“For the next week each morning I opened my emails and wrote CANCELLED across another page in my diary. Until, one morning, it was empty.” When lockdown wiped out Samantha Clark’s debut book events, she set about learning how to reach out to readers. One morning at the start of March 2020 I was in […]
How to stop procrastinating and get some writing done
“Being a writer means to be out of your depth most of the time. Which is why when we are faced with a writing session, we often go looking for something that feels more manageable instead” Author Nicola Jackson and life coach Teresa Wilson reveal how to pacify the Procrastination Gremlin So far in this […]
Keep getting rejected by agents? Don’t lose faith that there’s someone out there for you.
“I considered giving up on this book, too. Clearly it wasn’t good enough. But something – that tiny, hopeful voice in my ear – wouldn’t let me.” When she faced rejection after rejection, Caroline Bishop remembered one important truth: the only published authors are the ones that didn’t give up. I think most writers start […]
How to ignore the shiny new idea and finish your novel!
“I had the idea, I had the characters and the plot was dancing before my eyes. What could possibly go wrong?” When Trisha Sakhlecha was hit with a fantastic novel idea halfway through writing her debut, she learned a valuable lesson in tuning out the noise. I remember the exact moment I had the idea […]
How to have confidence in the writer you are
“Your enthusiasm is the fuel for your creative journey and if there’s one thing you’re going to need to finish wring a novel, it’s fuel.” Author Nicola Jackson and life coach Teresa Wilson reveal how to develop confidence and ignore the lure of the Too-Cool-For-School Gremlin. So far in this series, we’ve looked at the Control […]
The secret about writing all published authors know: there’s always another way to tell your story
“I had to scrap 30,000 words and write a new ending” When Frances Quinn got a publishing deal for her historical novel, The Smallest Man, she had no idea there was still a huge writing task ahead. As a first time author, you think when you finally get that longed-for contract, your troubles are over. […]
How to handle the Hyper Critical Gremlin
“When we look at other people’s creative efforts, we only see the end result – the tip of a very, very large iceberg. We do not see the work, the graft, the false starts.” Author Nicola Jackson and life coach Teresa Wilson reveal how to develop self-compassion and embrace the mess Last month, we covered […]
How to calm the Control Freak Gremlin
Author Nicola Jackson and life coach Teresa Wilson reveal how to make a start on your new writing project when you don’t know what you’re doing. So, you’re ready to start the first draft of your story or novel. You’re full of ideas and excited to begin. Hurrah! Except, also, boo! Because it is often […]
Is it time you took a break from writing?
“I had run out of things to say, and energy for the process. I decided I didn’t have the heart for it.” Charlotte Duckworth, author of gripping thriller The Perfect Father, explains why taking a five-year break from writing was the best thing she ever did. Back in the dark ages of the internet (2003), […]
Is the wrong genre choice blocking your writing progress?
“I was still tirelessly writing and submitting, and receiving the same responses: we like your writing, but not the story. What was I doing wrong?” When Silent Night author Nell Pattison was on the verge of giving up, it was a look at her bookshelves and a change to her previously fixed mindset re genre […]