Have you ever met a writer who almost seemed apologetic about their own work? Or are you a writer who tells people that your book is “a horror, but it’s all a bit silly really”? Stop apologising for your own work. When I told people that I had my first book coming out, I was naturally […]
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Why Guilt Trips Don’t Help Writers
If you’re anything like me, you probably read a lot of blogs about writing. You probably read about writing more than you actually do any writing. But I’ve noticed a real upswing in posts that either prescribe daily word counts, or daily time periods that must be spent writing. All of them have the same […]
How To Cope With Being Lonely
Back in April, the Guardian published a piece on loneliness. Apparently 83% of 18-34 year olds feel lonely. Well I’m in that particular demographic and I can attest to that. I’m an introvert and I do like my own company, being happy to go to the cinema or even out for dinner on my own, […]
Your First Draft is Allowed to Suck!
If you’re anything like me, you probably spend a portion of your day keeping up with your contacts on Twitter. If you’re reading this blog, then many of your contacts are probably writers. As a result, you’ll probably see many tweets saying “I’ve got too much to do to get any writing done today”. You […]
Having Too Many Ideas Is As Bad As Not Having Enough
If you read any blogs about writing, or follow any writers on Twitter, then you’ll probably notice a lot of writers complain about having too many ideas. Too many ideas?! It’s hardly a complaint designed to engender sympathy, if you’re one of those writers who doesn’t feel they have enough. A productive writer will sit somewhere […]
Bringing Spectacle back to Cinema
Ever since television became the must-have gadget in every living room, cinemas have been trying to devise ways to bring audiences back into theatres. They’ve tried Cinemascope, 3D (several times), surround sound, and IMAX screens, always peddling the idea that cinema gives you “the experience”, something you can’t quite capture with television. Even watching a widescreen […]