Category: How To and Tips
Locations Can Be Characters Too
I treat the settings for my books as if they were people. If that sounds a bit mad, stay with me and I’ll try to explain. What are your favourite childhood memories? Pretty much all of mine take place outdoors. Whether it’s blackberry picking with my mum and sister (returning home with telltale purple hands […]
My Writing Tips And Advice
First up, if you have been thinking of writing and haven’t started, I suggest you do. It won’t write itself. You must unleash the demons so to speak and get writing. Don’t let any disabilities stop you from writing. If writing is your passion and you have dyslexia or are on the Autism spectrum disorder […]
Doing a PhD in Creative Writing: Is it for Everyone?
When I go to my local surgery, I often see a different GP, and invariably a moment comes when they ask, “Just what kind of doctor are you?” I assume they think I’m judging them, like a secret shopper. When I tell them I’m the kind of doctor who can spell, they laugh and we […]
No Mystery Here! Cozy British Mysteries—How They’ve Inspired Me to Write
I’ve been drawn to all things cozy mystery my entire reading life. My favorites in particular are British cozy mystery series—where I can get to know the characters (at least the surviving ones) and watch them develop and grow over the years. I consider Agatha Christie’s Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy & Tuppence (OK not […]
ANYWAY
Anyway is an adverb. I am not fond of adverbs. My first drafts are peppered with them until I go back over the text and score most of them out. I like the sentence to have made an impact without the insertion of an amplifier although there are exceptions. ‘Anyway’ is different. Anyway is often […]
Writers: Keep Your Heart Healthy and Your Stories Strong
Even though writing is one of the oldest and most enriching professions in the world, the writing lifestyle isn’t all glamour. It brings along with it some challenges when it comes to health. Writing is a stressful job that requires long hours of working in isolation and sitting in one place in, often times, in bad […]
Nature and Writing: Water
I’ve always been inspired by water—be it a creek, a river, or the ocean. It’s probably no surprise then that all three of my novels have a connection to water. When I write a book, sometimes the words trickle in like an arid stream; other times, the words gush forth like a raging river or […]
Writing to Release Pain
I more or less raised myself. My father was a raging alcoholic and my mother was fighting her own demons. Thank goodness I found some solace in writing. I started journaling at an early age. I found my violent home life confusing and often escaped into books. Then I began writing, first in my diary […]
What’s the Recipe?
Everything I’ve read about successfully writing in today’s market strongly suggests having a detailed picture of the person you’re writing for. They say it’s imperative to laser-target your audience so you can pick the right genre for your book. I’ve tried to be a good scout and do what I’m told. I’ve sketched out my imaginary reader several […]
This Is How You Get Over Your Fear Of Writing
Everyone fears the blank page. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or drunk. Julia Cameron created her morning pages in The Artist’s Way to help scared artists dump their creative urges onto the page before the voice of fear takes hold. Steven Pressfield has written entire books about the resistence that holds us back […]
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