There is no denying it – 2020 was a year of huge change for many. It was a year that forced us to retreat inward to, quite literally, to stay within the confines of our own homes. For some, the
These days writers, authors and creatives need to be so much more than ‘just’ a writer or creative. Publishing Houses are increasingly looking to their Authors to create their branded platform from which to promote and sell their material. For
Every one of us has a story to tell and every one of those stories is unique. Even if the ‘experiences’ appear similar, the author’s voice, their point of view and the themes they identify in the telling of their
I was feeling very out of sorts today – precipitated by a Migraine attack that forced me to ‘STOP’ and rest. Away from my glaring computer screen, lying down, I began to tune in to my body so I could
There is commonly held ‘misunderstanding’ that if you have paid for creative services (artistic design, photography, music, writing) – then that means you have paid for and own the copyright too. It may surprise you to learn, from a legal
If you live here in Australia, the good news is copyright protection does not depend upon registration, publication or any other procedure. Material is automatically protected by law from the time it is first written down or recorded. It does
When people embark on a Memoir writing course they sometimes come up against writer’s block. A block of any description is just another word for Fear. When we experience writer’s block it generally suggests we are not confident, or we
I read an article recently that got me thinking. “Take two chapters daily – how to prescribe fiction.” The article discussed the idea that GPs are going to give books to help teenagers with mental health issues. Within the article
Never underestimate the importance of proofreading. Mistakes in grammar, spelling or punctuation will reflect negatively on the writer or organisation. Proofreading is quality control – an essential part of day-to-day business. There are many levels of proofreading. If you work
If you have ever taken part in a workshop or perhaps even training at work you will be familiar with ice breaker sessions where you have to stand up and introduce yourself to the rest of the participants. Love it
What images does your mind conjure up when you hear the word ‘trauma’? Trauma was not a word I truly understood until fairly recently – which considering my own ‘story’ is rather ironic. For me, the word trauma was a
The best thing happened the other day! My client sent me a photo on Messenger. It was a picture of him smiling from ear to ear, holding a preview copy of his new book. I can’t tell you how happy
Can I be blunt here? Just to save a lot of time? No-one is going to steal your story idea. Generally speaking, people who think others are going to steal their idea, well they tend to be early-days, novice writers
Today we have reached a very exciting milestone. It was exactly a year ago to the day I met my then ‘potential client’ to discuss his book. He wanted to publish a memoir about ‘how he became a psychic/spirit medium’
If you are new to writing you may not have given too much thought to Genre at the start of your project. We’ve all been there. That great idea you have to get down on paper before you forget –
If you thought you’d heard the last of Feminism in the 60s then have I got news for you. Merriam-Webster’s Words of the Year place the F word right on top of their top 10. Hmm … wonder if Feminism has
I can’t think of many greater gifts than to teach and encourage your child to use a dictionary from a young age. If I asked how to spell something my mother would always say, ‘Look it up’. I used to
After the #MeToo campaign what’s next? We need to have an all-inclusive conversation that’s not just about who has the loudest voice or the highest profile. It has to be a cultural shift from the grassroots to the upper echelons
So your book is finally being published and you’re beside yourself with excitement. You’ve done it! You’ve achieved that lifelong dream! But guess what? That’s not the end of the hard work. Well – not unless you have secured a
I’m working with an author who has written a practical guide for parents coping with a life-changing diagnosis of Autism. She is, in my humble opinion, an absolute Super Mum and an incredible role model. Being in the unique position
If you’ve ever heard the expression, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then you may also have heard the road to publishing is littered with rejections. Oh and mind you step over the would-be authors lying by the
People generally ask how one attempts to write a whole novel. Sure, it’s one word, followed by another, but which words? My professional experience taught me one thing about the writing process. There are two types of people when it
Many years ago I wrote a poem about how it feels to sit in front of the blank page hoping to meet with the muse. Sometimes when the words don’t come you fear they may never come again. Thankfully there
Well, it’s been an interesting week here at the desk. JK Rowling (Twitter Queen) relayed a public service announcement about the Lucy Cavendish Prize. “A great opportunity for unpublished female writers resident in UK and Ireland,” she says. I decided, nothing
My feathers were ruffled somewhat this afternoon. My husband asked, “How do you spell dilemma?” Now I like to think ‘words’ are something I’m relatively good at. True, sometimes I have to write a word down to be sure, but generally speaking,
“Hurray – I have finally finished the first draft of my first novel”. When I posted this update on Facebook a few months ago, I was overwhelmed with the number of friends that congratulated me on my achievement. I was feeling
As part of a busy creative team, I’ve always been motivated and inspired by those around me. I’ve always been in awe of the talented designers who have brought life to my words, no matter how dry the subject matter.
As a professional writer with a significant number of years under my belt in the publishing and corporate world, the decision to branch into longer prose was an emotionally challenging one. After all, my childhood dream was to write a book.
In my previous post, I wrote about how liberating it can be to identify the genre of your book. If you have found yourself in a position where you just don’t know what genre your novel fits into, you’ve come
Of all the issues I struggled with in the early days of writing my novel (some of which I’ll explore in later posts), the most challenging for me was genre. As with all writers who have a spark of an
So there I was ready to write ‘the’ novel. The one I have been living with in my mind for so many years. I was excited, motivated, exhilarated – you name it – I was it! Until it hit me. Writing
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I am so looking forward to the release of Harper Lee’s ‘prequel’ of To Kill a Mockingbird. I know many of her fans over the years begged her to write another, yet