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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