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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
    • Mentoring
    • Retreats
      • 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
      • Blog
    • About
      • About
      • Facilitators
      • Testimonials
      • Contact
      • How to enrol

    Archives

    Tag Archives for: "literary conflict"
     Monday Writing Motivation: Keeping a close eye on literary conflict
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Richard Beynon's blog
    Posted April 22, 2024

    Monday Writing Motivation: Keeping a close eye on literary conflict

    I’ve been puzzling over a small challenge I’ve given myself: to turn a recent experience I’ve had into a short story. The nature of the experience is not in itself […]

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     Never let go of your writing dreams
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Newsletters, Tips for Writers
    Posted September 21, 2023

    Never let go of your writing dreams

    It’s been a demanding year. There’s not a person I’ve spoken to who hasn’t faced a cost-of-living crunch, trouble at work or home, or an illness. I want to share […]

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     Monday Motivation: Of mice and moral conundrums
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Richard Beynon's blog, Tips for Writers
    Posted September 5, 2022

    Monday Motivation: Of mice and moral conundrums

    We’ve just spent three days with friends in a remote village in the Klein Karoo. We were alerted to the plague of fieldmice they’re experiencing when a solitary mouse emerged […]

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     Monday Motivation: When the opportunities for conflict are endless…
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Richard Beynon's blog
    Posted January 21, 2019

    Monday Motivation: When the opportunities for conflict are endless…

    Our local is just a short walk away from our boat in Priory Marina in Bedford. Local cinema, that is. (Our local pub is even closer.) Yesterday evening we took […]

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     Monday Motivation: Buttresses and rickety walls
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation, Richard Beynon's blog
    Posted June 11, 2018

    Monday Motivation: Buttresses and rickety walls

    It’s called “argument by authority” and all the best rhetoricians frown on it. A bad argument, they say, is not improved by quoting an authoritative voice in support of it. […]

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     Monday Motivation: Yum. Green eggs and ham
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    By Richard Beynon
    In Monday Motivation
    Posted July 3, 2017

    Monday Motivation: Yum. Green eggs and ham

    Does everyone know how Green Eggs and Ham came to be written? I certainly didn’t until I stumbled across a reference to it on the internet. It appears that Dr […]

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     Writing Secrets: Reading for good writing
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    By Jo-Anne Richards
    In Jo-Anne Richard's blog, Tips for Writers
    Posted February 15, 2017

    Writing Secrets: Reading for good writing

    Many people tell us that, when they first come to our Creative Writing Course, we ruin reading for them. I usually say they should be so lucky. They’re learning to […]

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    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
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    #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
    #venicewritingretreat #venicewritingretreat
    #venicewritingretreat #venicewritingretreat
    For years, a single comment kept me from writing. For years, a single comment kept me from writing.

A university professor told me I'd never make a writer because I spoke about loving words - not about having "something important to say."
 That comment silenced me. I convinced myself I needed to wait until I had profound insights, until I was ready, until I could be perfect. I was wrong about all of it.

This week at our Venice writing retreat, I gave a talk called "The Courage to Create: Finding Your Voice in a Noisy World." The courage to create isn't about being fearless. It's about writing despite the fear. It's about showing up to the blank page again and again, even when you're certain you have nothing worth saying.

You do. I promise you do.

What's the belief that's been holding YOUR writing back? Tell me in the comments.
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    NEWS & TIPS
    • 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?
    • Why Your Opening Scene Might Be Killing Your Story
      Why Your Opening Scene Might Be Killing Your Story
    • Self Publishing Revolution 2025: Tips for Building a Profitable Indie Author Business
      Self Publishing Revolution 2025: Tips for Building a Profitable Indie Author Business
    • Why Readers Stop Trusting Your Story (And How to Fix It)
      Why Readers Stop Trusting Your Story (And How to Fix It)
    • How to Write a Memoir: Essential Tips from Published Authors
      How to Write a Memoir: Essential Tips from Published Authors
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