I have always hated trying to keep on top of paperwork. I have been far more efficient when it comes to organizing electronic writing files. Over the first few years of my writing life, I evolved a more-or-less foolproof system for organizing electronic writing files. It has changed only a little over the last ten…
Finding the perfect writers’ group for yourself is like finding a pair of really good, comfortable shoes. You have to try a few pairs on before you find the perfect fit. You need to be discerning as not all writers’ groups are the same and they do not necessarily do what they say on the…
NaNoWriMo is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it is just too big. Fortunately, there are plenty of other, smaller scale, challenges that can make a huge difference to your writing. If you haven’t already, it is time to add a little haiku to your life. When I started my Master of Arts in Creative Writing…
I struggle with my commitment to writing. When I worked as a journalist it was easier. I would walk through my day on the look out for good stories, for juicy tidbits, for possible leads, gather all those pieces and head to my desk for some mad writing. As a fiction writer, the habit of…
Book Review As National Novel Writing Month approaches, you only have to browse on Amazon to see that the annual challenge has resulted in a host of guides for getting the most out of the month-long novel writing marathon. Many of them are valuable and interesting. For me, none will ever replace the original NaNoWriMo…
Nibble writing is a great way to keep your writing moving, but there are still times when reaching your writing goals requires focused attention. If you have the time and the money, organised writing retreats like those run in the UK by The Arvon Foundation are a great solution. It is amazing how much progress…
Greetings from Florida We arrived in Florida in mid-July. The weather was unbearably hot and humid–mid-90’s and within 48 hours of our arrival, everything went pear shaped. First, the job my husband was promised and that we traveled three thousand miles for, evaporated faster than butter in a hot frying pan. Second, the apartment we…
For the last two months, I have come up against writer’s block which has been very frustrating. Some will argue that there is no such thing as writer’s block but I disagree. At least I know the etiology of my disease: the well has run dry. The last four months of last year I entered…