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Starstruck

Starstruck
Creative Writing for health, well-being and fun!

Sunday 21 October 2018

New Year! New You!




INTERESTED IN WELLBEING, CREATIVE WRITING OR MEMOIR? 

I am running another online course on Keeping a Journal. Starting January, there'll be weekly postings - instruction, inspiration, and writing prompts – all for less than the price of a cup of coffee. And you can join a linked Facebook group! Interested? Contact me if you have questions or want to sign up! On enrolment, you'll also be entitled to my FREE guide, 'Almost Everything you needed to know about keeping a journal!' This will give you some ideas to play with before the course begins in mid-January! Do hope you'll join us!

Goodbye, Tax Form 2018!

Celebrating the departure of the tax form! So - for two weeks, I have discounted 'The Wolf of Dalriada' to £6.99 on my website, https://elizabeth-gates.com. (Until October 31st)

Order your signed copy now for a good read during cosy Autumn evenings.

Monday 30 July 2018

What can you get for less than the price of a cup of coffee?

INTERESTED IN WELLBEING, CREATIVE WRITING OR MEMOIR? I am running an on-line course on Keeping a Journal. Starting September, weekly postings - instruction, inspiration, and writing prompts all for less than the price of a cup of coffee. And a linked Facebook group! Interested? For more information, see the News page of the Lonely Furrow Company Website (https://lonelyfurrowcompany.com) and DM me if you have questions or to sign up by August 16th! You'll also be entitled to my FREE guide, Almost Everything you needed to know about keeping a journal! This will give you some ideas to play with before the course begins in mid-September! Do hope you'll join us!

Tuesday 29 May 2018

The Wolf of Dalriada by Elizabeth Gates | Review | Historical Novels Review

The Wolf of Dalriada by Elizabeth Gates | Review | Historical Novels Review: Confused by the frequent changes of location, date and point of view, it took some time for me to come to grips with this episodic…

The Wolf of Dalriada by Elizabeth Gates | Review | Historical Novels Review

The Wolf of Dalriada by Elizabeth Gates | Review | Historical Novels Review: Confused by the frequent changes of location, date and point of view, it took some time for me to come to grips with this episodic…

Monday 24 July 2017

What can Beta Readers do for you?

Phew! 80,000 words of 'The Wolf of Dalriada - Part 2' are now winging their way to the Beta Readers! A significant moment. But who are Beta Readers and what do they do? Brenda Pollard answers these questions clearly and my own feeling is that Beta Readers are vital to the big picture.
I also provide my Beta Readers with a list of questions to guide their thinking. Not that they need much guidance but I do want to make the most of their expertise as talented readers. The questions I pose are:
  1. People?
    Does each character work?
    Is there consistency even when there is change/ development?
    Do they seem real?
    Is their speech distinct and typical of them?
    Do you care what happens to them?
  2. Setting?
    Is the setting authentic?
    Has too much detail (research) been included?
    Are there any historical inaccuracies - factual; linguistic?
  3. Plotting?
    Are any scenes or sections unnecessary or superfluous - for example, is Chapter 3 in the right place?
    Is the pacing is too slow/too fast at any point?
    Are there any plot-holes or inconsistencies?
    Does the story engage you?
    Did you know how this story was going to end? Was this a problem?
    Please look out for any repetitions and/or too much inclusion of first story in the series?
  4. Anything else?

This list may also be useful for your own self-editing. It certainly concerns itself with the bigger picture. This is called developmental or content editing and does not involve your very kind Beta Readers in proof reading or copy editing. Those are professional areas - necessary and fee-paying. Contact the Society of Editors and Proofreaders for a practitioner near you.