It’s one thing to get inspired to write, it’s a whole other ball game to keep it going. When you’re ploughing through the re-writes and fighting away the demons of doubt, it can be tempting to just go watch YouTube videos instead. It's at these times you need a shot of literary caffeine. Creative stimulants... Continue Reading →
The Long and Short of It – Don’t Get Hung Up on the Word Count
There are many lengths of fiction out there. Poems can be merely a line, flash fiction and short stories no more than a page. It's unfortunate that in terms of fiction, shorter length works have often been overlooked. An unspoken rule that bigger is better. That weightier tomes must obviously be more meaningful, deeper in... Continue Reading →
Writing Gone Stale? Start Colouring
Colouring - it's not just for kids. It's also for writers. Adult colouring books have been around for a while now. And by ‘adult’ I mean they’re more complicated than ones for the kids, not that they’ve got er, ‘adult’ subject matter (maybe yours do, I’m not judging). Colour for balance They're marketed as therapy,... Continue Reading →
A Simple Fix For Writer’s Block
We all struggle with writer's block from time to time. There are a few ways you can try to solve it, but the easiest and simplest way? Move. There are a couple of ways you can do this Move yourself Exercising can help with your writing but I know it's not everyone's bottle of energy... Continue Reading →
Reading Out Loud
A good writer has to be a big reader. But I think a good writer also needs to get comfortable with the sound of their own voice. Yes, you need to start reading out loud. But why? I hear you whisper. I hear you (just). Writers, on the whole, are quiet folk (alright Oscar Wilde... Continue Reading →
My Notebook Collection Is Taking Over The World
Ok, that title's an exaggeration, it's only taking over the floor of my spare bedroom. But my collection has grown considerably since I first put this post up in 2013. Back then it looked like this: And fitted on my dining table. Today it looks like this: And I had to lay it on the... Continue Reading →
The One Page You Need On Your Blog
There are a lot of blogs out there vying for attention. So how do you quickly let people know why your blog is the one for them? With content that a lot of people overlook - your "About" page. Your posts are not enough "Wait a minute," I hear you say, "what about my posts?... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen’s Grave, Winchester, UK
Jane Austen is one of my favourite writers, and one of the most popular female authors who ever lived. Her classic works like "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility" were successes in her lifetime and have been adapted and re-worked ever since. My admiration of her doesn't just stem from her witty social romances... Continue Reading →
How to write*
*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 →
The Perfect Gift? How About Your Writing?
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 →