An interesting question came up at a recent London Writers’ Meetup about keeping up your momentum during the editing stage, so I thought I’d share my answer with you today. Tim’s QuestionHow do I keep up momentum when I get to the editing stage? When I’m writing my draft, I can set myself a daily target…
Tips
Roundup of Current Writing Competitions
Got some work that’s ready to be shared? Then you’re in luck – here’s a roundup of some up-and-coming writing competitions. I’ve tried to find competitions in a wide range of different mediums – so there’s hopefully something for everyone. 12 Up and Coming Writing Competitions Black, Asian and Marginalised Ethnic Writers MO SIEWCHARRAN PRIZELooking…
How to Waste Less Time Online (and Get More Writing Done)
Today I want to share some tips to help you waste less time online. So, you’ve sat down to write. Or maybe you’re planning to do some writing related marketing. You have a goal. You’re all set to go. But then, you somehow find you’ve wasted the morning scrolling through tweets, randomly online shopping or…
Writing While Grieving (or Struggling with Some Other Equally Painful Experience)
It’s been a few months since my last post. Sadly my Mum passed away very unexpectedly earlier in the year, so, it’s been a tough couple of months. However, shortly after her death, I landed myself a big new animation writing job (something I’d applied for a couple of months before). Wonderful news – but…
Are You Procrastinating Over Your Writing? Try Some Self-Compassion
Today I want to share a tip for anyone suffering from procrastination: try using some self-compassion. This wasn’t a term I was particularly familiar with, but I just listened to a fascinating episode of the podcast The Happiness Lab, which was all about how developing self-compassion is vital to helping us achieve our goals. Stay with me…
Could I have a career as a writer?
Today I’m going to answer a reader question about forging a career as a writer. Leanne recently got in touch with me, shared a bit of her life story, and told me about all the writing she’s done over the years. This included journals, stories about her family and school days, stories for her grandchildren,…
Working with a Writing Coach
Many of us find the New Year a great time for new goals. So, you might be thinking about your writing now, what you can achieve this year, or how to fit more writing into your days and weeks. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you what it’s like to work…
The Pros and Cons of Entering Writing Competitions
Entering writing competitions is a very popular tactic among writers. So today, I want to explore the pros and cons of competitions, to give you the best possible chance of success. A bit like gambling, entering a writing competition can be thrilling, because it’s hard to resist daydreaming about being the winner. But are they…
Writers! Don’t forget to do some marketing!
When I started writing, many years ago, I’d regularly go to talks with industry folk. One particular bit of advice stuck with me over the years, because I heard it many times. And that was this: as soon as you finish one script (or novel), start working on the next one. That way, when the…
How to Make Yourself Sit Down and Write, Even if You’re Not in the Mood
We all have days when, no matter what we do, we just can’t make ourselves sit down and write. For some of us, these dry spells can stretch on for days, weeks or even months. There are so many tempting distractions luring us away from the blank page! So today I want to do a deep…