EDITORIAL

A new way of working

NEW year, new writing plan. In this issue, we suggest making a five-year plan, to map out your creative direction for 2003 and beyond (page 44). This doesn’t just mean constructing a tough new schedule, aiming for a three-book deal or setting your sights on a centrefold in Hello! magazine – it could also mean taking a decision to approach your work in a different way. For instance, you could try speeding up, as Sarah Broughton did when she entered a three-day novel competition. Or, like interviewee Joanne Harris, you could try plotting organically, and let your characters take the lead.

Whatever path you choose, be open to the unconscious process – as Deborah Moggach, Ali Smith and Linda France all advocate in this issue – and let your writing sing. More on this in the coming year.

Melanie Ashby
Deputy Editor