At a recent London Writers’ Meetup session we discussed how tough it can be to make yourself sit down to write. You might have loads of time on your hands and no excuses not to write. You might desperately want to write. And yet, time and again you find yourself not actually writing. Sound familiar?…
Tips
Just finished your draft? Here’s how to get valuable feedback.
Today I want to talk about feedback – why it’s important, where to get it, what to ask for and how to take it on board without having your feelings crushed. Whatever you’re writing, in my opinion, it’s essential to get some feedback along the way. OK, we all secretly hope that we’re geniuses and…
Ten Approaches to Creating Compelling Characters
Today I want to talk about creating characters – the heart of all great storytelling. As with all parts of the writing process, your characters are likely to undergo multiple rewrites along the way, and you’ll probably kill a few of them off too. But where do you start when bringing them to life? There…
How my writing career was held back by a lack of confidence
Today, I’m going to tell you a bit about the journey I’ve been on as a writer. If you’re going through something similar, you might find it helpful to know someone who’s come out the other side. My Journey For almost as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a writer. But for…
The screenwriting lesson it took me years to learn
I want to share a little tip for the screenwriters out there. This is something I learnt the hard way, after years of very slow progress. I’ve been writing for a really long time now and I’ve had lots of ups and downs along the way. When I started out, all I really wanted to…
6 Tips to Help You Write a Children’s Picture Book
If you’ve ever thought about writing for kids, but weren’t sure where to start, I highly recommend having a go at writing a children’s picture book. They’re short, and fun, and you can share them with the little ones in your life. So why not give it a try? Compared to many other types of…
How to use brainstorming to improve your writing
Today, I want to talk about brainstorming – how it can improve your writing and when and how to do it. When I talk about brainstorming, what I really mean is mind mapping, with pen and paper, to help you come up with new ideas I absolutely love this technique and use it all the…
Six tips to help you keep writing during lockdown
With lockdowns happening all over the world, many of us have much more time at home, and in theory, more time to write. But what if you’re feeling to stressed or distracted to write? Here are 6 tips to help you write during lockdown If you can’t stop worrying, try keeping a stress journal. Write…
How to Choose Your Best Idea Using a Simple Framework
Have you ever been in a situation where you had too many ideas and couldn’t decide which one to work on? I’m going to help you choose the best idea to write right now, with the help of a simple framework. Maybe procrastination has held you back; it’s easier to keep coming up with new…
Going to Networking Events can Advance Your Writing Career
Being a writer isn’t just about the writing – you need to network too, especially if you already have a writing sample. Let’s look at 3 types of networking event, and I’ll share some tips for getting the most out of each networking opportunity. Networking at Fairs, Festivals & Conferences Networking events like the London…