4 writing rituals to boost your confidence and focus Recently, when talking to one of my clients, I was asked if I knew anything about creating writing rituals. I love talking about writing habits, but I’d never really thought about writing rituals before. The question intrigued me and I decided to look into it. When we…
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Get in the Right Frame of Mind to Write Fast!
Let’s talk about getting into the right frame of mind when you sit down to write. On days or weeks when I have a lot going on, I don’t always manage to do this as quickly as I’d like. Some days my brain feels distracted and jumps around my mental to-do list. I feel the urge…
Top Tips from the London Book Fair [Part 1]
Key takeaways from 3 talks at the London Book Fair 2023 – Making your WIP Stand Out, Keeping up with Social Media, and The Indie Author Income Survey I recently had the pleasure of attending the London Book Fair, soaking up the wonderful writerly atmosphere, meeting up with some lovely writers, and listening to some…
Why Do We Procrastinate?
I’ve recently spent far more time procrastinating than I’m comfortable with. So I was fascinated to hear Oliver Burkeman discuss why we procrastinate on Rangan Chatterjee’s wonderful ‘Feel Better Live More‘ podcast. I can’t resist sharing these tips as I’m sure you’ll find them helpful too. In episode 260, in a conversation about Burkeman’s new…
Three Questions to Improve Productivity
Last month I was feeling really frustrated about my levels of productivity. Everything took longer than expected; I was so distracted. I’d spend ages ruminating on my frustration rather than being constructive. So I was thrilled to discover a simple trick to help me focus better. You might find it helpful too. At the end…
Three tips if you want to write professionally (or semi-professionally)
Today’s article is short and sweet and was inspired by a discussion at a recent session of the London Writers’ Meetup. I hope you find these suggestions useful if you want to write professionally. Writing is a craft It takes a while to master it, so don’t expect success from just one piece of work.…
5 Simple Tips If You’re Feeling Blocked
At a recent London Writers’ Meetup, a question came up about what to do if you’re feeling blocked, and a wide range of suggestions were shared. I thought you might find them helpful too. What can you do if you’re feeling blocked? Keep Writing! Paul said – Just keep writing, even if it’s just a stream…
Ten Lessons I’ve Learnt on my Journey to Becoming a Writer
I’ve been refreshing my website recently and it’s made me do some deep thinking about my writing journey. I’ve come up with this list of my top 10 lessons to becoming a writer. I hope you find them helpful! My Top 10 Lessons to Becoming a Writer Stamina. Becoming a writer can take a really…
Hold Yourself Accountable with a Box of Crayons!
I was chatting with some writers recently about our biggest struggles. A few issues came up over and over including ‘lack of accountability’. It’s hardly surprising that this is a biggie for many of us. We often don’t have bosses, so it’s entirely up to us to find the self-discipline, drive and determination to sit down…
The Surprising Benefits of Writing Just For Fun!
I often talk about writing with a specific goal in mind – whether it’s getting your draft finished or selling your work. I think it’s good to be clear and focused. But what about writing without a goal in mind? In other words, writing just for fun? Does that sound like a waste of time?…