More than Writers

  Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Given we are now into autumn, I thought it apt to use part of Keats’ well loved poem as my title here. There is one big problem with fruitfulness. It takes time. It is not an overnight thing. You can see the immediate parallels with the writing life I’m sure. This is why I feel it is so important to love writing.  I’ve tried to go into things with my eyes wide open knowing I am going to get rejections and no hears. Every writer does. But you also know (a) this is part of your apprenticeship as a writer and (b) you get used to it given enough time.  What keeps you going is loving what you do. But it took me a long time to get to that point. (It helps me a lot to know that most writers experience Imposter Syndrome too. It was a relief to know it wasn’t just me).  Sometimes fruitfulness comes when you finally learn to target your work to the right market for it. It took me ages to do that.  So...

  Image Credit:  Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.  It was wonderful being back in London for an in-person ACW Writers’ Day on 9th October. It was great to be face-to-face with ACW members again.   I find days like this, and events on Zoom , uplifting and boost my writing, but there are ways to re-create some of that effect at home. Carve out time to write and guard it. Plan in advance how to use that time. You’ll get more done and that boosts productivity and confidence building. Never worry if you have ten minutes and that’s it. You can draft a flash story or the opening for a longer work.  Sometimes I use pockets of time to brainstorm ideas for future story/blog post ideas. It’s never wasted time because when I do have longer at my desk, I can go to my notebook, pick an idea I like, and get on with it. The “brain work” of coming out with the idea has been done and I’m not writing “cold”. Treat yourself to a new book , fiction or otherwise (a...

At a number of my author talks, my audience ask me a few questions; and one that often pops up; 'How do you find the discipline to write?' Or even, 'Do you have a discipline?' This is a tricky question and often I find myself tempted to impress them and disappear into the realms of fantasy and say, "Oh, I get up at 4am and write till 8am without interruption, or "I write for four hours non-stop and put warning signs up telling my family Not to Disturb me." I write on Mondays and Fridays, and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings I work part-time as a church administrator and when I come home I go straight to my laptop and... get distracted by emails, or suddenly realise I need to write a blog post, or... of course, get straight back to the novel, or the current book I'm working on. However, when it comes to writing discipline, I do believe that if you have a project on foot which you are passionate about, then you will write at every av...