Category «Writing»

Writing is a competition — and that’s OK

In following the social media streams of many writers, I often read that writers aren’t in competition with one another. But we are, of course. There is a finite number of people in the world, therefore a limited number of readers, and a limited number of works they can read. We are all in a …

Writing at the time of coronavirus

No, it is not the “ideal” time to be writing, nor one when there is suddenly “no excuse” to not be writing. Neither is it the only opportunity you’ll get to finish that novel, nor the time to be “making the most” of a lockdown by willing creativity to flow from your fingertips and chastising …

Rejection for writers

In the first of my writing guidebooks, 50 Mistakes Beginner Writers Make, I wrote the following: Rejection means you’re doing things — you’re writing ideas, you’re writing articles — and getting them looked at. It means you’re getting out there … And a line or two later: Rejection isn’t winning, I know, but it isn’t …

Do you want what you think you want?

“All writers dream of writing a best-seller” is a line I’ve read, and heard, many times during my decades of both reading and writing. Do they? Do I? Do I want the stress of writing the thing in the first place, of sacrificing months, possibly years, of my life, under the additional pressure of high …

Keeping the dream alive (Mistake #127)

Could the next amazing writer to land a book deal after years of slog, after years of rejection, after years of their obvious talent failing to be acknowledged or recognised, NOT take to Twitter and promptly tell every other aspiring writer to do this: NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS! Share how excited you are, …

Politics and Brexit and writing

We’re in a cauldron of hot pickle, aren’t we. I can hardly think of anything else, day in, day out. I barely do any writing any longer — just bits at the weekend, on the whole, while during the week I do the mechanical things … invoicing that, printing this, responding to queries, updating blog …

Do me a favour

I struggle, truly, to understand people who don’t bat an eyelid at handing over £3.50 for their morning cococcino frappe-foamed mochalatte but baulk at the prospect of paying that, or less, for an eBook. Happy to support an international coffee-house chain but not an independent writer who may be shivering around a mug of thin …

Stop telling writers they have to be have-to-be writers

My response to a tweet from Northants Authors last week didn’t adequately convey my full annoyance at it. The original tweet was: ‘“You either have to write or you shouldn’t be writing. That’s all.” Joss Whedon’ — followed by some writerly hashtags. I don’t know who Joss Whedon is, nor whether his or her quote …

Forgetting your memories (Mistake #123)

I’m late to it, but this article from the Wall Street Journal is a strong and satisfying argument for writing your memoir — even if nobody ever reads it. Penning your memoir can help you make sense of your character and your life and come to terms with difficult past events, the article argues; it …

Stop telling writers that they should be writing

If you are in the business of telling writers that they “should be writing” then I’m afraid you are in the business of pissing me off. Swanwick Writers School are perpetual offenders of this guilt-inducing castigation. I’ve heard great things about their courses, but my experience of following their Twitter account for a year means …