I'm going to get a bit serious for this one - hopefully that won't stop you reading. I've had cause to share this post more than once over the past few years as the world seemingly tries to outdo itself with more and more surreal events. And here we are again wondering what's going on... Continue Reading →
Writing competitions can be a fun way to hone your writing skills and, if you're lucky, get your work published. Plus they may also come with a financial reward - cha-ching! And whilst there's no magic winning formula I can share, here are a few practical bits of advice about entering. 1) Plan well You... Continue Reading →
In 'The Hours' by Michael Cunningham, one storyline follows Virginia Woolf as she spends, well, hours pondering over the first line of her book, "Mrs. Dalloway". It's a familiar way to show the writing process in popular culture. And knowing Woolf, it's probably a good depiction of the way she worked. But writing your first... Continue Reading →
Deadline. It's not a nice word, is it? I mean it has the word "dead" in it. If that's not an implication of finality of I don't know what is, so setting one for yourself may seem like a masochistic thing to do. But done properly it could be just what you need to get... Continue Reading →
Writing around a day-job can be tricky. Unless you're a real morning person or a true night owl, your potentially productive daylight hours are taken up with working rather than writing. But if you're smart you make writing at work, work for you. Here are 8 helpful tips. 1) Have a plan As time is... Continue Reading →
Do you do New Year's resolutions? I suck at keeping to them so more power to you if you do. But whilst they might not be for me, I am a fan of setting goals for the year ahead. Last year I focused on my blog and saw my best year in all my stats.... Continue Reading →
Creating a world your reader can truly be sucked into depends on your depiction of how your characters experience it. And this they do primarily through their senses. Here's how to use them to bring life to your writing. Sight If your character has standard eyesight, you'll probably use this all the time when describing... Continue Reading →
*May not be an actual guide to writing. Ok, so that title is a bit misleading. This isn't exactly a post about how to write. That would be a bit ambitious for a single blog post. This post is reviewing two writing how-to books; "On Writing" by Stephen King and "How Not To Write" by... Continue Reading →
Have you ever made a gift of your writing? Perhaps the idea's never crossed your mind. I mean, you love to write and you do it all the time - but give it as a present? But think about it. If you knitted or painted, or crafted jewellery, you'd probably give people the fruits of... Continue Reading →
