Deadlines. Love them or hate them, deadlines seem to define the life of a writer. For some, they’re a motivation. For others, they’re a source of dread. But whether we rush to meet them or let them whoosh by, deadlines shape our writing habits and productivity. A few weeks ago, I signed up for a …
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I get a lot of inspiration from travelling and don’t see myself stopping until health or other circumstances prevent me. When I recently returned from a five-week trip to Norway, Iceland and the UK, quite a few people asked if I wrote while I was away. Umm …. no. When I travel to write, I …
There’s a lot of noise in the world. Since the evolution of television, computers, and mobile phones there’s been a gradual increase in the inputs into our lives. Most authors write on devices that are connected to the outside world. This portal tempts us to dive out of the world of our writing and into …
This is the day the Lord has made;We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 New King James Version At this time of year, I often find myself wondering where the past year went. The questions keep coming: What did I achieve? How did I allow myself to let the year pass without doing all the things …
Walking causes a repetitive, spontaneous poetry to rise naturally to the lips, words as simple as the sound of footsteps on the road. L.M. Browning Creativity thrives when we break out of our same old routine. Even the smallest changes can help get us out of a rut and encourage creative thinking. Part of my …
As I write, I’ve just completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing. I used to be an English teacher and I know how to teach creative writing, but in this course, I focused on my work as a writing mentor. The last few years have seen me develop workshops for beginning writers who …
Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim. Dory, from Finding Nemo Lately, I’ve found it hard to write. I think about the novels I have in progress and struggle to actually get to my desk and work on them. There’s been a lot going on in our family–a …
I spend most New Year’s days reflecting on the past year and all the highs and lows. I begin to plan for the year ahead, marking significant days–birthdays, anniversaries, upcoming events, work commitments holidays, travel–the knowns. I also plan for adventure, but to be honest, with 2020 and 2021 and some of 2022 being so …
Recently, I did a workshop with Annie Gicchuru from Uplifting Studios on how to write a diversity, equity, and inclusion statement. Annie encouraged us to write our statements, even if we don’t get it all right at once. Even if we make mistakes. She encouraged us to write, review, keep learning, keep adapting. It’s important …
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Post-Covid apathy is real. For some, it leads to the Great Resignation, burnout, languishing, indifference, or the Great Whatever. Whatever it is, I seem to have it, and so do many other creative people I know and work with. In 2020, as the world locked down, I decided to use the time of seclusion as …
