I started this piece quite some considerable time ago. At the time, my novel was in the early stages with the publishers. It has been published over a year now, which tells you something about how long it takes for me to get a job done sometimes! By sheer fate, and the irony of the… Read More A Brief Guide to Writing: 5 – Mistakes, editing and you
In April I had the joy of being invited by my publishers (Histria Books) to come to the London Book Fair. I thought it would be helpful to put my thoughts down about the experience. Firstly I should say, as a Cumbrian author, it is always rather nice to find an excuse to stay in… Read More Thoughts About the London Book Fair
Well, so far in my journey to put you off writing, I’ve told you why you shouldn’t be a writer and then went on to tell you there’s no money in it. If you’re still here, well done. Clearly optimism in the face of reality is strong in you – you might just make it… Read More A Brief Guide to Writing: 4 – Budgeting income as a writer
In my previous article I did my best to put you off any fantasy of making a living from writing. If you’re still here, I take it you’ve engaged with that and you’re ready to find out what you can do as a writer (and if you missed it, read it first and then come… Read More A Brief Guide to Writing: 3 – Thinking like a writer
My brain is wired a little differently to most other brains of around my age. When thinking of writing a series to help and encourage writers, my first thought was ‘what can I say to really scare them off?’ So here I am starting my series of short guides by telling you why you shouldn’t… Read More A Brief Guide to Writing: 2 – Why you shouldn’t be a writer
I felt it was about time to put down in writing the various things I’ve learned, or found helpful, about this game we call ‘being a writer’. I remember, when I first started to train as a writer, that many of the writers I followed boasted of their credentials that they’d been commercially writing for… Read More A Brief Guide to Writing: 1 – Introduction
My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been following Ute Limacher-Riebold for many years now, ever since my family and I found ourselves ‘in a strange land’ – in Bangladesh, many moons ago – trying to get a handle on a language so alien it didn’t remotely resemble any language we’d encountered before. Ute’s writings… Read More Book Review: The Toolbox for Multilingual Families by Ute Limacher-Riebold & Anna Elisa Miranda
I am delighted to announce my first formal course for writers – one based on twenty years of teaching and ten years as working freelance writer and editor. I am taking bookings to begin from July (you can join at any time) – but places are limited and many have filled already just through word-of-mouth!… Read More NEW! Psychology for Writers course
If you look at the sidebars to the right of this post you’ll see two links to writing courses. I don’t usually put links like this on my site but I will make an exception here because I’ve personally benefited from the excellent tuition offered by Carol Tice and Linda Formichelli for years. Their reputation… Read More Recommended Resources: J School and Escape the Content Mills
This is a most unusual review, one which will make it on to my ‘Recommended Resources’ page in the near future, but is difficult to define. I want to introduce you to a man, his course and his book – which is, in itself, rather unusual too. John Yeoman is a gifted writer and teacher… Read More Book & Course Review: John Yeoman’s ‘Fear of Evil’
Write Out Loud 