Category Archives: Writing

Autumn is nearly here, my favourite season. The days still warm with a promise of sun, the nights cool enough to sleep comfortably. Fields full and hedgerows heavy, a feeling of ripeness and depth in the land. The trees start turning to gold, bittersweet before the barrenness of winter. It’s a season when, for someContinue reading “Updates!”

I’m not the first writer to use this phrase, nor will I be the last. In fact, it comes from the lectures of Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, a professor, journalist and literary expert who used the term to describe removing fancy words and overblown description from your writing. But here I’m using it to talk aboutContinue reading “Killing Your Darlings”

After posting this blog yesterday I had a discussion with a fellow writer who, in the nicest possible way, reminded me that the distinction between ‘show’ and ‘tell’ is not simply confined to narrative vs dialogue, but also in how we, as writers, choose to inform the reader. So you could say either ‘Joe lookedContinue reading “Show, Don’t Tell – Part 2”

God. These three words. Honestly, they are one of the biggest net of knots in which a writer can become tangled. Should I show? Should I tell? Am I telling too much? How can I show this bit? It is an art and something that only comes with practice and feedback, unless you are someContinue reading “Show, Don’t Tell”

There are a lot of articles on the internet these days about “Life Hacks’. Ways to do things quickly, to get things over with so you can move on to the next thing and not waste any precious moments. Some of them are actually pretty cool and useful, but I am concerned that, as theContinue reading “Hacking Away”

It’s that time of year again. Blackberries are starting to ripen, dark and glossy against bramble and green leaves, treasure hidden in the hedgerows. The gorgeous child and I will go and pick them soon, braving wasps and spiders and thorns to fill our plastic containers with juicy berries, ready to be washed and frozenContinue reading “Don’t Stop at the Beginning”

And before you think we’re going to descend into some sort of hippy dippy schmaltzy crap, don’t worry. Life isn’t all rainbows and butterflies, I get that. We all have sh*tty days, days when nothing seems to go right. We all have our battles, our crosses to bear. Some are bigger, more ferocious, heavier thanContinue reading “A Grateful Heart”

I like to walk. I walk every day, through choice as much as necessity (we are a one car family) and, unless it’s really raining, I enjoy the fresh air and exercise. I have a walk to school that I do with the gorgeous girl – we play word games and look at the worldContinue reading “Walk It Out”

This is an extra post this week just to say thank you. I launched my little blog only six weeks ago as a place to share my thoughts about writing and all that I’ve learned and am still learning about the process. Well, I’m at nearly six hundred views from countries all around the worldContinue reading “Thank you”

In my previous post I mentioned my beta readers, the wonderful group of people who agreed to read my unpublished book and offer their opinions. As a writer you work alone – the ability to enjoy your own company is a prerequisite for the job but, unless you are writing solely for your own pleasure,Continue reading “Naked on the Train”