When you're a writer, you may well occasionally feel guilty. In our driven society, it's not unusual to feel like this if you're doing anything that isn't "work" but is vaguely important to you. So how do you cope with it? Here are five common writing "guilts" and how to manage them. 1) Spending too... Continue Reading →
5 Tips For Writers Without “A Room of One’s Own”
"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction"Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own, 1929 When Virginia Woolf wrote those words, she was referring to the specific condition of being a female writer. But outside of those specific intricacies, the need for a space to write... Continue Reading →
Why Writing Needs “Alone Time”
If you're a writer, you're going to spend a good bit of time on your own. It's a cliche to say writers are introverts - but it's true to say you've got to be comfortable in your own company. Society isn't exactly understanding of this though. So if you want to be a writer you'll... Continue Reading →
Why You Should Have A Writing Mascot
I have two writing mascots on my desk - Kit and Granddad. Kit is well, a kitten - not much imagination there I'll grant you. Granddad is a vicar troll doll I bought back when troll dolls were a thing, and gave to my Grandfather (a former vicar) for Christmas. After he died, the doll... Continue Reading →
How Long Should It Take To Write A Book?
I worked on my first book for three years. And at roughly 45,000 words it wasn't exactly War and Peace. But there were reasons for the length of time it took. It was my first book for a start so I was learning a lot. On top of that, it had to be put into... Continue Reading →
6 Things You DON’T Need To Be A Writer
Writing should be simple - pen, paper, write (or screen, keyboard, write). But like pretty much everything in life, we humans have tried to make it complicated. We've put up barriers that prospective writers have to vault over in order to be considered "proper" writers. And whilst I think there are some things you do... Continue Reading →
Why You Should Write Outside of Your Comfort Zone
We all have a comfort zone in life - and in our writing. And people often talk about pushing outside of it. But with writing, people (as in readers) are pretty accepting of the comfort zone. We don't mind that Stephen King has found his groove in horror, or that Jane Austen only wrote romantic... Continue Reading →
How Do You Develop Rounded Characters? Talk To Them
The characters in your books are the heart and soul of your story. As a writer you need spend time on them or your book won't have the same impact. There are plenty of novels out there where the characters are used as fleshy footballs, kicked around by the dominant plot. But I'm not going... Continue Reading →
Why You Should Pre-Edit Your Book
I've recently finished the first edit of the first book in my Cauldron Trilogy. Well I say edit, in truth it's better catergorised as a pre-edit. The main idea was not to edit any of the actual text, but instead make notes on it as I read through. And I think it's a really great... Continue Reading →
