Roz Morris

This was ok, a fair few logical points to help you work your way through writing your novel. Although I can't help but think these are the methods that best suit Roz Morris and not necessarily everyone. For instance, the 'don't edit as you write your first draft' thing. While I understand it would be a terrible idea to keep going over the same thing over and over again and never actually getting anywhere, I don't see how fixing a typo or two is going to cause a major issue. Personally, If I am writing and I typo something, I feel (I did it just then, I typo'd feel to 'fel'. I fixed it, took a second and did not disrupt my flow of thought) it makes the document easier to read if I fix it. I'm not talking about fixing huge swathes of grammar or word choice, just typos that hold up the text. I suppose the idea is to simply let everything fall out of your head onto the page without having to worry about thinking about it until later. Unfortunately my brain does not work that way, lol. If I notice it, it'll bug me and stop me working, unless I'm doing a specific stream of consciousness timed exercise.

I like the idea of using cards to get main ideas down. I'm not a very good planner, I'm more of a pantser and realise this is why I get bogged down in the middle of things I write, so I am looking to fix that issue. I've tried mind mapping programs and spread sheets and all sorts, I get bored with them. It's not that my ideas are boring, I find the actual action boring...I'll stick this here, then this bit comes next, and oh, hang on, need another box there, join that up with this one...My brain is going too fast for that kind of crap. But if I write a few words down on an index card, chuck it into a pile and move onto the next one, that's not so bad, I can deal with that. Once the ideas are out of my head I can then stop and sort them out into what I want. It's weird, because I am quite happy to sit down and plan out non-fiction work, but with my creative work I have an issue.

Overall, I felt this book was quite instructive. Not everything will be for everyone, but most people will take away useful things from it.… (mehr)

A rare 5 star (from me). Deceptively simple and deliciously sly, this novel is just about pitch-perfect. To say it’s essentially a tale about a robot and a horse does not do it justice. Morris stays in the point of view of the bod, a created lifeform, through the entire novel, and she pulls it off without sentimentality, creating a believable, vivid sympathetic portrayal. Although the bod of necessity knows little of the world beyond that which it serves, Morris includes telling details in an unobtrusive way, to create a picture of a futuristic society in which people have lost all connection with nature and animals. People sleep in their podcars, and display their “likes” in clouds that hover above them.
Although the bods are “shared” frequently to create uniformity, they still develop in unique ways, and it’s fascinating to see Paftoo, the main character, gain awareness and develop opinions as the book goes on. Morris has obviously spent a lot of time around horses; she described the horse so well I could picture him in front of me.
Though this is not a faith-based book with an agenda, there was no sex or violence, proving that you can still write a good book without including the two. The book would be appropriate for thoughtful, younger readers, though I didn’t think of it as a YA book.
Morris has thought to include a list of questions for reading groups. They should generate some interesting conversations… (mehr)