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External and Internal Conflict: The Secret to Gripping Prose
I tend to steer away from hard craft advice these days because there is just so much content out there around how to develop characters, plot, setting, theme etc. We learn a lot of these concepts in high school and… Continue reading
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Setting Creative Boundaries (For Yourself)
‘I often feel exhausted, but it is not my work that tires (work is rest); it is the effort of pushing away the lives and needs of others before I can come to the work with any freshness and zest.’… Continue reading
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Returning to Creative Work after the Holidays
It was December 29. My office, which also acts as our guest bedroom, rotated between these two purposes several times over a single fortnight. I liked it better as a guest room. The bed was made, pillows fluffed, and the… Continue reading
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Writers who invest in themselves
Your ability to improve as a writer is dependent on how invested you are in your own learning. If you want to get better than you need to be actively engaging with your creative practice. We’ve all heard the cliche,… Continue reading
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Writing as an Identity
I was recently listening to an episode of the Secret Library Podcast where host, Caroline Donahue encouraged listeners to consider what their life may look like without writing. Initially, I was dumbfounded. Caroline was quick to acknowledge that posing that type of… Continue reading
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Process vs Goal Orientated as a Writer
There are countless ways to approach writing. Our routines and methods are constantly evolving and changing to meet the demands of our current project and schedules. My writing routine is constantly changing in response to other aspects of my life,… Continue reading
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Are you writing the books you want to write?
We’ve all answered the career advice question, ‘If money wasn’t a factor, what would you do with your life?’ If you’re reading this blog (or watching the below video), then I’m going to assume that your answer has something to… Continue reading
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Luck and Creativity
Writing is a matter of chance. I’m not talking about the type of luck that is involved in landing an agent, a publishing deal, or a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, though all those wins do contain… Continue reading
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Writing and Editing in Layers
Your first draft is not your final draft. Something I’ve noticed with my students and coaching clients is this shared desire to be finished with a project as quickly as possible. They come up with an idea on Monday and… Continue reading
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Genre vs Literary Fiction: Why the Debate?
Most of you probably know the difference between genre and literary fiction, but a few weeks ago I taught a creative writing workshop for high school students and only one student knew that these two ‘categories’ existed. Genre refers to… Continue reading
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