About

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the written word.

As a small child, I loved the way words could transport me into magical kingdoms behind wardrobes or chocolate factories where the caramels changed colour every second and the chewing gum never lost its taste.

As a teenager, I loved the way words could create characters so vivid and real they felt like beloved friends.

And as an adult, I poured that love into words of my own - creating books, articles, blog posts and newspaper columns.

But making the transition from avid reader to professional writer wasn't easy.

Writing is such a personal thing that all too often it comes with a side helping of fear.

Fear that you aren't 'good' enough.

Fear that others won't want to read what you want to create.

Fear of rejection.

It was this kind of fear that caused me to drop out of university.

But thankfully, I found the confidence to overcome my fears.

And helping other writers overcome their own fears and realise their dreams has become one of my life's passions.

We all have the right to write.

The right to tell our stories in any way we choose.

Whether you want to write fact, fiction, poetry, plays or prose, I'm here to help you.




Dare to Write is the twin branch of my life coaching practice, Dare to Dream (think of it as the bespectacled, more bookish twin).

Here I combine my skills as a writer, editorial consultant and life coach to help writers believe in themselves and nurture their creations into life.

I've been helping writers for many years now, and you can find out what they have to say about working with me over on the Testimonials page.

And for more information about my writing background and experience, please feel free to have a browse of my Writing CV below:

Books

Non-Fiction
Antenatal & Postnatal Depression (Vermillion, 2000)
Finding Your Inner Cherokee (Dare to Dream 2013)
True Face (Faber & Faber 2015)

Fiction for Adults
Sweet FA (Hodder & Stoughton 2003)
Frankie Says Relapse (Hodder & Stoughton 2004)
The Scene Stealers (Hodder & Stoughton 2005)
Finding the Plot (Authorhouse 2007)

Fiction for Young Adults
Dear Dylan (Egmont 2012) ~ Winner of the Young Minds Book Award
Finding Cherokee Brown (Egmont 2013) ~ Long-listed for the Wirral Paperback of the Year Award
Shipwrecked (Egmont 2013) ~ also in development for TV
Dark of the Moon (Egmont 2014) ~ also in development for TV
The Moonlight Dreamers (Flammarion 2015)


My books


Editorial Consultant

For the past four years I have worked as an editorial consultant in children's publishing. Here are some of the fiction series I have helped create:

Quest of the Gods (Usborne)
Signs of Love (Simon & Schuster)
Harry Hammer (Templar)
The Fairy Animals of Misty Wood (Egmont)
City Farm (Curious Fox)
Seariders (Thienemann)
Pippa Morgan's Diary (Scholastic)

Journalism

I have written freelance articles for many national UK papers and magazines, including: Cosmopolitan, That's Life, Take a Break, Pregnancy & Birth, Mother & Baby, Daily Express and the Times Educational Supplement.

I have also been a columnist for the Express & Star newspaper and Writers' Forum magazine (where I was also self-publishing editor for three years).


Television and Radio

I have been a guest on many TV and radio shows, including: BBC News, BBC Breakfast, GMTV, ITN news, Woman's Hour, Radio 5 Live, Talk Sport and LBC.


Workshop Leader

I've been running writing workshops since 2003 and I absolutely love it!

Something really special happens when you bring a group of writers together and I pride myself on creating a safe and supportive atmosphere, full of learning, laughter - and usually cake.

Watch the trailer below to find out more:




You can find out more about my current workshops here.

I've also run numerous writing workshops for schools, charities and literature festivals and events.

So, if you would like me to run a bespoke workshop for your own organisation, school or workplace, I would love to hear from you:

contact[AT]siobhancurham[DOT]co[DOT]uk

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