Beginning a Story

"They say that when beginning a story you should always try to catch people at some interesting juncture of their lives, like when they have to make a choice or a decision, or when someone has betrayed them, or at the start of love or the end of love. It's better to come across them at some kind of crisis than in the middle of a long, lazy summer where nothing happens."  - Maeve Binchy

Joining a Writers' Group

"Writing can be very lonely, and you can get great attacks of self-doubt. So...it makes sense to bond with a group of like-minded people who have also set out on the same kind of journey. For one thing, it will stop you from thinking that you are the only person in the world mad enough to believe that there's a book in you, and for another, it means you will meet sympatheitc people instead of dealing with those who think you are crazy and should be learning belly dancing or car maintenance instead." - Maeve Binchy

Getting Started as a Writer - Quote from Maeve Binchy

"Writing is a bit like going on a diet: you should either tell everyone or no-one. If you tell everyone, then you can never be seen feeding your face in public without appearing weak willed. So that's a way of reinforcing your decision, and some people find it helpful. It does mean that you're somehow obliged to lose the weight you had promised aloud, or indeed finish the book. Or you could go the other route, and tell nobody - just hug your secret to yourself. Get thin by stealth, write the book, then burst onto an unsuspecting world with your new shape or finished manuscript. But whichever way you do it, you will need discipline and some kind of plan." Maeve Binchy.