This seems like a given but it’s a writing pain-point that comes up often enough that I feel it’s worth mentioning. How do we become better writers? We need to stay curious and ask questions. We learn the basics at school – What, When, Where and Why – but we can still find ourselves at …
Such a simple question, but very often asked: What is a writing coach and what do they do? 🤔 Simply put, a writing coach (sometimes referred to as a book coach) can help storytellers craft and refine their ideas into a complete story. I prefer the title Writing Coach because sometimes my students aren’t …
Are you looking for short story writing inspiration? Try this writing prompt to get those creative juices flowing! “Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.” Anais Nin I invite you to take inspiration from this quote and the much-celebrated Anais Nin. Write a short story – …
Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed or uncertain about your writing? Maybe you’ve set a deadline for yourself but are falling behind or your protagonist’s motivations have become convoluted. I’d wager it’s because you’re thinking about it too much or looking too far ahead. These feelings are normal and are felt because you care so …
Take a look below for my three trusted tips on how to improve your descriptive writing. 1️⃣ Don’t be afraid of using literary devices – similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, pathetic fallacy, and so many more are there to expand and enhance the message you want to convey to your readers. Take stock of the arsenal and …
Let’s talk about dialogue. Whether you love it or hate it, using dialogue in writing is an essential element for engaging the reader and propelling your narrative forward, so it’s worth sharpening your skills and understanding of the rules so you can play with them in your narrative. You can use the prompt below as …
Practice Writing Dialogue with a Creative Prompt Read More »
In The Reading Room podcast, in its very first episode to be exact, I talked about how Charles Dickens introduced his characters in his novel, Great Expectations. With this classic story comes great learning of how writers can establish setting and tone from the very first paragraph with literary devices. Below, I talk about how …
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And get your story written! Hello writers, I wanted to share these tips on free writing as a tried and tested way to enhance your creativity, with added visual prompts for you to put to practice today. This blog is a short one, so you can get back to your writing after a quick, …
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Create a Character Chart with these 5 Steps! Wait, what is a character chart, and why do I need it? Picture this: you’ve had an idea for a great story, it’s not the first time you’ve thought of it, and you know it has legs. You start to write. It’s going well. There’s …
Hello writers, and welcome to episode 9 in The Reading Room podcast, where we explore the delightful story of Alice In Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll; originally crafted for children, but has been enjoyed by all ages throughout the years. I couldn’t launch a podcast without covering an episode for children. Having grown up with …
How to craft a sense of wonder: Lessons from Lewis Carroll Read More »