People new to writing novels sometimes think that the words should flow straight out on to the page perfectly first time. This…
Editing Your First Draft
Too Clever?
In today’s creative writing tip, I’d like to mention an issue that some of you may have noticed either in novels you have read, or perhaps TV programmes or films you have…
The Best Way to Beat Overwhelm
If we want to build a wall, there’s no other way than brick by brick. Or if you’re more into cakes than walls (I’m thinking of Roald Dahl’s Matilda), the only way to eat
Getting Better
The most common thing new writers ask me when I’m talking about Write for a Reason is “How do I know if my writing is good …
Pigs, Wolves, and a Story Worth Telling
If three little pigs built beautiful houses of different materials and lived in them happily ever after, there wouldn’t be much of a story to tell, would there? But suppose a …
3 Reasons to Set Your Novel in a Place You Don’t Know
A couple of weeks ago I posted a writing tip with 7 reasons to set your novel in a place you know. This week we’re going to look at three reasons you might want to set your novel in a place you…
What do cooking smells, fresh flowers in a vase and a polished table have in common?
Showing not telling is a great way to add X factor to your novels. We’ve discussed it before, but there’s no harm in mentioning it again, because if you can use…
7 Reasons to Set Your Story in a Place You Know
There are excellent reasons for setting your story in a place you know well. Here are seven of them…
How to Turn Your Holiday into a Story
Today I have a thought-provoking creative writing tip for you! As you know, I’m always urging you to read. Well, following my own advice, last week I read Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier while on holiday in Cornwall. 🙂
More Creative Writing Fun!
Following on from last week, I have some more creative writing fun for you! (To get the most out of this exercise, you really need to …
Writing for Fun
Writing should definitely be fun! If you have a gift for writing, it will at times flow out of you as if you were born to it, and make you smile. Of course, there will be days when you have
5 Reasons to Choose Third Person Narrative
Last week we considered five reasons we might choose to write our novel in the first person narrative voice (I, we, us.) If you’d like to go back and take a look at the post, you can find it here.
5 Reasons to Choose First Person Narrative
When writing in the first person, there will be things your narrator won’t be able to see or know. For example, they won’t be able to see…
3 ‘P’s in video format!
Jan Godfrey kindly suggested these 3 ‘P’s to help us get to the end of our novels… I’ve done a quick video of them for you. Hope it helps!
Will You Be Successful?
Few authors make big money with their writing, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t be successful. It depends…
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail!
Ever heard this phrase? Now, I’m a great believer in spontaneity, but there are times when I do love a good plan. For example, I make lists. If I don’t, I forget things – I just do. When I …
How to Find Your Writing Voice – 7 Quick Tips
Mark, a writer-for-a-reason, recently requested input on developing a writing style/voice as an author. This topic can cause anxiety, and it’s something I don’t think I’ve ever covered, so really pleased to give you seven…
Small Beginnings – Everyone Has One!
Whatever we do, we have to start small. Babies babble, then say a word or two, then gradually their vocabulary increases. We were all there once!
It’s the same for everything we do – we have to start small, learn how to do it, and persevere. There’s no other way to get anything done! You can’t just sit down…
Easter People
I was talking about Easter yesterday, with my husband. Although we celebrate Easter once a year, don’t we live in the reality…
Dialogue Tags
The latest Write for a Reason course has just come to an end… as always it’s been lots of fun, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the students. One issue that has cropped up once again, as it often seems to, is the use of dialogue tags. I’ve mentioned this…
Lovely to Laugh!
Hello everyone, and thanks for coming over! This week, instead of a usual brief tip, I have a ten-page pdf for you to download, all about how to include humour (or humor if you prefer!) in your stories for children
7 Gleanings from Reading a Stack of Books
We all know that if we want to be writers, we have to read. We can glean all sorts of things from other people’s stories – both good and bad. Having recently read a stack of books I was sent to review, I’m going to share seven…
3 More Things to Beware of when Writing Stories for Children
Last week I mentioned seven writing issues I noticed when reading a stack of children’s novels, that could have been avoided. Since then, I’ve found some more! So here they are (on to something more positive next week, I promise)…
7 Things to Beware of when Writing Stories for Children
Over the last few months I have been reviewing books for a charity that puts Christian titles into libraries and other public places. So I have had the joy of having to read. 🙂 How about that for an excuse to read – sorry, can’t do that, I absolutely have to finish these books….
Jan Godfrey, a Writer for a Reason
Jan Godfrey is an experienced writer for children with many published books, mostly Christian. (Although her first published work was a Camberwick Green annual!)…
Writing Prompts IV
Hello everyone! Here, as promised, are seven more prompts to get your creative juices flowing (and give you something to do while the evenings are still a bit long…). Write about something that makes you angry. Like, really angry. Be
Writing Prompts III
Hello Writers! At last the days are getting a bit longer, bulbs are coming up, and buds are growing… it will soon be spring. 🙂 So, more writing prompts for this week, as promised. How are you getting on? Are
Writing Prompts II
Hello! How did you get on with last week’s writing prompts? (If you didn’t see them, scroll down to find them.) Hope you enjoyed doing a bit of writing for fun! If you learnt anything, jot your thoughts down in
Writing Prompts I
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s writing tip… actually, it’s not a tip this week, it’s a selection of seven writing prompts, just for a change, to grow your writing muscles! Last year I took up running for the
Getting a Bit Stale?
If you’re anything like our family, we have Christmas cake left way beyond Christmas (have you still got any in a tin somewhere?). That’s not a problem, because fruit cake will last and last. But have you ever gone to a tin and found a bit of sponge cake that was a bit dry …