Tag Archives: vlogs

Miranda Writes 41 – SPECIAL VLOG: Finish Your Book!

Posted on May 18, 2015 | Leave a comment

This year, in addition to my regular vlogs about about writing and publishing my seventh novel, A Parcel For Anna Browne, I’m also doing a series of special vlogs each looking at one aspect of writing…

THIS WEEK: WHY SHOULD YOU FINISH WRITING YOUR BOOK?

I meet so many writers who tell me they’ve only written a few chapters of their book and sent it off to agents without finishing a first draft of the whole thing. And others who have written most of the book, but have found it got difficult, boring or something stopped them writing it. It’s a very common problem for writers!

So, in this vlog, I’ll tell you why you should finish your book and talk about some of the things that hold you back. There’s also a scary thought and a Wurdy dare, so you have been warned!

Enjoy!

p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, ‘Flat-cap Serious Face…’

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Miranda Writes 40 – Alternative Careers and the Curse of Writers’ Bum…

Posted on May 11, 2015 | Leave a comment

All this year, I’m vlogging about writing and publishing my seventh novel, A Parcel For Anna Browne. This week, I reveal the truth about my very short-lived acting career and talk about the constant threat to writers’ – ahem – behinds…

Before you get to do your dream job, the question you’re asked most often is what you’d like to be doing. When you are doing the job you’ve dreamed about for years, what everyone wants to know is what you’d be doing if you weren’t doing it! So, this week I reveal my infamously odd previous employment history, including the reason my fledgling acting career was scuppered as soon as it had begun.

Fantastic questions this week come from Jennifer Joyce (about my favourite snacks for writing), Rosemary Umbers (on balancing being a full-time writer and a full-time mum) and Peachy Outlook (on what I would be doing if I wasn’t a writer).

Enjoy!

p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled: ‘Behold, The Amazing Blurry Hand of Doooooooom!’

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Miranda Writes 37 – The Importance of Daydreaming

Posted on April 12, 2015 | 2 comments

All this year, I’m vlogging about writing and publishing my seventh novel, A Parcel For Anna Browne. This week, why being a daydreamer is crucial if you’re a writer and I answer more of your lovely questions!

At school, all of my reports said I would do better if I ‘did less daydreaming’. But today I’m proud to daydream for a living… In this week’s vlog I’ll explain why I think you have to be a daydreamer if you want to write and why, right now, I’m in my ‘daydreaming stage’.

Also this week, I have fantastic questions on the influence of childhood on my writing (from Simona Elena of Sky’s Book Corner blog) and my first three steps to writing a novel (from Katie Marsh). If you would like to ask me a question, leave a comment below this vlog, email me at: mirandawurdy@gmail.com, tweet me @wurdsmyth, or visit my author page on Facebook

Enjoy!

p.s. This week’s YouTube-inspired freeze-frame is entitled, ‘The Chin Rub of Thoughtfulness…’

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Miranda Writes 35 – How do you write when life is tough?

Posted on March 25, 2015 | 2 comments

This year, in addition to my regular vlogs, I will be posting a series of special vlogs, each focusing on a specific aspect of writing. For the first one, I’ve tackled something really personal: how do you write when life is tough?

This year has been a mix of highs and lows already. Right in the middle of doing a big edit on my seventh novel, A Parcel for Anna Browne, my beloved 93 year-old Gran suffered a massive stroke and passed away.

It broke my heart and stopped me in my tracks.

I didn’t want to write. I couldn’t think about my book – even though I loved it, even though I’m so excited to be getting to tell the story I’ve been wanting to write for a very long time. How do you write when something like that happens?

I hope this vlog gives some answers.

I’d love to know what you think. And if there’s a question you’d like me to answer in a future special vlog, please comment below or email me: mirandawurdy@gmail.com


 

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Miranda Writes 34 – My vlog is BACK!

Posted on March 17, 2015 | 2 comments

All this year, I am keeping a video diary about writing and publishing my seventh novel, A Parcel For Anna Browne. This week, my vlog returns after quite a long break…

I’ve been editing A Parcel for Anna Browne and I’m really pleased with the result. It turned out to be a huge edit – the equivalent of a structural edit (getting all the key themes and scenes in the right places) and line edit (going through the book with a fine toothed-comb, making sure story arcs are complete and the flow is right) combined. It’s been interesting finding out how my new publisher, Pan Macmillan, works differently to my previous publisher, Avon HarperCollins and, like any new job, there’s been a steep learning curve. But it all helps me to understand what kinds of things Pan Macmillan are looking for in the stories I write.

So, have I seen the cover yet? You’ll have to watch the vlog to find out!

What would you like to know about my books, writing in general or anything else? Ask me a question and I’ll answer it in the next vlog! Just leave a comment below, email me at: mirandawurdy@gmail.com or tweet me @wurdsmyth.

Enjoy, lovelies!

p.s. This week’s You Tube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, ‘Cheesy Grins R Us’…

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Miranda Writes 30 – Do writers need agents?

Posted on July 21, 2014 | Leave a comment

All this year, I am keeping a video diary about writing and publishing my sixth novel, I’ll Take New York. This week, there’s another chance to #getinvolved with Book Seven and I talk about whether writers need agents…

Thank you so much for all your fab entries for last week’s #getinvolved challenge – I reveal the winner in this week’s vlog! I’m loving writing Book 7, even if it is currently in snatched hours between nappy changes and feeds… I’ve another chance for you to appear in the book this week, which I tell you all about in the vlog.

This week’ question is one I’m asked a great deal: do writers need agents? I’ve been on both sides of the fence – without an agent for my first two book deals and with an agent for my third – so hopefully I can shed some light on the pros and cons. The lovely lady who asked this week’s question is the wonderful Joanna Cannon, who is a phenomenal writer. Click here to visit her website and read some of her work.

If you have a question you’d like me to answer, ask me! Leave a comment below this post, email me at mirandawurdy@gmail.com or tweet me @wurdsmyth.

Enjoy! xx

p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled:’The Invisible Chihuahua’

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Miranda Writes 28 – Meet Jake Steinmann

Posted on June 14, 2014 | Leave a comment

All this year I am vlogging about the writing and publishing of my sixth novel, I’ll Take New York. This week, I have another exclusive extract for you, plus your next chance to appear in Book 7!

Thank you all so much for your brilliant coffee shop suggestions for my first #getinvolved challenge. It was a tough decision, but I have a winner at last… and I’ll tell you who they are in the vlog!

I thought it was about time I introduced you to Jake Steinmann – Ed’s brother from Fairytale of New York. I’ll Take New York is written from both his and Bea’s perspectives – I haven’t written anything from two points of view before but as soon as I began to write the book I felt that I wanted to take readers inside Jake’s head as well as Bea’s. Jake is travelling from his home in San Francisco back to his birth city of New York after his beautiful wife Jessica unexpectedly files for divorce. He is reeling from the revelation, having believed they had a perfect marriage, and chooses to return to New York to be close to his family and start his business again. It’s a painful decision, but to stay in San Francisco is unthinkable if he has to live there without Jess…

“He could stay in San Francisco, pretending that life was untouched by his wife’s decision to leave him. But he knew, deep down, that to stay in a city in which every street, sidewalk and brick seemed imprinted with her name would be the end of him. Better to nurse a broken heart on the other side of the country…”

The full extract is in the vlog – hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think…

M xx

p.s. This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, “Ee by ‘eck, look at tha’ cap, lass…”

 

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Miranda Writes 26 – Plotting vs Pants-ing and New Mum Writing…

Posted on May 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

All this year, I am keeping a video diary about writing and publishing my sixth novel, I’ll Take New York. This week, I talk about plotting novels, dream film adaptations and my new life as a Writing Mum…

I’m so chuffed that many of you loved last week’s cheeky extract of I’ll Take New York – keep your eyes peeled for more sneak-peeks coming soon… In the meantime, I answer your questions on writing, including whether I can see my books as films, how much I plot my novels and how becoming a mum has changed my writing process. You might be surprised by my answer!

What would you like to know about writing, publishing, books or anything else? Leave me a comment below, tweet me your question on Twitter @wurdsmyth, post it on my Facebook page or email me at mirandawurdy@gmail.com.

Enjoy! xx

This week’s YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled: ‘Ooh, put that away!’

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Miranda Writes 24 – Book deals, surprising characters and dream locations

Posted on May 11, 2014 | 2 comments

All year I’m making vlogs to chart the life of my sixth novel, I’ll Take New York. This week, after my BIG NEWS has broken, I’ll tell you how I feel about the next three years and answer your great questions about books, writing and publishing.

How should you go about self-publishing and should you choose that option over a traditional route to publishing? Do my characters ever surprise me? And which locations would I like to write about? These fab questions are answered in the vlog. I hope you enjoy it!

Plus – watch out for MY NEW HAT! I thought it was about time I treated myself to a new hat as the last few vlogs have been in somewhat of a Hat Rut….

So what would you like to know about writing, books, publishing, hats or anything else? leave a comment under this post, or email me at: mirandawurdy@gmail.com or tweet me @wurdsmyth. I’d love to answer your questions!

Enjoy! xx

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Miranda Writes 23 – Inspiration, fab fonts and beating doubts

Posted on May 5, 2014 | Leave a comment

All year I’m making vlogs to chart the life of my sixth novel, I’ll Take New York. This week I’m answering your questions about writing including where I get my inspiration from for characters and stories, how to turn an initial idea into a full-blown novel and overcoming writer doubts!

Thanks for all your fabulous questions! Don’t worry if I don’t answer your question this week – I had so many fab questions on Twitter and Facebook that I’ll be answering them all over the next few vlogs.

This week I’ll tell you where I’m at with my writing, hint at something very exciting that’s coming up and talk about where to start with a novel, where my inspiration for characters and stories comes from and what my favourite fonts are for writing. I’ll  also talk about beating writer doubts (a constant battle for every writer) and how my WriteFoxy! philosophy is helping me overcome mine.

I’m running two more WriteFoxy! Writers’ Inspiration Days and would love you to come! Part writers’ conference, part writing retreat, these days will reconnect you to your love of writing and encourage you to write better, braver books:

Here’s the vlog – enjoy!

M xx

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