I just tried to create a link to another website but it doesn't work... Can anyone tell me how to do it?

link to an article in Crime Time Magazine about Cut Short :

www.crimetime.co.uk/publishing/ct54.pdf

my name in print at last! (not yet a book)

1) Look up Crimetime.co.uk - (you can google Crime Time)
2) Click on Crime Time Magazine (somewhere top right)
3) Check out page 25-26 - article by Leigh Russell

Back to the blog - Please join in the discussion that's started on my previous post: how do you set about writing a book?

Process of writing a book

Despite all my real life aggravations, I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. I've just more or less finished the book I was (re)writing over the Christmas period. I have no idea if I'm
a) exactly the same as every other writer
b) fairly typical or
c) weird
but my books appear to develop according to a pattern - bearing in mind that I'm a novice and this pattern may well change radically. When an idea is buzzing in my little brain I'm never without a pencil and paper, in case words flit into my head and I have to capture them before they vanish into the frightening abyss and crannies of my memory. (It's so great to be blogging not writing - I can reiterate and repeat myself, and rabbit on without restraint - sense? what's that about then?)

This is my pattern (at the moment) -

1. Have what I think is going to be the main idea
2. Wiggle my fingers on the keys as the main idea writes itself out
3. During stage 2 find another idea/character develops along the way
4. Mesh the two ideas/plots/characters together
5. Realise something isn't working (1st panic)
6. Rewrite the whole thing, cutting out about half the MS
7. Fear that it won't be long enough (2nd panic)
8. Fill in the gaps and work out the details
9. Realise that it is going to work out after all
10. Polish

Amazingly, ten stages. (OK, I made it work out that way.) Rereading the 10 steps, it does look very unnecessarily complicated.

Question - is this how other writers work? Is every experience different or do you have a customary way of approaching writing, and if so, is it anything like mine? And if not, perhaps you can help me to find a better way?

I want to wish all the bloggers who comment on my blog a VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS. I hope you all find 2009 brings you what you wish for.

I've put my disappointments of 2008 behind me and am busy writing my current book. It's turning into a dual-purpose MS. I hope my publisher gets their act together and this current MS becomes Book 2 in the Geraldine Steel series. If the problems of 2008 persist throughout 2009, I may start again with this current MS featuring a different detective.

Now that I've stopped devoting time to promoting Cut Short, I've more time for writing again, which is great. I might even dust down two more MS I wrote last year and even consider what to do with them . . . although I'll probably think twice before approaching any more publishers!

My publisher has come up with a new date. Hopefully we'll be going ahead, although sadly with a different editor (I can only guess at the reason for that.)

I'll post an update about CUT SHORT when I know more, probably in a couple of months.

In the meantime, I'm forgetting all about this confusing episode and writing another book!

I'm resigned to the prospect of a further delay in publication. The problem seems to be that the editor is too busy to have time for my insignificant little MS. She tells me she can't say when she'll have time to look at it, but she can't begin work on it for at least another month.

I wonder why was I put under pressure to rush the changes I was asked for?

At least people who suffer rejection can take comfort from knowing that being accepted for publication really isn't that great either! I suspect I'll be drowning my sorrows rather than partying on the publication date that appears on the publisher's website. . .