Subscriptions
Take out a subscription to a professional writing magazine. Recommend Writers’ News/Writing Magazine and, for women, Mslexia.  All kinds of reasons for this tip but to name two - entering competitions gets you used to having to meet a deadline and you find out more about the writing world, including how other authors work.  The latter I always find interesting.  And subscriptions are an allowable professional expense too.

Writing What You Want To Write
Write what you want to write.  Anything else will seem false.  Fashions come and go in publishing as in anything else so it’s pointless trying to write in a subject or genre that sells now.  By the time you’ve a manuscript ready, the market will be focussed on the next big thing.

Beware the Charlatans
Be aware, as in any industry, there are charlatans.  Not only can the writing magazines alert you to these, they can point you to websites like Jonathan Clifford’s anti-vanity press site for further information.

Planning Your Characters' Lives
Have you got your characters’ lives planned out?  It’s not a case of knowing every last detail but do you know what’s going to happen when?  Do you know what your characters think they’re going to do with their lives (which of course doesn’t have to be what actually happens)?

Outlining and Reworking
It pays to outline your short stories, if only a couple of lines, before writing them.  I’ve found it saves me wasting time dithering on the “what do I write next” dilemma.  Do rework rejected stories and send them out elsewhere.  You’ve got nothing to lose trying!

Write First, Edit Later
Get your story down on paper first before you even think about editing.  Some authors do edit as they go but the disadvantage to that is it can take a lot longer (will you ever find the perfect sentence?) but if you get your story down, you know you have something to work with. Do put your story or novel aside for a while after writing.  It’s normal to think you’ve written total rubbish just after finishing your tale!  Give it some time and you can read it with a “clear” mind and sort out what really is rubbish and what isn’t.  I can never judge my work objectively directly after writing it. !

Feedback
I’ve not joined a writers’ group.  Some find them helpful, some don’t.  But it is useful to get someone you can trust to read your work.  Very close friends and family aren’t objective enough.  Equally I have found feedback from sites like Shortbread Short Stories and from the Winchester Writers' Festival invaluable.  If you pay for feedback (book doctors and so on), ask around and see if others recommend them. 
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I’ve learned to cut more as I’ve written more.  You get a better feel for what is relevant and what isn’t. I enjoy the editing process, especially as you sense your story becoming tighter, better and the waffle comes out (and there’s always some!). 

It is important to let yourself write and then let yourself edit and treat the two as two separate tasks.  You don’t want your editing side to get in the way of your creative side.  And the things you cut might work their way into future stories if good enough.  Stick to the point of your story, always. 

Over time I’ve got into a routine of writing in the evenings (I’m more than happy to give up TV) and stick to it.  My brain slips into “writing time” as I sit at my desk at roughly the same time each night.  I schedule in my writing time so all my jobs are done during the day as I’m one of those people who can’t relax enough to write if I’ve anything outstanding.  It does bug me!  And above all I keep going.  Persistence is a virtue!

I write novels long-hand and then use the typing up as my first edit.  I  usually manage to get rid of repetition during this process.  I didn’t plan my first novel out in detail, it kind of evolved over time, but now I do work out plot details first.  Does that stifle creativity?  I don’t think so.  I’ve found it triggers ideas and I can work out which of these I can use and where I can put them into my novel before actually writing it.  It helps me not to go off the tangent and a plan helps me see gaps so I can then fill them in so I don’t write myself into a corner.

I edit, and edit, and edit.  First edit is to get rid of repetition, including all unnecessary adjectives.  Second edit is to look at the plot as a whole.  Does it work?  Is anything missing?  By the time I get to a third read through and edit, I can usually spot where I can tighten the novel up further.  At that point I think about sending it off somewhere!

Having always loved English, I should’ve guessed I would’ve wanted to write at some stage but in many ways it’s not how you start as a writer that matters, but the fact you keep going.  You also need to keep reading - classics, in your genre, out of your genre, contemporary (you’ve got to know what else is out there). 

Don’t rely on the computer’s spell checker.  It doesn’t pick up on everything.  Mine has a bit of a thing about wanting to put in “his or her” instead of “their”!!!!  What has it got against “their”?!!!  Have a good dictionary to hand, always. 

Vary sentence and paragraph lengths to vary pace.  One continual pace is a monotone, never interesting.  Watch out for favourite words and phrases creeping in - this is where a good edit comes to your aid.

The more you write, the more ideas come to you.  This is the kind of positive circle you want to encourage!  Also the more you write, the more you edit and the quicker you’ll get at seeing when a story is done so you can get it out there.  So keep writing!

Books are a wonderful invention.  Can take you anywhere in any world.  Can make you laugh, cry, scare you - and I’d love to know what Mary Shelley ate to induce the dream that inspired Frankenstein.  I have this nagging feeling it took more than a bit of ripe Stilton eaten late to induce that!  I do know if whatever she ate is (a) legal and (b) still available, I wouldn’t mind trying some!!!

Starting as a writer has to start with what you read.  You have to know what you like, even what you dislike, before you can produce anything. 

When entering competitions if you can get feedback (at a reasonable cost, beware some places do charge a lot) it can be helpful in terms of pointing out what your reader thinks.  It’s not always what you as the writer think!!!  That can help you improve your writing in itself.  You can see for yourself whether your reader “got the point”.  Also when you’ve produced a good story and the feedback reflects that, it’s a great ego boost!

Always look for constructive criticism.  Remember you don’t have to agree with all of it (or indeed any) but if your feedback makes you think “ah I had wondered that” (and this has happened a few times to me) then act on that.  It can be confirmation you should trust your instincts when writing and should help sharpen your skills.  Beware of groups (online or otherwise) where cliques seem to develop and be aware there are other writers who will seek to criticize destructively (whether from jealousy or insecurity is hard to say).  When seeking and getting feedback you should be able to work out “well has this helped me?  Can I use this to improve what I do?”.  If the answer is no, ignore!  And destructive criticism reflects the person making it, not you. 

Read, read, read.  Not just the professional mags and blogs but novels, short stories, anything you yourself would like to write.  You do learn from what you read.  Sometimes when you come across a dire piece, you can still learn from it - what not to do!  The trick is to make sure that dire piece is not one of yours! 

Read contemporary fiction and classic.  You need to know what’s going on out there now (and no you won’t keep on top of it all) as well as having a fund of classics which inspire you.  After all the classic writers became that way for a reason - they’re good, very good!

Read non-fiction as well as fiction.  It may give you ideas to help you populate your fictional world - my Queen’s Chief Leader, L’Evallier, is roughly based on Queen Elizabeth I’s minister, William, Lord Burghley.  There I was looking for qualities as well as the similiarities in job.  Burghley was not afraid to criticize his boss and always spoke his mind.  She knew she needed that.  Makes for an interesting relationship - one where there are clashes but there’s always the unspoken question.  Will either of them take things too far?  Elizabeth almost did after the execution of Mary Stuart when she banished Burghley from Court for a while (and he was devastated by that).  L’Evallier becomes more outspoken as the novels go on… will he reach the point of no return?   It’ll be fun finding out, I hope.
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Over time I’ve got into a routine of writing in the evenings (I’m happy to give up TV) and stick to it.  My brain slips into “writing time” as I sit at my desk at roughly the same time each night.  I schedule in my writing time so all my jobs are done during the day as I’m one of those people who can’t relax enough to write if I’ve anything outstanding.  It does bug me!  And above all I keep going.  Persistence is a virtue!

I write novels long-hand and then use the typing up as my first edit.  I  usually manage to get rid of repetition during this process.  I didn’t plan my first novel out in detail, it kind of evolved over time, but now I do work out plot details first.  Does that stifle creativity?  I don’t think so.  I’ve found it triggers ideas and I can work out which of these I can use and where I can put them into my novel before actually writing it.  It helps me not to go off the tangent and a plan helps me see gaps so I can then fill them in so I don’t write myself into a corner.

I edit, and edit, and edit.  First edit is to get rid of repetition, including all unnecessary adjectives.  Second edit is to look at the plot as a whole.  Does it work?  Is anything missing?  By the time I get to a third read through and edit, I can usually spot where I can tighten the novel up further.  At that point I think about sending it off somewhere!

I spend lots of time reading work through on paper. I’ve lost count of the number of things I spotted on paper I totally missed on screen.  There must be a psychological reason behind that but it won’t impress an editor!  I always use the reverse side of anything I’ve worked on as scrap paper. 

Ensure toner/ink cartridges are up to scratch.  If you’re wondering whether you need to change them before sending anything out, the answer is yes, you do!  Editors/agents are looking for reasons to turn you down so don’t give them any! 

Think about your market carefully.  Do you know who your latest story, novel is aimed at?  Can you sum it up quickly (ideally in one sentence)? 

I write what I love.  Nobody can second guess how the market will go and I believe that if you write with true enthusiasm it will show in your work.  I also believe if you try to write something to fit a perceived market, that will also show in your work.

Knowing I’m creating something unique.  Taking myself out of this world for a while, particularly helpful when going through a bad patch.  Writing is therapy.  When someone tells you they like what you’ve written.  When you’re asked for advice because you’re a writer as it’s always nice to be recognized as such by someone!

All would-be writers are told to read a lot in genre and out of it so one major benefit of writing is getting to do a lot of reading and being able to claim you need to do it as part of your professional development!  As a result of reading more, discovering new authors’ work to enjoy and as a result finding your own stories are inspired by a wide range of genres and styles, which will bring your work to (a) life and (b) keep it going for the long term.  You work your reading and writing muscles here.

Creating stories is fun in itself.  It’s also a positive thing to do.  Stories are practically as old as humanity itself and though the form in which they’re told changes, the need for stories will always be with us.  Stories are also great for getting messages across without preaching.  And a good story entertains, makes you think and sticks in the memory.  I want some of my stories to stick in people’s memories - for good reasons!

Getting the first draft down as then I’ve got something to work with.  Getting the first edit done as I start sensing the story “tighten” up.  Getting the final version out knowing I’ve written and edited it to the best of my ability.  What is nice is when the final version is a dramatic improvement on the first draft, as it should be.  It’s also encouraging to keep coming up with ideas to write about.  Whilst there are humans, there are always human conditions and whims and ways to write about.

Ending Your World
Could your world come to an end?  If so, how?  If magic is involved, can that be misused to damage the physical world it’s set in?  In my novels, I’ve set up barren areas, made that way by having too much magic pounding them.  This has a knock on effect in forcing populations to move away and into other areas, causing tensions between the different groups (the sprites are generally condemned for having an irresponsible attitude to sex and reproduction - they are at it like rabbits!). 

Customs and Rebels
What are your world’s customs?  What does it do/say to those who rebel or don’t follow the customs “correctly”?  How does it react if someone shows up one or more of the customs as wrong?  Is there a history of dissidents or have you got a character blazing the way here?  Is the media controlled, directly or subtly? With FNN I have a snobby goblin, Roherum, keen to please the Queen so he’s not going to rock the boat.  Could someone be placed by your authorities deliberately to manipulate matters on their behalf?

Character Traits and Desires
I like to know my characters’ main trait before I start writing.  In Eileen’s case it is awkwardness taken to the nth degree.  She lands others and herself right in it.  Plenty of stories there I hope! I also like to know what my major characters want and to ensure there are plenty of clashes.  No clash = no story. I also like to give my main villain a really powerful motive for their actions.  Anything less is unconvincing.  And it has to be a motive anyone can identify with - a kind of I can understand where this character is coming from approach.

How You Write
Think about why you write the way you do. Can you improve it?  Look for favourite phrases - they will creep into your writing unbidden!  Mine do!  Is your style appropriate for what you’re trying to produce?  For example light, easy sentences might  not be apt for a dark piece where I’d expect the words to be heavier, darker, to conjure up the right mood.  Wodehouse stuck to what he knew - humorous prose - for a good reason.  And his light style is perfect for it.  Likewise horror writers write in a very different style appropriate for their work.  So make sure your style matches. 

Knowing Your Characters Well Enough
Are you getting into the heads of your characters well enough?  If someone asked you an unexpected question about any of them, could you, based on your knowledge of them, answer it?  Is there enough going on in your story?  Do your characters change?  Do you show how and why?  That is the story after all!  I’ve always loved reading lines in other books where you can tell a lot about a character in that short section.  The first one I felt I did well was where in The Trouble With Mother Hanastrew complains about being made by Eileen to use the instant transport spell with its inherent risks of not having all your bits rematerialize properly with one girl recently losing an arm through the method.  Eileen’s retort if the girl had lost her head, she would’ve understood the complaints I was pleased with the moment I wrote it.  To get sympathy from this woman, you have to die!  Tells you all you need to know, yes?

Writing Dialogue
I adore writing dialogue.  It’s descriptive narrative I struggle with.  How much to put in?  Have I left out something crucial?  I do listen to a lot of radio comedy, which has probably helped with dialogue writing.  I like being able to come back with a good rejoinder for one of my characters.  That, for me, brings a scene to life almost more than anything else.

Ending Your World
Could your world come to an end?  If so, how?  If magic is involved, can that be misused to damage the physical world it’s set in?  In my novels, I’ve set up barren areas, made that way by having too much magic pounding them.  This has a knock on effect in forcing populations to move away and into other areas, causing tensions between the different groups (the sprites are generally condemned for having an irresponsible attitude to sex and reproduction - they are at it like rabbits!). 

Customs and Rebels
What are your world’s customs?  What does it do/say to those who rebel or don’t follow the customs “correctly”?  How does it react if someone shows up one or more of the customs as wrong?  Is there a history of dissidents or have you got a character blazing the way here? 

Controlling the Media
Is the media controlled, directly or subtly? With FNN I have a snobby goblin, Roherum, keen to please the Queen so he’s not going to rock the boat.  Could someone be placed by your authorities deliberately to manipulate matters on their behalf?

Missed Opportunities
Missed opportunities are an excellent source of stories - from the viewpoint of those who missed them and know it, those who did and don’t know (but are vaguely aware something is wrong) and from family and friends affected by those missed opportunities.

Changing Perceptions
Excessive weariness of spirit as well as body can change people’s attitudes and perceptions and their reactions - what are the consequences?  What about those trying to encourage someone to be less lonely, a little more giving (knowing it will benefit the most the person being encouraged to do t hat giving) and how do they feel when they succeed/fail?

Threats to Your World
What can threaten your world?  External forces?  Diseases?  Both? 

Approaches taken by Your World
What are their approaches to science, magic, religion and so on?  Are the beings in your world happy with their lot?  Is the government reasonable?  How does society handle those against the norm or those who defect, like my Eileen did?  How does your society organize itself?  If it’s a magical world, do they use magic for everything or do they limit its use?  If the latter, why?  I use limitations on the grounds fairies etc want to save magical energy for more important magic.  After all, food can be grown, baked etc, so why use magic for that, unless in a dire hurry?  My Fairy Kingdom has also realized machines can be used for drudge work too, again saving magical energy for better things (like taking on the Witch!). 

Gender Discrimination
Are the genders the same as for us?  Is there any kind of gender discrimination?  Has your world got a sense of its history and does it effect the present day (Ithink it should do, for good or bad, after all ours does!)?  I haven’t worked out the whole history of my Fairy Kingdom but I have enough so the repercussions are genuine and affect fairy government.

Giving Your Characters Hell
Give your characters hell. Characters aren’t meant to have a quiet life in fiction!  You wouldn’t read a quiet book, would you?  Do you know your characters’ individual stress levels?  There’s many a tale to be told showing where characters crack and the consequences of that cracking.  What secrets do your characters have? Who else knows them?  Who could find them out if they suspected anything was up?  Corruption exists in any world, why not your fantasy one? 

Giving Your Characters a More Relaxing Time
How do your characters relax?  Who do they relax with?!!  Are there sports/hobbies your fantasy world encourages (and why) or disapproves of (and why)?  And are there pets of any kind?  If not, why not?

Characters Striking Sparks off Each Other
Characters should strike sparks off each other, else no story, but those sparks should be realistic and believable.  Track records can be dropped into your story, a bit here, a bit there, which increases tension.   I’ve done this with Brankaresh and Eileen.  I’ve deliberately not had “one big argument scene” but hints here Eileen’s caught Brankaresh out with bad magical practice, hints there he resents her for it and so on.  Don’t dump information, drip feed it.  The former will slow your story up, the latter builds it.  With L’Evallier I’ve hinted at his noble background, so his formal style of speech comes as no surprise.  I’ve not gone into details about his posh schooling or anything like that.  Think brush strokes rather than laying it all on with a trowel.

Making Characters Real
To help make your characters seem more real you should have some reference to their family background.  After all nobody comes from nowhere and while the family doesn’t have to appear in your short story or novel or whatever, it would be odd if your character doesn’t refer to them in some way, no matter how briefly.  After all what you make the character says here can show a great deal of how they interact (or not) with their family and the reader can speculate as to how they’re likely to get on with people in general and whether they’re likeable or not.  Also if the character gets on well with the family, do they do this to the exclusion of getting on with anybody else?  Do they look down on others?

Eileen and Jenny
I like Eileen seeing the good side of humanity when the Kingdom despises us for greed, pollution and warmongering and assumes there isn’t good left.  Jenny shows the struggle of being a half being - not belonging to either world and experiencing the clash between cultures. She sees the disadvantages to both worlds and is torn between them. Jenny resents her mother for dropping her in it.  Eileen put out by Jenny’s attitude.  She had not foreseen Jenny being so hostile, mainly on the grounds Jenny does owe her existence to her.  Eileen and Jenny end up fighting for their right to stay on earth and hate the Queen for trying to force them back. 

Telling a Lot about Characters in a Few Words
I’ve always loved reading lines in other books where you can tell a lot about a character in that short section.  The first one I felt I did well was where in The Trouble With Mother Hanastrew complains about being made by Eileen to use the instant transport spell with its inherent risks of not having all your bits rematerialize properly with one girl recently losing an arm through the method.  Eileen’s retort if the girl had lost her head, she would’ve understood the complaints I was pleased with the moment I wrote it.  To get sympathy from this woman, you have to die!  Tells you all you need to know, yes?

What I Like in My Characters
I like to know my characters’ main trait before I start writing.  In Eileen’s case it is awkwardness taken to the nth degree.  She lands others and herself right in it.  Plenty of stories there I hope!

I also like to know what my major characters want and to ensure there are plenty of clashes.  No clash = no story.

I also like to give my main villain a really powerful motive for their actions.  Anything less is unconvincing.  And it has to be a motive anyone can identify with - a kind of I can understand where this character is coming from approach.

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Hobbies and Habits
Do you know your characters’ hobbies, habits etc?  I don’t list mine but I do know whether say Eileen would like this type of music or another.  (In her case, classical.  Not got much time for pop though concedes The Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby  is “all right”!).  Do your characters’ tastes drive them or do they keep such tastes to themselves?  L’Evallier would never divulge his tastes, except to his wife.

Moods
What calms your characters when agitated? What cheers them? What depresses them?  What do they get angry about?  How well do you know them!!!  Whilst I don’t think you can separate character from plot, both are essential for a good story, a good plot with a weak character will fail as will a good character with not “enough to do” or in the wrong storyline for them.  You can only know what story line is right by knowing them well enough.

Climate and Environment
What is the climate like on your fantasy/sci-fi world?  Have the residents wrecked it?  I’ve shown parts of the Fairy Kingdom made barren by having too much magic thrown at them during the magical wars.  How do your characters cope with adverse conditions, adversity in general?  Has the climate shaped your world in terms of geography, history, politics etc (in Britain’s case being an island has helped it in battle if only by getting us to be really good at seamanship)?  What happens to those who damage, deliberately or otherwise, your world’s environment or does nobody care?  Have you got a mental image of what your world is like?  I’ve based mine partly on Scotland (!), red rocky areas (Mars!) and part of it has rings around it (Saturn!!!).  Magical attitudes to wildlife in my Fairy Kingdom are ambivalent - nobody’s that keen on dragons - but equally Eileen’s been keen to ensure harmless species aren’t wiped out because the sprites get hysterical.  So what is the prevalent attitude in your world?  What is your environment like?

Living The Dream
Let your characters have their own lives.  Whilst you invent them and control them, that control should not be to the extent they lose any sense of personality.  You don’t want puppets.  Leave them to Thunderbirds ….

Flora and Fauna
Think about flora and fauna.  Even sci-fi/fantasy worlds have their ecosystems, predators and prey and so on.  And especially in a fantasy world have a look at how magic affects them.  For example does it make them more aggressive?  Do they need magic to live at all?  Could they survive on earth?  Would earth be beneficial or harmful with no magic about?

Specialists
Does your world have specialists?  Eileen is a specialist in her field, as was Rose. Does that lead to envy in others or are the specialists left to it as they face more risks than most?

Threats
What threatens your world?  Has it done anything to deserve it?

Life Changes and Relationships
How do your characters’ lives change?  Long term characters especially should have plenty of ups and downs.  The ups shouldn’t be saccharine sweet.  For the downs, there should be some hope they can get out of them.  (If you want constant despair, watch your average party political broadcast!). Do your characters develop relationships?  Think about all kinds of relationships as well as the obvious romantic/sexual ones.  Is there part of their personality that makes forming relationships difficult? Do they find a particular type of character difficult and if so have you shown why? How do your characters’ relationships change? Relationships don’t stay static.  Relationships should be a major part of your plot, should complicate things and give your characters both hope and despair.  Think about how your character demonstates anger, frustration etc.

Mood Writing
Use your mood to help your writing.  If you’re in a sad mood and you’ve got a sad scene to do when better to write it?  You don’t have to write in strict chronological order. Conversely, use writing to help improve your mood.  Being creative in itself is a positive thing.  If what you produce is good, even better.  (And if not, it’s on its way to being better because a darned good edit works wonders!).

Character Moods and Expressions
Show your characters’ moods well and how they change.  After all we’re not in one state of mind all the time so neither should they be.  Moods affect actions affect consequences and plot!  Show your characters learning from their experiences - what not to do again for example - and where appropriate where a character refuses to learn.  Look at why they have that refusal - is it just stubbornness or are they afraid of change?  Have they good reasons to be afraid?

Show your characters’ expressions.  I tend to get Eileen to grimace a lot (!) (though to be fair she does have cause) and am aware I need to vary her expressions.  Also show your characters trying to hide what they really feel - after all we do it so why shouldn’t your creations?  What happens when a character fails to hide how they feel or shows their emotions to the wrong person?  What catastrophes could be unleashed? 

Characters and Business
How do your characters conduct business?  Have you got the Del Boy type?  What are the rules?  How are these circumvented (someone’s bound to try aren’t they?) and what are the punishments when folk are caught out?  Is there a fantasy Inland Revenue?!  (The mind boggles a bit here.  Can you imagine?  Instead of the £100 penalty fine per day if you’re late filing your return, the Fantasy Revenue could turn you into a toad, smash you into a pulp, cast imaginative curses if you put the wrong stamp on the envelope and so on!). 

Why I either get loads of good ideas buzzing around to work on or very little.  There’s never a happy medium.

How my toner cartridge knows the exact, most awkward moment to run out. 

Why I’m printing loads of stuff out to post or nothing.  Again no happy medium.

How I generate so much scrap paper!!

Why everybody says they love the classics but how many actually read them?  (I admit I can come into this category too though I maintain Shakespeare is meant to be watched or listened to rather than read).

How there are so many perfect places for pens and pencils to hide in, given I lose so many.

Why those thin, free pens they send with surveys or some charity letters never work properly.  I wish they wouldn’t send these.  Best to put the money into the good cause I think.

Why I suddenly feel tired when I really want to get on with writing.

How time flies rapidly when I fly and it drags when I’m not.

Where all my paper goes to and just how much I can get through.  Mind it does mean I never have to buy scrap paper.

Why ideas occur at the most awkward time.

Why time flies when I write and it drags when I’m doing the housework.

How bad spelling, punctuation, grammar and so on enrage the true writer when in our hearts we know there are more important issues out there.  It’s as if we can’t help ourselves…

When is the best time to decide you’ve done as much as you can on a piece of work and it’s time to send it in.

Why good writing can make your spirits soar.  I love reading wonderful sentences, paragraphs, scenes and so on. They also inspire your own writing.

Why time always races when my writing goes well and drags when not.

Why Wily E. Coyote didn’t give up on Roadrunner and at least avoid all those injuries.  There had to be easier prey around somewhere surely.

How deadlines start off by being “ages away” and then you find they’ve crept up on you.

Why I run out of pens, papers, envelopes and so on all at once.  It leads to a big stationery shop! 

How my characters have developed their own lives quickly and often in ways I hadn’t originally anticipated – it is almost as if a kind of magic takes place. 

Why Eileen didn’t just grab Jenny and Derek when Jenny was tiny and escape to a world outside of the Queen’s observation and (potential) control.  Still the possibility of running away is always there…  It depends on how desperate the Queen acts.

Why monsters in fiction are so rarely vegetarian!

Why I feel the need to vent emotion (usually by crying) when others can just keep it all bottled in.  Still I could use this to create characters.  How characters react is a crucial aspect of a successful plot.

Where all my time goes to….  And when I plan to have a writing day something always interrupts it.  So lesson here is use whatever time you have and see writing days as bonuses.

How I can worry for the world and others just sail through life never seeming to care.  Again could get useful characters out of this and set up clashes between the different types.

Why and when a character suddenly develops a life of their own.  Sometimes you set up the character but then they have a habit of telling their creator they want to act in ways contrary to what the author thought.  I’m always pleased when my characters take off but I sometimes wish I could see further ahead of the actual moment when it’s going to be.  Should a writer be surprised by their creations like this?  Should I just be able to time such take-offs better?

When it was exactly Humpty Dumpty realized that being an egg and jumping off the wall were mutually exclusive statements.  Also why it didn’t occur to him the impact on the ground when he landed was not likely to have good effects.  It’s no good blaming all the King’s men here.

How the Invisible Man was never “spotted”.  What was to stop someone from cannoning into him?  Nobody ever spots everybody around them!

Why people didn’t scream back at Violet Elizabeth for being totally aggravating.  A child who screams and screams until they are sick is highly unlikely to be popular.  Why no realization of this?  Strong memorable character I admit but for the wrong reasons.  I like there to be at least one redeeming feature in any character and I can’t see any here.

Why Dick Dastardly didn’t check out the credentials of his inventor pal in Stop the Pigeon before employing him.  It would have saved much hassle.  Should act as a reminder to me that at least some of my characters ought to have basic level common sense.

Why people see short stories as “easy” simply because they’re shorter works.  They’re not!  Short stories are their own challenge. 

How so many short story outlets close down when the popularity of shorter works is rising…  Seems odd to me.

Where all my ideas go the moment I start to get tired…

When publishers will realise they do have to take a risk sometimes or they’ll never publish anything new and once their current crop of authors are no longer writing or around, then what?

Why ideas come to me in “floods”.  The good thing about that is always having lots of work to have a crack at.  The bad thing is that on the odd occasion I’ve worked through all I can is sometimes it takes a bit of time to start triggering the ideas again.  Having said that, reading other stories, listening to conversations when out and about (not deliberate eavesdropping but the stuff you can’t help hearing), brainstorming sessions (where you write anything and see what results) do help get my brain back in gear again.  I suppose what I’m saying here is I’d like a “drip feed” for my ideas - slower rate but continuous.

How our modem crashes right in the middle of a radio programme or at that very interesting/funny bit so I have to restart the programme.  The other point it will definitely crash is when I’m looking something up for my stories!

Why connection speeds are always lousy when I’ve lots to do on the Internet (I’m carrying out research, honestly!). 

Where erasers, pen lids and paper clips go. 

Why it didn’t occur to Microsoft that those of us who are capable of writing a letter would find their paper clip assistant offering help very patronizing.  And they should have realised some of us are capable of writing without outside help!

Why Microsoft ever bothered bringing out Vista.  All I’ve ever seen of it is its uncanny ability to slow a computer down.  I refused to get a replacement laptop until Windows 7 was out and up and running okay!

Why the kid’s TV show, Mr Benn, isn’t exposed for the dodgy nonsense it is.  A special shop turns up and only Mr Benn can see it?  I don’t think so.  Any new shop turns up round my way and if it involves books, stationery, clothes, music, wild horses wouldn’t keep me out.  Also how come there are no other customers other than Mr Benn?  My brother-in-law’s shop wouldn’t survive with only one customer.  Also Mr Benn never seems to pay for the adventure he experiences when he goes behind some curtains and dresses up (the shopkeeper doesn’t mind this, isn’t that odd!).  My brother-in-law knows a few words that he reserves for people who won’t pay up!  Is the shopkeeper targeting Mr Benn?  If so, why?  Does a bit of Mr Benn’s soul vanish every time he puts a new costume on and has an adventure?  Is that why the series finished suddenly?  Mr Benn just vanished into the ether?  Where did that shop and its keeper come from?  What was so special about Mr Benn that he was the target?  During the 1970s when this show came out I had it rammed down my throat via parents and the educational films (Charlie and his very talkative cat) that you don’t talk to strangers.  Mr Benn, it appears, dresses up at a stranger’s behest!!!!  But then the 1970s weren’t a great time for consistency.

Why The Borrowers don’t admit to being the ones that always make the socks and pens go missing.

How the Professor in Bagpuss got to be so wooden!  Also his knowledge is amazing for a bird carved out of timber.

Where the Soup Dragon in The Clangers got the soup from.  (Legend always had it the moon was made out of cheese, not soup).

Why Penelope Pitstop never thought to call in the police to investigate who was trying to bump her off.  I would have!