Recently I tweeted a memory I had of my penpal when I was 12 and I was astonished when today it’s so far had 80 likes. I know it’s not viral, humour me. I had two penpals. The one from the Philippines is in the tweet: To this day I cannot bring myself to open …
My Morning Writing Routine
I wake up around 06:12 if I am good and 06:44 if I am lazy. I don’t need an alarm, it’s the same every day no matter what time I went to bed. I hit start on the espresso machine, make a skinny flat white. In my pyjamas I write before work, either working on …
Finding Time to Write When You Think You Have No Time? Here’s How.
CAVEAT: Firstly, it is not time that has to be made. There are only 24 hours, you can’t make any more. Secondly, it is words that have to be made, not time. Thirdly, it is ideas that make the words, not time. And now I will systematically break down the entire week to show you …
Can You Write a Book while having Full-time Job and Children? Do the quiz and find out!
1/ Can you sit down for 20-40 minutes? This can be either days, nights, weekends, holidays, whenever. At any point can you sit down and not keep getting up? You know that writing is sitting down, right? First start with 10 minutes and then work your way up to 20 then 30 and finally 40 …
Book Signing at WHSmith, Southside Mall, Wandsworth, London
Sat 16 Feb 2019 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm I will be signing Heart of Glass at WHSmith in Wandsworth Southside Mall, SW London. Come and say hi. This is a great chance to ask me any questions about writing, editing, design, publishing etc. The event is FREE. RSVP here.
How to Develop a Cult Following in 5 Killer Moves
… for your book or product, with exercises to try out. Everybody knows at least 5 cult classics without even thinking. These are 5 of mine off the top of my head: Pulp Fiction, Trainspotting, 50 Shades, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, The Secret History. How did they become cults? How do you attract …
Why do I Write or Feel I Must Write?
Because it is very stupid. I could be doing a million other things, enjoyable things, non enjoyable things, things which could even make money. As I am approaching 41K WC of my FD WIP*, I begin question my own sanity again. I do not know what it is that makes me write. I really hate …
The Myth of Sisyphus: Is it Why Writers Write?
The Myth of Sisyphus is an essay by Albert Camus. Sisyphus was the legendary king of Corinth in ancient Greece who was condemned to eternally rolling a rock to the top of a mountain. The stone would fall back of its own weight and he has to start again. They thought that there is no more …
Island Life Sentence: Carrie Jo Howe’s Florida in 10 Never-Seen-Before Photos
“A prosthetic leg with a Willie Nelson bumper sticker washed ashore on the beach, which meant it was Florida.” – Tim Dorsey, Pineapple Grenade. Never been to Florida? There are some eye-opening and thirst-quenching treats for you in our special photo journey today. I have been to Florida in the days BC (before children). We travelled down …
6 Things I’ve Learned about Being a Published Author
My aim had always been to be a published author. I have achieved my aim. Now what? Writing a novel or two is the biggest time, energy and mental pressure you can undertake. In fact to write this blog post I had to take two Nurofen and a double espresso macchiato in order to steady …