The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to NaNoWriMo…From NaNo Newbies!

“The only thing to do with good advice is pass it on.” I’m really excited about this post! The first reason is because I get to share my experience of preparing for NaNoWriMo as a complete newbie. (NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month – it’s the task of writing 50,000 words on a novel throughout the…

How To Effectively Plan A Chapter

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” This week I’ll be explaining the ways in which you should be planning your chapters. It took me a while to get started with this because I had no clue where to begin. I started off just writing a sentence or two describing what each chapter would consist…

NaNoWriMo Prep Update #1!

“You don’t have to be mad to do this…but it helps.” I would say, “Well…it’s that time of year again, where I tear my hair out doing something I love!” But I won’t. This November will be my first ever NaNoWriMo! (Help). NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month encourages writers around the world to venture…

Powerful Ways To Bring Your Story To Life

“Writing is the painting of the voice.” Writing is an art form. It’s a way of releasing all those imaginative thoughts that cloud your mind on a rainy day. It’s expressing all those feelings, the ones you’ve kept bottled up for so long. It’s creating a fictional land where anything at all can happen. It’s…

Coping With Bad News…The Second Time Around.

“It is bad news. But we just have to get on and deal with it.” Last week I got the news that my family and I dreaded. A complete match to what happened 3 and a half years ago. The first time around, I became incredibly subdued. I spoke very little and when I did…

The Hardest Things About Being A Writer

“Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” Writing is great. Whether you’re writing multiple times a week on your own personal blog or if you’ve got a new novel in the works, getting your ideas onto paper can be one of the greatest feelings in the world. It gives you a sense…

Valentine: Act I – Book Review

“Maybe the world would understand. This decision, right now, is the biggest regret of his life.” If you’re a regular visitor to my blog, firstly, welcome back! Secondly, you’ll have realised that I start each blog post with a memorable quote about each topic. When I write a book review, it tends to be a…

Online Writing Courses: Are They Really Worth It?

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” I love learning new things. I remember going for my job interview and being asked what I want to get out of the potential new job I was faced with. I told my now-boss that I wanted to learn. I was completely honest. I didn’t have an extensive knowledge of…

Stranger Than Fiction: Progress Report!

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who can’t change their minds cannot change anything.” Drum roll please… it’s finally happened! No, I’ve not actually written any more of my story (yet!) but I have begun that lengthy planning process! The thing I’ve been telling myself to do for a hell of a long time….

Confidence – The First Steps To Tackling Your Fears

“How can anyone see how great you are if you can’t see it in yourself?” I’ve been wanting to write this post for so long. But, like everything that requires the skill of confidence, I’ve been putting it off. Need to book that dentist appointment? It can wait. Need to call the guys about your…