Once, I lived at the bottom of a hill and, on a particularly snowy morning, as I left my house and walked up that hill, I slipped back half a pace for every step. I told myself it didn’t matter how long it took to reach my destination, what mattered was that I tried and succeeded. On I went step, slip, step, up and up, … Continue reading The Snowy Hill
I like art that is a frame. My preference is for paintings that go right up to the edge. I love reading novels that start in the middle of something. I like to imagine and hope beyond the end. The sense that there is more which extends from what we are being shown gives depth, interest, reality. Does this approach make for a satisfying ending … Continue reading Satisfying Reading: The Ending
I am going to surmise that all writers have been in that nadir we all dread: the deep, dark forest of lost faith. I am there now. I am in the beginning phases of a new project, but I am not convinced I have approached it in the right way for maximum impact. Logically, I know this doesn’t matter, because it will probably mutate into … Continue reading Keeping the Faith
I have been terrible about blogging this year. I do feel, however, that for those of you who do not follow me on Twitter, you deserve a little update. (Oh, what did you do to deserve this?!) I have conquered my fear of my WIP. I finished the first(ish – how does anyone keep track of which draft when it changes all the time?) draft. … Continue reading Just a little update
This post comes to you courtesy of a notebook and pen. Old school tools will get my 2019 on track writing-wise. If you follow my blog (and I really think you should) you will know that my WIP has been limping along and I’ve been adding about two words a month to it for the last year. With the new year comes a new solution … Continue reading New Year’s Solution
I am scared of my WIP. I have been frightened of it for a while. It sits, hunched and unreasonable, menacingly within my laptop. It knows I only love half of it and its sorrow has turned into something sinister, something to be feared. My WIP has been an epic journey. I conceived the idea in August 2013 and started writing it – to great … Continue reading I am scared of my WIP
For years I did not share my writing with anyone. At all. I am not sure anyone knew I was a writer. I am naturally quite private and I wanted to get better without having any outside pressure. (There’s nothing worse than having people ask what you are working on when you are still working on the same thing you were doing the last time … Continue reading How do you share your work?
I want to tell you today what a struggle writing is. I don’t mean ideas. I don’t even mean the difficulty of sitting down and writing word after word until something appears. I don’t mean my least favourite part of the act of writing something for publication (- probably research). I mean time. Even those who write every day struggle to do that. Writers ring-fence … Continue reading Keep Fighting
Originally posted on Sarah Mitchell-Jackson:
I’m going to say this once, very quietly, “I am a writer.” I have been for years. I’ve declared it on Twitter and in the very act of creating this website. This represents growth for me. In the past, just saying those four little words was the thing of dreams. Yet, at the same time, it was a statement that… Continue reading I am writer, hear me roar.
There are four blogs which I make sure never to miss. It doesn’t matter how crazy my life gets, I make a mental note to read these four even if there are months in between readings. When thinking about this post, I realised that, while each is ostensibly about pursuing writing endeavours, the blogs have more than writing in common. They are honest. The writers … Continue reading Blogs I never miss
