Has this ever happened to you? One day you’re feeling great about your novel, and the next day you feel woeful. You’re not alone. The…
Writing a novel is a slow process; don’t feel the pressure to rush it.
Are you feeling pressure from your nearest and dearest to finish writing your novel? A writer I worked with recently talked about the pressure she…
Maybe you should never open a book with the weather, but don’t ignore it either
Should you really never open a book with the weather? Maybe, but weather and seasons are important elements of a novel. ‘Never open a book…
How The Handmaid’s Tale can help you write your novel
Odds are you’ve seen at least the first season of The Hand Maid’s Tale, but have you read the book? If the answer is no,…
Do speech tags need to be descriptive?
Do you feel the need to be creative or descriptive with your speech tags? Do you think that ‘said’ or ‘says’ is a bit boring?…
Six-step plan to help you fall back in love with your unfinished novel
Are you stumped? Not sure where to start? Here’s a suggestion for a way in.
Show don’t tell – its subtle power
You are probably aware of the writing mantra: show don’t tell. There are loads of really helpful posts about it, often illustrated by the pitch-perfect…
Five ways to get back into writing your novel
So you’ve decided to get back into your unfinished novel. Hoorah! But where do you start? Or maybe more to the point, why did you…
Hyphens are here to help
Hands up if you’re sometimes unsure about when to use a hyphen. I know I was before I studied editing. Here’s a tip: a hyphen…
Getting from brain dump to first draft
Are you struggling with your first draft? Have you started with a brain dump and don’t know what to do next? If you prefer to…
Three essential questions to help you write a report or briefing paper
Have you ever found yourself totally stumped halfway through writing a paper, briefing or report? Perhaps you’ve covered all the background and context, made some…
Smooth transitions can help your story flow
Do you feel you need to account for every moment and movement in a scene? I’ve found a lot of new writers do. But look at this extract from Emily Bitto’s beautiful novel ‘The Strays’.