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vrburdon
Jul 24, 20241 min read
That old genre problem
A few evenings ago my Writer's Crit group had its monthly zoom meeting. Just three of us this time - usually we are five. I told them...
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vrburdon
Jul 10, 20241 min read
Who is Tommy Head
I’ve neglected to post a blog for far too long. But blame Tommy Head, the charming but clueless civil servant who’s the central character...
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vrburdon
Sep 25, 20231 min read
Whether to self-publish
I’m now on my third book, but that’s not to say work has finished on the second, ‘Keeper of the Secrets’. Granted, the writing has...
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vrburdon
Aug 16, 20231 min read
Why I would like more reviews
Every author I know says please write a review when I tell them I've read their latest book, especially if I say I liked it. In fact I...
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vrburdon
Apr 21, 20232 min read
Notebook, or not?
I know many writers never go anywhere without a notebook. It’s the classic writers’ accessory. We’ve all seen them, jotting down...
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vrburdon
Mar 21, 20232 min read
A writing routine?
I'm often asked what my writing routine is, where I write (mostly in my kitchen) and for how many hours a day. Good question, but it...
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vrburdon
Mar 17, 20231 min read
Meet the author
Another meet the author event – this time with a lively book club in Chiswick, thanks to my sister-in-law Lorna who put Stalker forward...
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vrburdon
Feb 7, 20231 min read
MY NZ LAUNCH EVENT
There I was in the summer sunshine, standing on the front porch of the house I grew up in, clutching a microphone, and fielding questions...
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vrburdon
Dec 20, 20222 min read
Stalker follow-up
Yes, I’m now on to my next book – another psychodrama/historical novel, and am about a quarter of the way through the first draft. It’s...
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vrburdon
Nov 30, 20221 min read
The Unreliable Narrator
Yes, guilty as charged. I’m an unreliable narrator. I cheat. I lie. I pretend to be writing the truth when the actual truth is little...
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vrburdon
Oct 27, 20222 min read
Marketing: Love it or Lump it
When I was writing Stalker I gave little thought to marketing it. I'm a writer, not a salesman, so why should I. The book would find its...
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vrburdon
Oct 26, 20221 min read
Should rules be broken?
Yes, I think so. But only if the person breaking the rules KNOWS what the rules are in the first place. Otherwise there is a danger that...
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vrburdon
Oct 5, 20221 min read
My Meet The Author event
With thanks to the Durning Library Book Club and the wonderful Edwin Macrae who runs it. Usually a book title in the Lambeth libraries...
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vrburdon
Oct 1, 20221 min read
What is my author brand?
This is elusive territory – but I’m told it’s important, indeed essential, if I am to sell my book. Bound up with this is the book’s...
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vrburdon
Sep 20, 20221 min read
The Need for Praise
OK, I admit it. I’ve discovered I have a pathetic need for praise. But I didn’t have it before writing a book so why now? I’ve made...
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vrburdon
Sep 7, 20221 min read
Is Stalker Historical Fiction
According to my Google searches historical fiction has to be set fifty or more years in the past, demonstrate historical accuracy,...
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vrburdon
Aug 28, 20221 min read
Who is the narrator?
It has been said that the narrator of a novel is as much a work of fiction as their characters. But when a novel incorporates memoir and...
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vrburdon
Jul 29, 20222 min read
What's most important - the beginning or the ending of a book?
In my view there’s no question about it – the ending as just as important, and it could be argued even more so. It's the final pages...
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vrburdon
Jul 22, 20221 min read
What genre is my book?
History? Mystery? Psychological Drama? Thriller? Coming of Age? Travel? Adventure? This is an issue I’ve struggled with throughout, and...
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vrburdon
Jul 9, 20222 min read
Uncurated bookshelves
What’s the first thing you do when left alone in an unfamiliar sitting room? In my case I look at the bookshelves – those vital clues to...
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