Not all writing has to have an end goal. It is reason enough to write for the joy of it, to create for creation’s sake. Of course, it’s also perfectly fine to admit that you are writing with the aim of being published. Joanne Harris’s Ten Things About Writing, one of our Books of the Month for December, is filled with writing advice that will be applicable no matter which camp you’re in.
Drawing from Harris’s popular #TenThings Twitter threads, Ten Things About Writing covers topics such as getting started, forming writing habits, and setting up your workspace. The book offers practical tips and genuine insight on the writing process, for people at all points of their writing careers. In a move that sets it apart from other writing guides, the book also includes advice for milestones beyond publication, such as foreign rights and territories, marketing and publicity.
Joanne Harris is a hugely successful writer. Her 1999 novel Chocolat was made into an Oscar-nominated film, her books are published in over 50 countries, and she is currently the chair of the Society of Authors. She is, in short, the kind of person you would want to take writing advice from. It’s just as well that she’s offered it up here for us in one convenient place.
The big-name authors seem to agree:
Joanne is not only a master of her craft but has the rare gift of being able to explain that craft, and offer peerless advice, in the clearest, no-nonsense, practical and entertaining of ways. Wherever you are in your writing voyage, Joanne is the perfect navigator. Learn, absorb, and enjoy!’ — MATT HAIG
Joanne Harris’s Ten Tweets have been tiny islands of sensibleness and wisdom[….] I’m delighted they are going to be collected in one place.’ — NEIL GAIMAN
‘Joanne Harris’s Ten Tweets are a constant source of pleasure, equally welcome to writers and readers. […] Frankly, they are marvels in miniature.’ — IAN RANKIN
Ten Things About Writing by Joanne Harris is available from September Publishing on 10th December 2020
(9781912836598, h/b, £12.95)
As bookshops across the UK re-open their doors, they need your help to stay afloat.
If anything you’ve read about on our blog catches your eye, consider ordering from your local bookshop. Find yours here. Alternatively, you can browse your favourite indies on Bookshop.org.
