unless I have some background noise - I like to put a period drama DVD on and listen to it. It reminds me of the kind of language and tone I'm to avoid at all costs! I found a book on forensics at Dymocks which I bought and devoured. It's an excellent source! All those random little tidbits... they just add a touch of a… Continue

I've planned out my novel several times in lots of new and exciting ways. Things always change every time I do it - minor characters, Red Herrings, important plot points - nothing is safe when Jessie decides it's time to rethink her strategy!!! And I often do. Most often because I think of something way way better; generally out of necessity because I don't want all my friends to laugh at me when I offer them my story to read. I bought a book the other day - How to Write Crime Fiction - v. inte… Continue

I have always had an almost overpowering facination with language and the written word. I love immersing myself in language styles and form, developing my talents in different genres and creative avenues. I have dabbled in Fantasy and Short Story writing and during the HSC I received top marks in EXT2 English for my 8000 word short story, Blood Lines. Now, I'm turning my attention to Crime Fiction. After studying it for two years in EXT1 English, it is a natural choice. I intend to write a nove… Continue