Some writers don’t believe in writer’s block. Writers like Lee Child will liken writing to plumbing. If a plumber can’t turn up to a job and say “Oh I don’t feel like plumbing today” then apparently writers can’t do that either. Bit of a weird comparison. Others are afflicted with writer’s block on a regular basis. […]
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5 Ways to Use Where You Live to Generate Ideas
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
How do you “Write What You Know”?
If you’ve ever read anything about writing, chances are that you’ll have been advised to write what you know. It’s at this point that some writers will throw up their hands and declare that nothing interesting ever happens to them, so what can they possibly write about? It can also lead you into dangerous territory […]
How to use freewriting to help with writer’s block
Freewriting is quite a trendy term for those who do journalling. If you’re familiar with the concept of “morning pages” then you’ve probably already tried it. Morning pages, for those who don’t know, are the three pages that Julia Cameron advocates you write. They should be written longhand, in stream of consciousness. If you haven’t […]
