Narrelle M Harris: writer | editor | songwriter | crafter
Words are like oxygen
My longtime readers know that I’ve loved Tansy Rayner Roberts’ work for years, from her Creature Court series through to the crime cosies set in Hobart that she writes as Livia Day and the delightful Castle Charming series. When I discovered she had a Patreon account, I rushed on in to pay $3 a month to read new work as […]
» Read moreEvery writer needs a bit of encouragement – wherever they are in their career. We all like to know what techniques other writers use to get started, to keep going, to get motivated and to write even when we’re not. I contribute from time to time to an excellent little newsletter called Spark! Distributed by Improbable Press, it’s designed to […]
» Read moreWhen I went to the UK in 2014, I arranged to spend a week there on my own while husband, Tim, did some travel writing research in Europe. A key activity for that week was to get access to the British Library’s collection. I duly applied for a Reader’s Pass so I could use the reading rooms. That process could […]
» Read moreGentlebeings, I am very excited and thoroughly delighted to announce my newest book project! A well known UK publisher of Holmesian fiction has started a new imprint – Improbable Press! Improbable Press will specialise in Sherlock Holmes romance and erotica, across both Victorian and contemporary settings. And I’m absolutely thrilled to announce that Improbable have said yes to my pitch […]
» Read moreWhen I’m writing a first draft, I use certain words and phrases far too much, trying to capture the image and tone in my head for the page. Some scenes play out like a movie in my mind’s eye and I end up too prone to minute stage directions, to expressions that qualify and prevaricate and waver where no such […]
» Read moreThis week, Amanda Pillar is my guest! Amanda’s new novel, Graced, has just been released, but she’s written mainly short stories until now. Today she talks about the difference between the two. I began writing back to front. Rather than tackle the shorter and more attainable short story, I started with a novel. I spent hours tapping away at my […]
» Read moreI know I go on a bit about the correct use of language, but I’m not a complete stick-in-the-mud. Language evolves, I know. New words come in, archaic ones get shown the door and you only need to know them when you’re reading Austen or Conan Doyle or Shakespeare. For all that, I’m very fond of the dynamic way language […]
» Read moreMany years ago (many many many years ago) I worked for a government department in Western Australia that managed deceased estates. The Public Trust Office also wrote up Wills for people. I learned a lot about the technical side of such things, and even more about human nature. People can behave quite strangely and unpredictably in grief, and also when […]
» Read moreSo. A friend of yours – maybe a close friend, maybe just an acquaintance you quite admire, maybe an actual relative – has just had a book published. Perhaps their first. Perhaps their latest. It’s entirely possible that you love this book. It’s entirely possible that you will buy it, hard cover, hot off the stands, read it and tell […]
» Read moreHello all, and welcome to 2015! The end of 2014 was full of non-internety things that made blogging impossible, but I’m back! (You may read that as Schwarzenegger-esque, The Shining-esque or simply as a cheery greeting. You be the judge.) January is a month where many Australians consider their Australian-ness in some fashion. Australia Day is on 26 January, but […]
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