Work in progress — Updates Blog

2021 Update: Draft three, the creek of ideas and development

A Better Crown now has several very diligent and very enthusiastic beta readers rifling through it. With their feedback, and another round of editing on my part; the third, and hopefully, final draft is well underway. Earthguard is in place, the plotline is rigid, the characters are set. A few edges need to be softened and a few corners rounded, but then it should all be done.

Writing updates, Work in progress, Short stories, competitions, Blog post, A Better Crown, Writing tipsDominic AndrewJanuary 29, 2021short stories, short story, fantasy, author, A Better Crown, update, writing, novel, novel writing Comment

Finishing draft two, feedback and planning a book sequel

I have no idea if I’m happy with the book all I know is that if you’ve worked on something for that long, after a while it’s almost impossible to see it through someone else’s eyes. I’ve written enough copy in my life to know that at least.

Writing updates, Work in progress, Short stories, Blog post, A Better Crown, competitionsDominic AndrewSeptember 13, 2020short stories, short story, update, author, A Better Crown, work in progressComment

The Costa Coffee Short Story Awards, more editing and mapping your fantasy world

From here on out it should be plain sailing (he says furiously touching wood) because the rest of my first draft was written over the last year. The quality of writing is better, the narrative is clearer, it’s fresher in my mind and fewer edits or rewrites are required.

Blog post, Short stories, Work in progress, A Better Crown, Writing updatesDominic AndrewAugust 2, 2020short stories, short story, A Better Crown, author, fantasy, horror., thriller

Fowl, Ink and Welsh: The books that influenced my writing

The first book I ever read, cover to cover, entirely on my own, was Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox. I was eight or nine, very behind when it came to reading levels at school and worrying my parents to death with my incompetence. I remember, very clearly, being the only one in the class who couldn’t read a single line of The Hungry Caterpillar.

Work in progress, Writing tips, Writing updates, Blog postDominic AndrewJune 18, 2020short story, short stories, fantasy, work in progress, writing, novel writing, Irvine Welsh, J.R.R Tolkien, Joe Abercrombie, Roald Dahl, Homer, Cornelia Funke, Eoin Colfer Comment

Editing your WIP: Making it look like you knew what you were doing all along

I’ve just kept one piece advice in my head, one mantra that I fixate on and has become the focal point of my editing. It’s something I heard Neil Gaiman say about editing: “the second draft is about making it look like you knew what you were doing all along.” It’s those few words that are getting me through right now.

Short stories, A Better Crown, Writing tips, Work in progressDominic AndrewJune 7, 2020short story, short stories, Neil Gaiman, horror., dystopian, thriller, novel, fantasy, work in progressComment