Writing can be a very solitary activity at times, especially in these days of staying at home and avoiding contact with other people.   But it’s important to remember that pursuing wider experiences will always inform and inspire your writing. Plus, connecting with other writers (and humans) is a joyful thing, which can bring much […]

Recently, I had a meditation class, where the teacher talked about the importance of self-compassion, as part of a series on Cultivating Inner Friendship. During the discussion, I mentioned how difficult I found it to walk the path between self-care and productivity. I said that I understood the importance of accepting the situation with kindness, […]

I’ve been frequenting my favourite local cafe a couple of times a week since I went fully freelance in August, and I’m starting to feel really at home there.   In previous years, I’ve always preferred being anonymous in cafes. At one time, I would stop off at a particular Starbucks regularly on the way […]

This year, I’ve been having monthly calls with Claire from CP’s Day Off. They are designed as an accountability mechanism, to help writers define their goals, identify obstacles to progress and work towards achievement. All of that is good stuff, though Claire and I are both aware that I’m probably more organised and productive than […]

It may only be 28th December 2020, and 2021 may not actually start for another four days. And the official Week One of the 2021 calendar may not be until 4th January… But I’m starting my new writing year today!   I closed off most of my ongoing projects before Christmas and had a few […]

I had big plans for my second novel this year.   I was going to finish the second draft, send it out for feedback from my beta readers, complete revisions based on that feedback, polish up a final draft and submit it to my publisher for consideration – all by the end of June!   […]

My last blog post saw me clearing the decks to focus on my second novel throughout September, in the hopes that I might finish my next round of revisions and have it in decent shape to submit to my publisher in November. That’s definitely not going to happen.   Two days after I posted that, […]

August has been an interesting month for my writing.   I finished and submitted three short stories, which felt really good and also cleared my writing to-do list of everything except the novel.   Also, after planning to complete the next round of edits on the novel by the end of August, and realising very […]

My current main writing goal is to get my second novel in shape to submit to my publisher in September. In May, I finished editing the second draft and sent it to eight lovely people for feedback, which I received back by the end of June. I took a few days off work at the […]