Sunday 29 December 2013

How to Set Writing Resolutions that Work

The old year is drawing to a close and the new year stretches out before us - as clean and fresh as a new Word doc.

And writers everywhere are resolving that this will be the year.


The year the novel finally gets written.


The year the poetry collection finally comes together.


The year the screenplay makes it from scribbled index cards to properly formatted script.


The year the short story gets published.


The year the blog gets launched.


And for some writers, all of the above and more may apply.


Some writers have so many goals, their list of writing resolutions is practically a novel in itself.


And while this might initially fire them up with enthusiasm, February tends to find them face down in a bottle of gin, suffering from a chronic case of Resolution Overwhelm.


I know this because there was a time when my own writing resolutions had a higher word count than War and Peace.


There were so many things I wanted to write; so many genres and age groups and mediums I wanted to write for.


So I'd list them all.


And then, in January, I'd make a start on them all.


And I'd end up spreading my writing so thinly that I'd lose heart.


Nothing seemed to get done.


So I'd give up doing it at all.


Then I discovered the joy that is The Writing Resolutions League.


This is where you divide your resolutions up, just like in a football league. And, dear Dare to Writers, it has revolutionised my life.

Let me show you how:


First, write a list of every single writing goal you have.


Then, on a separate page, write the heading, Premier League.


Look at your list of writing goals and pick the one that makes your heart sing the most; the one which you absolutely have to write before the new year is out.


Put this goal in your Premier League.


And nothing else.


Next, write the heading, Division One.


Go back through your list of goals and pick the one that almost made it to your Premier League; the goal that you would really like to achieve before 2014 is out.


Put this goal in your Division One.


And nothing else.

Then, write the heading, Division Two.


Into this division put up to two goals that you would like to make a start on by the end of the new year - but you won't be heart-broken if you don't.


If you have any other goals left, write them under the heading, Division Three


Division Three is for the writing goals you would like to achieve in the next five years but you will not be focusing on in 2014.


For the whole of January do nothing but focus on your Premier League writing goal.


Repeat for February.

And repeat as necessary, until this goal is achieved.

Know that your other writing goals are still important.


You haven't abandoned them.


Like Wolverhampton Wanderers, they are just awaiting promotion.


And they will be promoted, once you've achieved your Premier League goal. 


Because then everything else can shift up through the ranks.

When it comes to your writing resolutions, prioritising = clarity.

And clarity = success.

Wishing you all a very happy, writing-filled new year.


One of my writing resolutions for the new year is to run more writing workshops. I will be running a fortnightly group in Berkhamsted, Herts and monthly workshops in London. So be sure to keep checking the Workshops page on this site for more details. . . 

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Dare to Self Publish

Once upon a time, those who dared to self publish were ridiculed and looked down upon.

'Vanity publishing', as it was then known, was said with a sneer and the condescending subtext that if you had to pay to publish your work then that work had to be Crap with a capital C.

If you weren't able to get an agent / publisher and you didn't have the thousands of pounds required to publish your own book, then your book was destined to remain in Literary Limbo*. 

(*Literary Limbo can usually be found in a shoebox under the bed.)

But then the internet exploded on to the scene.

And hot on its heels, came the e-book.

Now, not only could anyone (with access to a computer) self publish, but they could do it for free.

Cue much hand-wringing from the great and the good of the literary world.

I was once on a panel with a couple of best-selling authors and a renowned literary agent. 

We were supposed to be giving a masterclass on how to get published.

When I recommended self publishing, I was greeted with a mixture of horror and disdain from my fellow panellists.

They then went on to practically beg the audience not to self publish.

'There's far too many awful books out there already,' one of them cried. 'Please don't add to them!'

They reminded me of those spoilt brats in the playground who only let a select few play their game.

'Don't threaten our elite little club,' they seemed to be saying, 'We need to feel special.'

As you might have guessed, I cannot bear this attitude.

I believe that we all have the right to express ourselves in any way we choose.

We all have the right to write.

And we all have the right to publish our writing if we want to.

Over the past couple of years, there has been a definite sea change.

The term 'vanity publishing' has disappeared from publishing parlance.

Self publishing - both the term and the act - is becoming more and more commonplace.

Sometimes, it's even referred to as 'indie publishing'. Seriously, could it get any more rock-n-roll?!

I know of many traditionally published authors who are now choosing to self-publish books.

I also know of many self-publishing authors who, having built a readership, go on to win book deals with major publishing houses.

In my own case, my first four books were traditionally published. 

Then I chose to self publish my debut young adult novel.

This novel, Dear Dylan, went on to win a national book award, and win me a four book deal with a traditional publishing house.

But next week, I'm going to be self publishing a non-fiction book called, Finding Your Inner Cherokee.





I have chosen to self publish it as an e-book because I want to be able to give it away for free.

And that to me, sums up the joy of self publishing.

It gives you full control over your work.

It gives you freedom of expression.

It gives you the freedom to set your own price - and even give away books for free!

And really, what could be better than that?

Wednesday 6 November 2013

You Are Still a Writer

Sometimes, it can feel like the hardest thing in the world to actually sit down and write.

Sometimes, it feels as if the whole world is conspiring to stop you putting pen to paper.

And this can be a real pain in the butt!

Last week, I was coaching a writer.

One of her main frustrations was having to juggle so many things that she felt as if her writing was being forced on to the back-burner.

I could relate straight away - and I bet so many of you can too.

If you need to earn a living, go to school or college, or bring up a family it can be exhausting trying to write as well. 

And so sometimes, you give up trying.

But if writing is your passion, not being able to write can feel like a part of you - a vital part - is withering away.

And this makes you feel crotchety

unhappy

on edge.

But all is not lost.

For those times in your life where you are genuinely too busy or too tired to write, remember this:

You are still a writer.

You still have thinking time.

You can still be plotting and planning in your head.

You can still be growing characters in your imagination.

You can still be jotting ideas down in a notebook.

You can still be allowing a story or poem to percolate.

You can still be using your life experiences as inspiration.

You can still call yourself a writer 

Because writing is in your blood.

You are still a writer.


Monday 28 October 2013

Autumnal Writing Prompts

Autumn is such a rich time of year - the colours, the smells, the sounds of leaves crunching underfoot . . .

. . . all make it such a great season to write about.

So, if you fancy giving your poetry or prose an autumnal flavour, choose one of the writing prompts below to inspire you:

Title Prompt

'Spiced Apples and Bonfires'


Picture Prompt





Opening Line Prompt

Every Halloween it was the same. Every Halloween she hoped . . .


Musical Prompt





Smell Prompt

Freshly baked gingerbread 


Picture Prompt





Quotation Prompt

'Aprils have never meant much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.' Truman Capote



I hope you find the above prompts useful.

I hope they inspire you to paint some beautiful autumnal moments with your words.

And I would love to see the results, so please feel free to send them to me or post them in the comments below . . .

Friday 25 October 2013

Writing Inspirations

I don't know about you, but I'm a real sucker for those 'Inspirational Teacher Movies'.

You know the ones, Dead Poets' Society, Mona Lisa Smile, Dangerous Minds - they all follow the same basic plot: 

New teacher joins school - new teacher has problems with class - new teacher manages to engage class - even the most cynical of students become inspired - lives are changed forever - new teacher tragically has to leave school - previously cynical students rally round in a heart-warming show of support.

And I am reduced to a quivering, tear-stained wreck every single time!

If you're lucky enough to have had a teacher like the ones featured in these movies, I don't think you ever forget them.

Mine was Miss Maybin - my English teacher back when I was 13.

One week, in class, she got us to do a comprehension exercise on a poem by Seamus Heaney.

The poem was called Blackberry Picking and there was something about the richness of the description and the bitter sweet content that had me rapt.

Instantly I was transported back to holidays in Ireland and blackberry-picking expeditions with my cousin:


"You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
Picking."

To me, the experience of reading the poem was beyond anything I'd ever felt as a reader before - and I was an official Book Worm with a degree in Word Nerdery.

My love for the poem must have shone through in my comprehension exercise because after class, Miss Maybin called me back.

'Did you enjoy reading that poem?' she asked.

I nodded eagerly. 

She just smiled and let me go.

But after our next lesson, she called me back after class again and handed me a bundle of photocopies. 

Over the weekend, she had made me a collection of some of Heaney's greatest poems.

I treasured those photocopies for years, until the print had faded and the edges become dog-eared.

I have vivid memories of curling up on my bed and poring over the words, revelling in the emotions they conjured, smiling one minute, crying the next.

Like all great teachers, Miss Maybin had spotted a spark in me and kindled it into a flame.

Seamus Heaney's poems made me see what was possible when it came to the written word.

He made me see how you could take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. 

He made me want to write.

In August this year, Seamus Heaney died.

When I heard the news I burst into tears.

At first, I was shocked by the force of my reaction - after all, it wasn't as if I knew him.

But that's the thing about our inspirations - we don't have to know them for them to leave an imprint on our very being. 

They help to form the people we become, often without ever realising it.

This week, I signed a book deal with the publisher Faber & Faber.

In a twist as bitter sweet as one of Heaney's poems, this had been his publisher too.

It's too late for me to contact Seamus Heaney but I wish I could track down Miss Maybin, and tell her what she sparked.

Who knows, maybe one day I will . . .

You can watch Seamus Heaney reading Blackberry Picking right here

Enjoy!

Now, over to you. Who are your writing inspirations? Who made you love to read and / or write? I'd love to know, so feel free to write your own personal tributes in the comments below.

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Welcome to My Writing Dream!

For many years now, it has been my dream to create a small corner of the internet where writers could come for encouragement and advice, and to share their work.

So, sitting down to compose this very first blog post for Dare to Write is a really proud and happy moment for me.

I've been coaching writers for almost as long as I've been a writer myself (since June 2003, if you want to be official about it).

That was when I ran my very first writing workshop.

It was terrifying!

I practised what I was going to do and say for days before.

My son was just a toddler back then, and I remember doing a last minute run-through of my workshop on a group of his cuddly toys.

Midway through, Bob the Builder keeled over in front of me, as if passing out from chronic boredom.

I was mortified and took it as a sign that, as a writing workshop facilitator, I was doomed.

Thankfully, I was wrong (maybe Bob had just been drinking?)

Since 2003, I have run literally hundreds and hundreds of workshops.



Running a recent workshop at Bath Literature Festival


And I have coached many writers on a one-to-one basis.

But I've never pulled it all together under one umbrella before.

Becoming a writer has transformed my life, career-wise and personally.

And having encountered various obstacles along the way - both internal and external - helping other writers overcome their own obstacles has become one of my life's passions.

We all have a right to write, in whichever way we choose.

For Dare to Write I have created - and am still creating - a range of products and services that are directly drawn from my experience as an author, editorial consultant, workshop leader and writing coach.

Years of trial and error and trial and success have gone into every coaching package, online course and e-book available here.

I will also be offering free tips and advice on this blog.

Let me leave you with my favourite quote about writing. I hope it inspires you as much as it does me:


'To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must write dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff the books like perfume and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish for you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a life-time. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it, make fine stories. Which means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.' Ray Bradbury

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