I adore walking. Autumn is coming to my spot in the Northern hemisphere and the silver birches and hawthorns are turning pale gold. All that fresh air stimulates parts of my brain that the inside of my study just can’t reach. Solitude is important. I listen to the birdsong. Achieving a state of inner silence is the thing. But once I have […]
Take these two thoughts for a walk Read More »
Essential in cricket, land ownership and relationships. Not so noticeable in the books we read. But knowing what is in, and what is out, is how you write a good book. Writing a book is not about pouring everything you know onto the page. It’s about telling your reader what they need to know. That
I help to clarify writers’ goals coaching when they work with me to write their books. The goal of writing a book, I advise, should never—solely—be to publish it. It’s great to want to publish it. It just shouldn’t be your sole reason for writing it because, if it is, you probably won’t get to
A new way of looking at progress Read More »
Do you start, and inexplicably stop? Let me offer this thought. The symptoms of the struggle to write are things like staring at a blank page. Not wanting to get up for that 5.30 am writing slot (Eurgh. Whoever thought that was a good idea?). Resistance, showing up in the form of doing anything but
Do you ever struggle to write? Read More »
Let me offer this thought. The symptoms of the struggle to write are things like: Discovering those early morning starts aren’t working for you.Resisting sitting down to write; resistance that shows up in the form of doing anything, but anything – cleaning the dishes, the car, the cat – just to avoid your notebook or
Symptoms vs Causes Read More »
As we read, we constantly, unconsciously, analyse the internal logic of the flow of words on a page. Your reader will do it. Your agent, or publisher will do it when they read your one-page summary and decide if it’s worth going further. One of the most interesting bits of my job is to interrogate
Your book’s internal logic Read More »
Allow your voice to be heard. Only that way will you make a connection between your mind and others’. You have a unique perspective and your book is important. So keep writing, with passion and authenticity.
Writing is an act of bravery Read More »
When we throw ourselves into our work—our professional work, the daily work that pays the bills and feeds and clothes us—we sometimes feel our capacity for creativity has shrivelled up. Creativity means creating something that didn’t exist before. Some jobs allow for that. You might not be writing the first draft of a new ‘Gatsby’
Feel you’ve lost your creativity? Read More »
I’m in the second draft of my village mystery and see my main character does a lot of thinking. Thinking is great. I do a lot, myself. But it’s not so great watching people think. Given the soulfulness of my MC’s experience, I can forgive her but my readers won’t. I invited a minor character
When you’re writing a book, there’s something gets in the way, often overlooked. Which is strange. It could be the single biggest obstacle to realising your dream. Easy to think of other obstacles. Time. Energy. Money. But if you’re stuck, is fear of judgement holding you back? ‘Terrible writing.’ ‘It’s a lousy book.’ You fear putting your book
Your book is more important than your fear Read More »