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Think of the story/plot as the idea. What is it you are trying to convey to the reader? Let's take a fairy-tale (for no reason other than it's familiar territory for everyone): Woman is jealous of step-daughter Woman commands Huntsman to take step-daughter to the forest and kill her Huntsman...

My writing will be better next time. My story, subject etc may not be.

I didn't have a question. I made a statement about thinking about not writing.

No - for reasons of plot, characterisation, etc. All of that is subjective. But the craft of actually writing is iterative.

I can't agree with your better than/worse than ratios. Writers improve by writing. It should follow that subsequent writing will improve on what has been produced before - even if that improvement is in small increments. Words are the baseline. What is subjective is the story, plot...

Not all women love it, Jon. Many of us think it's terribly damaging. That's really a debate for another thread - this one is about writing, not sexism.

I don't seem to be able to make myself understood on this topic (the irony is heavy). So, I'll dip out for now - but thank you both for your responses.

I've got used to everything I've submitted being published. Now I'm creatively paralysed because I fear that whatever I produce next won't live up to previous standards. A bit like second album syndrome.

I understand. But positive/negative reviews aren't (in my mind at least) linked to it being a bestseller. I've always said I'd never make enough money from writing to retire on. My problem is about whether I've had it too easy. As I said, everything I've written has been published. My novel was...

I don't understand how you both think I'm worried about bestsellers? Nothing could be further from my mind. I'm saying that my core belief is that I am not talented, but lucky. And I'm struggling with how to change my core belief. But it's ironic that I haven't, as a writer, been able to get...

But a bit of trivia - the book to the left, Hot Milk, was shortlisted for the Mann Booker prize. And the book to the right, A Short History of Tractors... was one of the books I had to study for my MA. So, I'm in good company by dint of name, if nothing else.

It's very rare for a debut to be a bestseller

I am (as per another thread somewhere) quite fond of the old coincidence. I know that's exactly what it is. There is no pre-destination. Or, there might be if you are a fatalist, but that's for another thread... I've been doing a lot of thinking about writing recently because I'm having a hard...

I lost 2 stone in 6 weeks. Yes, I had a lot to lose. It didn't kill me. It didn't even make me feel ill. As I have regular bloods taken (including my creatinine levels) the doctor and the Diabetic Nurse were both very suprised at my results. They'd never seen anything like it. And that's because...

Looks like we've had another round. Honestly, Jon, you need to be awake 24 hours a day ;)

I was referring to losing weight too fast. Of course you have to stay hydrated.

I disagree, vehemently, Doc. The same common 'wisdom' tells us a low fat diet is the answer. And yet in the Western world, we have an unprecedented obesity crisis. And why? Because low fat products are pumped full of sugar. Sugar (and carbs) are the real scourge. Atkins got it right. And having...

Anne is also a writer.

If you stick to low carb high fat you can lose 16lbs in a month - without trying too hard.

If a silicon God [exists] created life - and for the sake of argument, let's go for the lazy trope of yes, He did - and He is said to have created life in his own image, why would he create humans as biological forms and not silicon? Is it because: a) Biological > silicon (even though we don't...