2 interviews about teaching and writing – Venice, BBC Radio London
The organisers of my Venice masterclass, Henry and Janys Hyde, have just published this interview about the course. If you’d like to know a little more about my teaching approach, or indeed how I came...
View Article‘Tearing open the doors of the heart’ – The Undercover Soundtrack, Michael...
My guest this week says he needs silence to write, but not necessarily aural silence. Instead he seeks what he calls a ‘silence of the mind’, a cessation of chaos, so that he can tune his senses to his...
View Article5 essential habits I learned while ghost-writing – guest post at Jo Malby
Some of you know that I began my writing career incognito, as a ghost-writer. It gave me certain habits and approaches that I still use to this day, and I’m sure they were a head start for productive...
View ArticleDoing NaNoWriMo? Nail it with this resource kit
I can’t believe it’s already October. And that means it’s just a month until NaNoWriMo. For the uninitiated, it’s a worldwide writing lockdown where scribblers of all levels undertake to write a...
View ArticleAre you a writer? Don’t neglect your reading – guest post at Writers Helping...
It’s always a struggle to find time to write. If you’ve got a book in progress, it’s tempting to spend all your free moments on it. But don’t sacrifice time that you would usually spend reading. It’s a...
View Article5 qualities of a brilliant story
I write a lot of posts about problems with book drafts. But isn’t it just as important to look at the positive? If we listed the qualities of a brilliant read, what would they be? (Plus, I think we...
View Article‘You get an idea and… it just grows’ – interview with book and writing...
Today I’m at Michelle Dunton’s Youtube channel, talking about ideas, where they come from and how they end up as books. Michelle’s been reading my novels and decided to pick my brains for her podcast....
View ArticleNot Quite Lost is launched! And making-of interview with Henry Hyde
Oh my heavens, it’s publication day. Not Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction is no longer a tease in a tweet or a blogpost. It’s a real thing. A paperback book. A hunk of Kindle estate, or...
View ArticleIt’s a workbook! Unlock your book’s full potential and finish like a pro
In my previous post, I mentioned how I’ve just hit my ten-year blogging anniversary and the surprising things that brought. So it’s high time to revisit the first book I ever published under my real...
View ArticleThe ‘under-arrest’ test – how to see the holes in your story’s ending
It’s hard to see the flaws in our own work, and the ending is especially a problem. We know ourselves how it’s supposed to pack its punch, or we hope we do, but will the reader? Here’s a handy test....
View ArticleFinished Nanowrimo? 5 ways to use the holidays to keep your new writing...
You aced Nanowrimo. You have a satisfying file of fifty-k words, itching for further attention. Your creative mojo is in motion. You got a writing habit, and you’re loath to let it slide. And holiday...
View ArticleStuck at home? Completely FREE course to help you write your book – Ep 1...
Hello! As the world gets strange and uncertain around us, we’re all turning more to creative, imaginative activities. So you might like this completely free resource – So You Want To Be A Writer, a...
View ArticleTools for writers, Word, Scrivener, good old-fashioned paper – Ep 8 FREE...
Welcome back to So You Want To Be A Writer! This episode, we delve into the various tools a writer might use. And not just for the writing – for research, developing characters and plots, keeping track...
View ArticleAll about character arcs – Ep 11 FREE podcast for writers
Today we’re talking about character arcs. What is a character arc? What do we mean by that? Why do stories have arcs anyway? How do characters help you to develop a satisfying plot and vice versa? Can...
View ArticleAll about reading groups and writing groups – Ep12 FREE podcast for writers
In this episode we’re spanning the entire spectrum of the book-reader continuum. What makes a good writing group? What makes a good reading group or book club? How do you organise such a group? How do...
View ArticleHow to read like a writer – Ep21 FREE podcast for writers
How do you ‘read like a writer’? What do you look for? How can you learn to write from the books you read? Does it matter if you’re a slow reader? That’s what we’re discussing in today’s episode....
View ArticleHow to write your book – a writing and publishing course in 9 songs. Ep 26...
It was Easter when we transmitted this episode. We were in holiday mood. A time to slacken belts, silence alarm clocks, wind down for a few days. Instead of ploughing into another brow-furrowing...
View ArticleReady for the red pen – how to prepare for comments on your book manuscript
I am at a nail-biting time. I’ve just sent the manuscript of my third novel, Ever Rest, to its first critical readers in the outside world. Soon I’ll receive their notes. I’ve been through this process...
View ArticleFrom fragments we build a book – Ep 27 FREE podcast course for writers
Just before we recorded this episode I’d been chairing a roundtable at a writing conference. I was struck by how our books come together from fragments. Snippets of inspiration and research; structures...
View ArticleHow to write in the holidays and at other disrupted times – Ep 36 FREE...
So, Peter asked, why begin this show with The Time Warp from Rocky Horror? Because we’re talking about how to keep writing over the holiday season and in times of disruption. He wasn’t convinced. By...
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