Write. Learn. Repeat.
I was on the phone recently with a new writer who was stuck at 3,500 words of their novel and was hesitating to write further because they felt that they didn’t know if they could. It reminded me of how I used to be at seven years ago, at six years ago, and then I […]
Music and sleepiness make me write faster
This is the weirdest thing I discovered while trying (I have to use that word) to write a first draft for a second and third novel idea (I started the second novel got bored and started the third idea – me like this one). I would turn up at the pc in the morning and, […]
Procrastination is a fickle thing!
So obviously I should have been writing posts for this blog but when you have a procrastinator writing a blog about procrastination, well, really what did you expect? I thought I didn’t have anything to write so the first week went by and I thought I don’t want to bog down anyone with too many […]
Book an hour for yourself
In your diary, right now, book an hour where you will write. It’s a date. It’s your hour. I book my time and try to turn up. I notice that I sometimes get there late but I say to myself – stay and write. Even if I’m scared of writing. The first few times […]
Switch off ‘Doubt’
Inside my mind, before I write my novel, I sometimes get an intensive feeling of fear, self doubt, worry, anxiety. I can’t name it completely. I feel it in my chest and it sometimes stops me from writing completely. It’s writer’s block that seems to stem from insecurities inside me, from my fear of failure, […]
The writing state and the fictive dream.
If you’ve been writing for a while then you may relate to this passage from John Gardner’s ‘On becoming a Novelist’. It’s on page 120 and I’m going to quote it here. (Note: Because I’m a woman I always read this passage with ‘she’ instead of ‘he’ and ‘her’ for ‘his’. So the text below […]
Books to get you writing
Of all the books I have, I think the two that are good for starting out are: Writing down the bones by Natalie Goldberg The sound of paper by Julia Cameron Why? To get ideas to write something. Anything. Get the flow going. Natalie Goldberg recommends in the chapter ‘First Thoughts’ in Writing down the […]
Picking up the pen…
At the end of the day, that is what writing is about: Just doing it. The act of picking up pen and paper, putting pen to paper and making your mark, pouring your heart out, throwing your ideas down, scribbling, scratching the surface of the multitude that will come in time. And the writing does […]
The ideal writing notebook
A fancy notebook versus the cheap stuff – if you find that your writing slows down when you’re writing in that beautiful, exquisite writing book, get something cheaper so that you don’t stop writing or hold yourself back. I’ve tried all sizes. You’ll see which one suits you. A6 – about the size of your […]
Free write for 5 minutes
Free write for 5 minutes. You know what to do. Pick up a pen and a writing pad. Set a timer if you have to. Anything. The sky. The room. Thoughts. Honestly anything. Do it now. Write something. Before you read another blog. P.S. That’s the reason that this first post is very short. P.P.S. […]