Hello. A quick message to let you know that from now on, you can find all my forthcoming (and previous) posts here on Substack. I’m trying out that platform for a while, so do come and find me there and do sign up to be a subscriber if you want to be alerted when there’s […]
Where the muse hangs out
I saw the above interview quote on Twitter last week, taken from a Guardian article featuring the late Hilary Mantel. It seemed to resonate with a lot of authors. Sometimes, this is exactly the kind of thing you need to hear. For those of us who have ‘pantsing’ in our process to even a small degree, […]
The secret to a happy writing life
What should your writing life be like? What should your process be? How should your career go? And how should you feel about it? Tricky questions all, right? And there’s so much advice out there. SO. MUCH. ADVICE. And yet, when it comes to creativity, personally I struggle to find a source of wisdom that helps me […]
How to fall back in love with your creativity
As someone who used their wedding fund to write their first novel, on Valentine’s Day my thoughts naturally drift from diamonds and roses to one of the most important and enduring relationships in our lives – the one we have with our creativity. I don’t think we always realise that we HAVE a relationship with our creativity, which […]
There’s nothing wrong with you
Those who know me will know that, as well as a lifelong love of literature and creativity, I also have a longstanding fascination with self-development. I’m intrigued by self-esteem and self-compassion. How we sabotage ourselves. How we go off path, and how we find our way back. Why we are here and whether there’s a […]
Someone wants your attention
Hello there, Earlier this week, I talked about the value of space and silence and how that can help your creativity communicate with you. If you want to deepen your relationship with creativity and with yourself, then I would recommend adding in a journalling practice. Some of you might already do this, regularly or sporadically. Some might […]
I wouldn’t read this blog post
Hello there, How are you? I hope you are well and that you and your creativity are thriving. You may have noticed that I haven’t sent out a newsletter for a while. Then again, if your inbox is anything like mine, you probably haven’t noticed because there’s already so much stuff vying for your attention. In my […]
The secret to a sustainable writing schedule
Often, when I come to my work in progress, I catch myself experiencing a feeling of immense impatience and dissatisfaction. Why is this novel not written already!? This occurs whether I am on chapter two or chapter fifty two so I think we can safely assume this is a me problem. (Though I’m pretty sure […]
Have to or want to?
It might sound weird but sometimes, if you are finding writing difficult, it can be helpful to remind yourself that you don’t HAVE to do it.
Author of Historical fiction, Paula Greenlees, reveals why aspiring writers should never give up
“Don’t give up, listen to criticism, polish, hone your craft, even if you think it’s the best it can be, your writing still has room for improvement.” I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I studied English and European Thought and Literature at university but it wasn’t until years later, when my children were adults […]