If you’re wanting to write, but feeling stuck, then these writing exercises might help. Loosening up, getting curious, playing around with words, characters and ideas is what we’re aiming for here. Less is more - smaller pieces of writing that don’t matter. We're not aiming...
Memoirs have become increasingly popular over recent years, and there's no sign that's going to change anytime soon. Our appetite for others' stories - for the opportunity to escape into them or learn from them - seems unquenchable. What's the focus? Often people use 'memoir' and...
It can feel impossible sometimes, to get started with something we have wanted to do for a very long time. Or to get back to writing when we have abandoned it after a set-back, or a period of distraction. But like with all things in...
Do you ever wonder what people mean when they talk about the creative process? Where do creative ideas come from? And why does it sometimes feel so difficult to follow through on those ideas and bring them out into the world? The first phase...
You've finished your novel! It’s a real achievement to complete a first draft - congratulations! So, what now? You probably know that an edit is on the horizon. It might be that you’re lucky enough to have fellow writers with whom to share your work. But,...
This week I was fortunate enough to be interviewed by the wonderful writing organisation Writing East Midlands. They have been a big part of my writing story and I will be joining them next year as a tutor, offering a one-day Be your own Writing...
First of all:, you don't have to. Writers beat themselves up all the time about not writing enough, not being prolific enough or not living the kind of life we all imagine writers live. This article isn't one more stick to beat yourself with. There...
Do you want to write, paint, act, make music, create..? But does life keep getting in the way? I know this feeling, and it's horrible. Years can go by feeling this way. And if you are feeling this way right now (which is likely if...
Creativity is beautiful in its simplicity - bringing something new into being is an aspect of our humanness as natural as taking a breath, and perhaps this is why creativity has been found to promote good mental health: it gives us a sense of flow,...
Most of us love to feel certain about ourselves and our choices. The feeling of certainty has a comforting solidity to it, and helps us feel grounded. We just know we've made the right choice when we can heft the weight of our own confidence -...