The place to find past issues of the Your Next Book newsletter
– my take on some of the outstanding writing on my bookshelf

Duet for One is a tightly written book. It is deceptively simple in its structure and not long, only 200 pages, but layered with motifs and themes and a distinct tune for each character. Like a piece of music.

The book I wanted to write was one with interwoven timelines. So I took out whole subplots, whole scenes, whole characters, until I got the book down to a reasonable length. I sent it to the editor. It came back with lots of, “You need more here” and “This should be a scene not a transition”.

A young man who sets off into the wilderness with the intention of living off the land and fails to live at all