I have always loved pantsing my way through a novel, throwing myself headlong into the rush of creating a story without any clear idea of where I’m going or what I’m doing. I like the huge mess that pantsing leaves me with slightly less, and the fact that I need to redraft these books two or three times before I find a plot...

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It’s week two of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I’ve recorded another vlog about how I’m going. I’m coming to the realisation that this draft is an absolute mess. And you know what? I’m perfectly ok with that. In the vlog, I explain why. Also, as an extra little bonus, here’s an excerpt from my Camp NaNo Novel. It is woefully unedited and first draft-y...

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It’s Camp NaNoWriMo right now, which means that I am deep, deep into writing a new first draft. I mentioned in my bonus vlog on Mondaythat one of the things I’ve been struggling with the most so far this month is switching my brain from ninth draft mode, where things are partially polished and fairly sound structurally, to a messy, rough, plot hole...

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As many of you already know, even if you’re not participating, Camp NaNoWriMo started on Saturday. For me, it’s already day 3, I’m pushing through my word count, getting into the swing of things, and I got the urge to try something a bit different and make a video to talk to you about what I’m writing, what challenges I’m facing this time,...

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Camp NaNoWriMo starts in April. A month long excuse to pour out words onto the page in an adrenaline fuelled rush? A chance to banish the inner editor and the little demon who sits on your shoulders whispering judgement on what you’re writing? Count me in! It’s time to gear up with other writers to commit to writing your book. I love every...

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I think most writers have a dream of having long, uninterrupted stretches of time in which to write. Time when people aren’t disturbing them, time not squeezed in around study, work, and other commitments. I know I often wish for more time for my writing. Even though I can literally arrange my day any way I like, writing still has to compete with...

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Writing is a strange occupation. The moment we need to write, our brains instantly push us to go and do something else: post on Twitter, wash the dishes, walk the dog, create an elaborate five tiered tiramisu cake. Any, as long as it isn’t writing. And yet, the feeling of having written is one of the best. Often, we write just for the...

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Reaching the end of a draft is such a rush. After being lost deep in edits for weeks, in this case edits of my fantasy novel The Crystal Tree, coming out the other side is an amazing feeling. Racing to hit a deadline that flashed past, lost in the rush of creating order out of chaos, struggling to find just the right words...

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Writing is a strange beast. Sometimes it comes so easily. The words flow.  The story pours perfectly onto the page. It feels like magic. Other times it’s a gruelling slog. And it changes from day to day. One day I am enthusiastic about it, powering through page after page, absolutely in love with what I’m producing. The next I struggle to put three...

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We all have a dream. Maybe even more than one. It’s bright, beautiful, fragile and precious. A dream that calls us to go out there and do amazing things. But it takes a lot of courage to share that dream with the world, to write that book, to make that music, draw that picture, create that thing that you dream about and long...

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Have you ever had days where you’ve planned your writing time out perfect around work. You’re going to utilize those evening hours to punch out some words. You’ve scheduled your day, cleared the time, found your favourite drink/soundtrack/blanket. Your novel is open on screen. And…nothing. No words, no inspiration, no motivation. Nothing. And all of a sudden there’s this intense urge to watch...

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In every creative person’s life, there comes a moment where you hate your work. Maybe you’ve felt this a few times before. I know I have. It’s that moment when you hate what you’ve made, you doubt that you’ve got what it takes, and when it feels like everything you make comes out as a pile of scrap. And maybe you just want...

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So I’ve been listening to a lot of Owl City recently. Something about these songs fills my head with inspiration (hence why I felt inspired enough to write this very post). But apart from just being fantastic music, as I’ve been listening, I’ve also noticed some things that Owl City does in these songs that relate really well to writing, and that we...

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