After a busy few weeks preparing for and attending the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, I’m excited to share some insights from my experience. If you work in children’s TV, media, or storytelling in general, CMC is a fantastic event. I was fortunate enough to have 11 x 15 minute meetings with TV executives at…
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From Screenplays to Novels: Behind the Scenes with T.R. Guest
Uncover the secrets to resilience & motivation in this interview with writer T.R. Guest I’m delighted to share an exclusive interview with Tim Guest, a talented novelist, screenwriter, and playwright who has gracefully navigated the transition from screenwriting to novel writing. Tim’s journey is inspiring—but it’s also a testament to the resilience and passion that fuels all…
Help! I’m A Writer! How Do I Open Doors?
14 Tips to Help You Break into the Industry Prompted by a comment from a fellow writer, today I want to share 14 tips to help you break into the industry. Some of these apply to all writers, some more to screenwriters and others more to novelists. Pick and choose the ones that feel most…
6 Tips to help you write over the Christmas holidays
This week, I had a conversation with a client about making the most of the holidays to write, so I thought I’d share some strategies with you too… How to mentally prepare to write over the holidays Let’s say you have a chunk of time off work and you want to get plenty of writing done. But…
Asking for Help is Scary (Especially if you’re a Writer)
Monthly Inspiration Today I am trialling a new format… An anecdote from me A quote from another writer A useful resource and A call to action Asking for Help / Fear of Failure An anecdote from me I listened to a recent episode of the Happiness Lab podcast and it seemed very relevant to us writers, so…
How To Use Technology To Get More Writing Done
Today, I want to hone in on one of the 8 categories of my Writers’ Arc tool: the Writing Routine – but with a special focus: Using technology to get more writing done My Backstory I’ve just emerged from a very distracted period of my life. My little boy – nearly 5 – just started…
Even More Tips from the London Book Fair [Part 2]
Key takeaways from 2 talks at the London Book Fair 2023 – Writing & Resilience and Spotlight on Children’s: How to Get Noticed in a Crowded Market As I said in my last article, I had the pleasure of attending the London Book Fair this year. I sat in on some great panel discussions on…
How to Choose Writing Competitions
Earlier in the year, I shared some tips for those who want to write professionally. One of my tips was about building your track record, which included entering writing competitions. Reader Question Frank got in touch to ask how you identify which writing competitions increase the likelihood of getting shortlisted or winning a prize. So today I’m…
4 Strategies to Help you Write the Messy Middle in a Calm but Creative Way
Have you heard the phrase the ‘messy middle’? Well, I had a great question from a reader recently. Jess got in touch to say: – I’ve written a strong beginning and ending to my play but I’m struggling with the middle! Do others have this problem too and if so, what should I do? Firstly,…
Fun Round-up of Helpful Writing Resources
This is a fun round-up of helpful writing resources and tips that were shared at a recent London Writers’ Meetup. Books If you’re writing a novel, Save the Cat writes the Novel by Jessica Brody was recommended by a couple of novelists, who both said they found it invaluable for developing and structuring their novels. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert was…