I’m sorry everyone, but we had a hitch last week and, as you’ve probably realised, Vanessa’s blog didn’t appear as promised.  So here it is, with apologies to Vanessa. I’d just like to wish everyone a very happy and, above all,  peaceful Christmas. Put those mince pies to one side, refuse that extra glass of wine and get on with your writing.  On second thoughts, perhaps not!  Save that for your New Year resolutions.

It’s the time of year when the writing world grinds to a halt. January editions have been put to bed, there’s a lull in writing competitions and Christmas lunches are in full swing. What better time to look back on 2011 and plan your writing goals for 2012? Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to Lorraine for her advice last week about following the rules. Timely, too, if you still intend to enter the Writers Bureau Poetry Competition. It closes on 31st December, so after all the hurly burly of Christmas shopping , cooking the turkey and being nice to the relatives, you’ve still got time to sit down and pen your masterpiece. And the prize money could go some way towards lifting the post-Christmas gloom. Read the rest of this entry »

I wear many hats in the writing industry, but first and foremost I’m a writer. This means I know what it feels like to invest time, effort and emotion in a piece of writing. I know what it feels like to send my work off to be accepted or rejected according to the whims of some faceless (and, quite often, nameless) person. Read the rest of this entry »

First, thanks to Emily for last week’s blog. I really admire all the hard work she’s putting in to get the first draft of her novel down on paper. Sometimes you need a deadline, or a bit of pressure, to force you to get on with a projected of this kind. But I suspect that the really hard work will start when she goes back and starts knocking her first draft into shape. I’ll make sure she lets you know how she’s getting on in six months’ time. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s an old saying that everyone has a novel inside them, and for most of us that poor novel will never see the light of day. National Novel Writing Month is an annual event that aims to help those of us who are struggling to sit down and put pen to paper. “NaNoWriMo”, as it has become known to participants, happens every November and is entered by thousands of aspiring novelists around the world. To “win” entrants must complete 50,000 words in 30 days – roughly 1,667 words per day. This year, after six months of stalling on my, still untitled, work-in-progress, I decided to enter for myself with the idea that it might give me the push I need to finally finish something. Read the rest of this entry »