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    Writing courses, free resources and webinars, and developmental editing Writing courses, free resources and webinars, and developmental editing
    • Home
    • Courses
      • Creative Writing Course
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      • Venice Writing Retreat
      • Stow-on-the-Wold Writing Weekend
      • Karoo Writing Retreat | Memoir & Fiction Getaway in South Africa
    • Shop
    • Resources
      • Free offerings for writers
      • Downloadable writing resources
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    Archives

    Monthly Archive for: "January, 2017"
     Monday Motivation: If you must use exposition…
    1
    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Tips for Writers
    Posted January 30, 2017

    Monday Motivation: If you must use exposition…

    I often rail on about exposition – the explainy part of any story. But it clearly has a place. Take the opening lines of a story about a gory manhunt: […]

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     Writing Secrets: Dialogue scraps do not make scenes
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Jo-Anne Richard's blog, Tips for Writers
    Posted January 25, 2017

    Writing Secrets: Dialogue scraps do not make scenes

    “Hey Audrey.” Jane appeared in her office doorway. “It’s Friday. Shouldn’t we reward ourselves with a drink?” “Great idea. Giles at 6?” “Perfect. I’ll see you then.” I keep discovering […]

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    By Richard Beynon
    In All About Writing
    Posted January 23, 2017

    A Compendium of Monday Motivations

    We kick off the year with the five top Monday Motivations of the last year while Richard seeks fresh motivation. New Year’s Motivation: A declaration of intent Beginnings are the […]

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     Q&A with Gail Gilbride Bohle author of Under the African Sun, part 2
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    By All About Writing
    In Mentoring, Tips for Writers
    Posted January 19, 2017

    Q&A with Gail Gilbride Bohle author of Under the African Sun, part 2

    Gail Gilbride Bohle, a past creative writing and mentoring  participant launches Under the African Sun on 25 January. We asked her some questions about her writing and publishing process. Click [...]

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     Writing Secrets: You’re the doorman, not the bouncer
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Tips for Writers
    Posted January 18, 2017

    Writing Secrets: You’re the doorman, not the bouncer

    Mine is the first of All ​A​bout Writing’s blogs to be featured on our brand-new website so, welcome! Please have a browse around. We think it projects a sharp new look […]

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     Q&A with Gail Gilbride Bohle author of Under the African Sun, part 1
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    By All About Writing
    In Mentoring, Tips for Writers
    Posted January 12, 2017

    Q&A with Gail Gilbride Bohle author of Under the African Sun, part 1

    Gail Gilbride Bohle, a past creative writing and mentoring  participant launches Under the African Sun on 25 January. We asked her some questions about her writing and publishing process. How [...]

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     Writing Secrets: Making the intentions work for you
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Tips for Writers
    Posted January 11, 2017

    Writing Secrets: Making the intentions work for you

    Each morning that I sit down to write I think I won’t be able to do it. I know it’s pathetic. I’ve written five books, but when I contemplate a […]

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     Writing news and successes, a new writing challenge and a writing tip
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    By All About Writing
    In News, Newsletters
    Posted January 10, 2017

    Writing news and successes, a new writing challenge and a writing tip

    2017 is our tenth anniversary year, so we decided to look at what you, our community, have achieved over the years – and we were gobsmacked. Twenty-seven of you have […]

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     Monday Motivation: From James Joyce to Donald J. Trump
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    By All About Writing
    In Monday Motivation
    Posted January 9, 2017

    Monday Motivation: From James Joyce to Donald J. Trump

    James Joyce was one of the first writers to exploit a narrative device called stream of consciousness.  It’s an attempt to give shape to that inchoate interior activity that consists of a mix [...]

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     The new year’s promise
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In 2017 Test, News
    Posted January 4, 2017

    The new year’s promise

    I hope your new year’s resolution involved fostering your creativity rather than your business success or your abs. I’m not against gyms and I’m certainly not anti-success. Happy new year, […]

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    By Richard Beynon
    In 2017 Test, Monday Motivation
    Posted January 3, 2017

    New Year’s Motivation: A declaration of intent

    Beginnings are the sweetest things. You stand at a threshold – of a year, of a marriage, of a life – and anything and everything seems possible. The infant in […]

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    INSTAGRAM
    Resolutions = bullies Intentions = guides That's Resolutions = bullies
Intentions = guides

That's why we're doing something different this January.

Join our free "Start the Year Writing" webinar on 19 January for an interactive conversation about your writing intentions for 2026.

We'll work through key questions together. You'll hear what other writers are planning. And you'll leave with clarity (not guilt) about your writing year ahead.
No finger-wagging. No impossible standards. Just Richard, me, and a community of writers figuring out what we really want from 2026.

Free webinar | Monday 19 January | Register via link in bio

What are your writing intentions for this year? Tell us in the comments ⬇️

#WritingIntentions #WritersOfInstagram #WritingCommunity #FreeWebinar #CreativeWriting
    Happy Writing Year from opposite ends of the world Happy Writing Year from opposite ends of the world!

Here I am in sunny Simon's Town, about to plunge into the Atlantic (my daily practice for curbing chronic anxiety and staying creative). Meanwhile, Richard is bundled up beside the frozen River Great Ouse in Bedford, snow falling around his house boat.
Different hemispheres. Different seasons. Same intention: to make 2026 a writing year.

That's the thing about writing intentions – they adapt to wherever you are, whatever your season looks like, literal or metaphorical. They're not rigid New Year's resolutions that demand we all wake at 5am and write 2000 words before breakfast. They're gentle guides that work with our real lives.

My writing intentions for 2026? To make the necessary changes to my manuscript; to listen to my editor without defensiveness and work hard to make it as good as it can be.

Richard's? To maintain his morning routine, to finish the novel he's been working on, and to make space for the messy, imperfect reality of creative life.

What are yours?

Join us for our free "Start the Year Writing" webinar on 19 January where we'll help you clarify your writing intentions for 2026 through an interactive conversation. No pressure, no finger-wagging. Just honest reflection about what you really want from your writing life this year.

We'll work through questions together, you'll hear what fellow writers are planning, and by the end you'll have clarity on your writing year ahead.

Free webinar | Monday 19 January | Link in bio

Let's make this a year of intention, creativity, and sustainable writing practice – whether you're swimming in summer or walking through snow.

Wishing you a happy writing year,
Jo-Anne (and Richard)

#WritingIntentions #WritingGoals2026 #HappyNewYear #WritersOfInstagram #WritingCommunity #SimonsTown #Bedford #CreativeWriting #WritingLife #AmWriting #WritingWebinar #SouthAfrica #UK #WritingFromAnywhere
    The targets that seem extravagant—writing in a n The targets that seem extravagant—writing in a new genre, creating unfamiliar characters, attempting bold structures—aren’t really extravagant at all. They’re just unfamiliar. And we mistake the unfamiliar for the impossible.

For years, I approached writing with pre-emptive diffidence, already conceding that real imagination belonged to other people—the naturally talented, the real writers.

Then I discovered something: I can write anything. Not because I suddenly became more talented, but because I stopped telling myself I couldn’t.

The diffident writer asks permission. The ambitious writer is already working.

Whether you’re fifteen or seventy-five, the only thing standing between you and the work you dream of creating is the decision to stop asking for permission and start.

Read more on the blog - link in bio.

#WritingAmbition #WritersOfInstagram #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingAdvice #CreativeConfidence #WritingLife #AuthorsOfInstagram
    We’ve midwifed stories as diverse as paranormal We’ve midwifed stories as diverse as paranormal romance and historical literary fiction, seeing our participants feel their way into a new story or make headway on a longstanding project. We have felt their creative excitement and sense of achievement. What could be more exhilarating. Nice work if you can get it. #venicewritingretreat #amwriting #ponteaccademia
    #amwriting #Venice #amwriting #Venice
    #venicewritingretreat #amwriting #venicewritingretreat #amwriting
    #venicewritingretreat #amwriting #venicewritingretreat #amwriting
    Is there a code of conduct for writers? One of th Is there a code of conduct for writers?

One of the writers at our Venice Writing Retreat posed this question, and it got me thinking.

It seemed to me that there are three fundamental duties we have as writers.

To yourself as a writer: Become the best writer you can be by staying curious about craft, taking creative risks, and remaining true to your vision.

To your characters: Honour their internal logic and authenticity, allowing them to be themselves rather than convenient plot devices or mouthpieces for your ideology.

To your readers: Deliver clarity, coherence, and your best effort while respecting their intelligence – and when writing in a genre, honour the contract you've made with them.

I've written about this in detail here: https://allaboutwritingcourses.com/2025/10/10/code-of-conduct-for-writers/

What duty do you find most challenging to honour?
    #venicewritingretreat #venicewritingretreat
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    NEWS & TIPS
    • Start the Year Writing: A Free Interactive Webinar
      Start the Year Writing: A Free Interactive Webinar
    • Writing Tips to Accelerate Your Development: Expert Advice
      Writing Tips to Accelerate Your Development: Expert Advice
    • Venice Writing Retreat: Creative Immersion and Expert Mentoring
      Venice Writing Retreat: Creative Immersion and Expert Mentoring
    • Writing Ambition: Stop Asking Permission and Start Writing
      Writing Ambition: Stop Asking Permission and Start Writing
    • A Code of Conduct for Writers
      A Code of Conduct for Writers
    • Character vs Story: What Should Come First?
      Character vs Story: What Should Come First?
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