It was the 148th anniversary of the death of Charles Dickens this year. While much has been written about his life and work, we can still learn a lot from his methods! His depiction of a supposedly-fictional London was so realistic because he drew from how people lived and worked in Victorian society. Some of this he would […]
Writing Tips
What can you do with unfinished writing projects?
Chances are, you have dozens of unfinished writing projects cluttering up your drawers or your hard drive. Each of them held the promise of being the Next Big Thing and occupied your every waking thought while you worked on them… Until you stopped. Now they’re gathering dust, forgotten and unloved. Does that mean you’re less […]
Review of Dorothea Brande’s Becoming A Writer
Certain books reappear on ‘you must read’ lists of writing manuals. Stephen King’s On Writing is a prime example. Dorothea Brande’s seminal text on creative writing is another such title. Becoming A Writer was first published in the 1930s, yet the wisdom it contains is still just as relevant today. Most writing books focus on the mechanics […]
Awful first drafts are not the end of the world
Awful first drafts probably make up the bulk of the tweets I see about writing. If you’re reading this, then many of your contacts are probably writers. They’ve been through this too. Hell, maybe you’ve been through it! Maybe you’ve written something and thought “this is abysmal, who will want to read it?” And I […]
21 Easy Things Writers Can Learn From the Design World
It’s often easy for writers to get stuck in the mindset of only ever learning from other authors. Whether it’s the interminable round of online courses, reading blogs, or listening to podcasts, writers educate themselves by following other writers. Often, it’s absolutely the best way forward. But writers can learn from a much wider range […]
4 easy ways to start your successful author brand today
You’ve dreamed of writing novels since you were a nipper. You were probably the only kid who shouted ‘Hooray!’ when your teacher announced a creative writing exercise. How can that translate into a successful author brand for you? Oh, you’d be surprised. But seriously. A lot of authors don’t want to touch branding. It’s the kind […]
