Monday Motivation

If I could give my fifteen-year-old self one piece of writing advice, it wouldn't be about craft or technique. It would be this: be ambitious. Not about prizes or fame, but about what you believe [...]

These thoughts were inspired by one of the writers at our Venice Writing Retreat. He wondered whether there was a code for writers – a set of moral precepts, guiderails, if you like, that [...]

Discover why most story openings fail and learn 3 proven techniques to write compelling first scenes that hook readers. Includes practical writing exercise and expert analysis from a working [...]

Many writers struggle with creating vivid, immersive scenes that truly engage their readers beyond just visual descriptions. In both this blog and my next subscriber-only Monday Writing [...]

Sometimes the smallest flaw can bring your entire story crashing to a halt, much like a stripped screw can immobilise an otherwise perfectly functional motorcycle. In this blog I finding and [...]

Selecting the perfect title for your book can feel like an overwhelming task, especially when you’re trying to balance creativity with marketability. In both this blog and my next [...]

The path to publishing your first book is filled with both practical challenges and moments of pure magic. In both this blog and my next subscriber-only Monday Writing Motivation mailer, I [...]

Starting a new writing project can feel as complex as navigating a challenging social gathering, with characters and conflicts demanding careful consideration from the first page. In both this [...]

Are you struggling to plot your murder mystery, unsure of how to create those essential twists and turns that keep readers guessing? In both this blog and my next subscriber-only Monday Writing [...]

The summer in the United Kingdom was brief and unmemorable – but Trish and I have found that, whatever the season, there are vivid and memorable details to be spotted and investigated in the [...]

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re sharing four of our most popular Monday Writing Motivation mailers from the year. This winter piece on the art of people watching showcases the kind of detailed [...]

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re sharing four of our most popular Monday Writing Motivation mailers from the year. This winter piece on the art of people watching showcases the kind of [...]