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How To Start Writing Again
I've been thinking about how to rediscover the joy of writing. How do I recapture that feeling, that nervous excitment as the words flow, that sense of urgency? Continue reading →
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Putting Pen To Paper
You will write a novel 50% faster using a computer, but will be 85% more likely to finish if you write longhand. Continue reading →
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Signs You’re Procrastinating
Procrastination affects the best of us -- but how can you tell if you're under its dreaded curse? Continue reading →
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The Power of Storytelling: Part One
Human beings are hard-wired to tell stories. From the first caveman recounting his adventures through grunts and signs to his fellows sitting around the campfire, to the literary pyrotechnics of a...
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The Power of Storytelling Part Two: The Basic Framework of a Story
What are the four key elements to narrative drive that make your story compelling, addictive, and just generally awesome? Continue reading →
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The Power of Storytelling Part Three: The 7 Steps of Character Development
By understanding what drives your characters, you can bring the conflict — and therefore your story as a whole — to life. Continue reading →
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7 Benefits Of Keeping A Writer’s Notebook
What exists in our minds is formless and mutable. Only when it has a physical permanence can we build upon it to take the story further. Continue reading →
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The Importance of Proofreading
No one cares about a few misplaced commas and typos! True readers can see past those minor niggles and appreciate the author's storytelling genius... right? Continue reading →
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How To Keep A Writer’s Notebook
How do you keep a writer's notebook? Should it be organised or a collection of scribbles? Should you separate prose from outlines, free writes from drafts? Continue reading →
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How To Handle Criticism
Your shirt is blue, your tie is blue. That's what's wrong with your writing. Continue reading →
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6 Lessons Learnt From Writing My Second Novel
Writing Above Ground took four drafts, five different outlines, and several years. But when I published it I thought: that’s it. I’ve done it once, so I can do it again. But I was wrong. Continue...
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My Top 9 Writing Posts
What started as a leisurely browse through my archives morphed into a thorough hunt for posts about writing. Once I’d found all my victims, what else could I do but pick out the best? Continue reading →
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Why People Have Favourites
I always say that my favourite colour is purple. But I don’t own anything purple, and at work I secretly prefer the red mug. (It’s too late to admit the truth.) Continue reading →
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How To Kill Off A Character
A well-planned character death can lift a story out of the mundane, pull at your heartstrings, and catapult the plot into a new direction. A poorly-planned death will, at best, send your readers into a...
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Let Them Write Cake
Last Sunday I baked a batch of jam tarts that failed spectacularly. My boyfriend kindly described them as "interesting" - I’d show you a photo if I wasn’t so embarrassed. Continue reading →
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The Importance of Proofreading
No one cares about a few misplaced commas and typos! True readers can see past those minor niggles and appreciate the author's storytelling genius... right? Continue reading →
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Why People Have Favourites
I always say that my favourite colour is purple. But I don’t own anything purple, and at work I secretly prefer the red mug. (It’s too late to admit the truth.) Continue reading →
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The Lies I Tell Myself
We all tell lies, little stories, versions of the truth that comfort us somehow. Me? I’ve been lying to myself about not having the time to write. Continue reading →
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The Expectation Barrier
Now that I’ve been struggling to write, I wonder: have I hit the barrier of my own expectations? Continue reading →
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A Lesson from Crete
While on holiday in Crete, I came across the largest beetle I've ever seen - and it taught me a lesson. Continue reading →
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