Words on Writing

James
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After 30 years as an advertising copywriter: documenting the bedlam of writing and publishing my thriller series, The Misjudgements of Andy MacKay, about a man who shouldn’t be trusted with a lighter, let alone saving the world. fiction writing advice, fiction writing process, finished manuscript, indie author fiction, book writing community, publishing advice for writers, marketing for new authors, storytelling for new authors, book publishing journey #fictionwritingadvice, #fictionwritingprocess, #publishingadvice, #marketingfornewauthors, #bookpublishingjourney

  1. 15h ago

    Readers Don't Read Stories. They Read People.

    Like most new writers, I assumed the most important question was always: What happens next? But readers don't fall in love with plots; they fall in love with people. If a reader enjoy your characters' company they'll happily follow them almost anywhere.

  2. Jul 17

    The Cost of Later: Decisions Writers Leave Too Late

    After publishing my first two Andrew MacKay thrillers, I realised that many of the decisions which later affect howa book is received are made long before anyone opens Photoshop or writes a back-cover blurb. They're made while you're writing the novel itself, sometimes before you've even finished Chapter One.

  3. Jul 13

    How to Become a Writer (Without Waiting for Permission)

    Nobody appoints writers. No one arrives with an embossed certificate announcing you're qualified to beginChapter One. Writing isn't an identity you earn before you begin. It's what happens after you begin.

  4. Jul 8

    Plot Problems That Aren't Really Plot Problems

    Before I started writing novels, I thought plot was all that mattered. But after writing enough attempted manuscripts, I learned reality had little interest in my theories. Readers don't care about plot nearly as much as I thought they did—at least not just plot on its own. What they actually care about is people. Plot is merely the thing happening to those people. In this episode of Words on Writing, James Dunlop, author of the Andrew MacKay thrillers, discusses why adding more plot may not solve your plot problem.

  5. Jun 26

    The Self-Publishing Mistake that Cost Me the Most

    I spent years writing my first book: editing, finding mistakes, and correcting endless more mistakes. Eventually, I published it, assuming the hard part was over. It wasn't. I thought publication was the finish line. It turned out to be the starting pistol.

  6. Jun 23

    The Most Useful Writing Advice I Ignored

    When you're starting out, you don't know enough to recognizewhich advice matters. You hear it. You nod thoughtfully. Then, if you’re like me, you ignore it completely. Years later, you rediscover it and realize somebody was trying to save you an enormous amount of trouble. Here are six pieces of writing advice I wish I hadn't ignored.

  7. Jun 9

    What Successful Authors Don't Tell You

    I've published two novels, with a third on the way. I've also spent enough time around writers to notice that most successful authors' careers are built from activities too dull to survive contact with a YouTube thumbnail. In this episode of Words on Writing, James Dunlop, author of the Andrew MacKay thrillers, discusses the things that make author careers, which are often not talked about.

  8. Jun 6

    Why Good Endings Can Feel Disappointing

    Most advice about endings focuses on resolution. Did the hero succeed? Was the mystery solved? Did the plot deliver on its promises? Those things matter, but they're rarely what readers remember. More often, readers finish a novel with avague sense of satisfaction or disappointment they struggle to articulate. The reason, I suspect, is that every story is really solving two different problems.

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About

After 30 years as an advertising copywriter: documenting the bedlam of writing and publishing my thriller series, The Misjudgements of Andy MacKay, about a man who shouldn’t be trusted with a lighter, let alone saving the world. fiction writing advice, fiction writing process, finished manuscript, indie author fiction, book writing community, publishing advice for writers, marketing for new authors, storytelling for new authors, book publishing journey #fictionwritingadvice, #fictionwritingprocess, #publishingadvice, #marketingfornewauthors, #bookpublishingjourney

Information

  • Creator
    James
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © James
  • Show Website
    Words on Writing