How I cut 45,000 words without losing my story
Last week I regaled you with the thrilling tale of how I arrived at attempting to cut 40,000 words from my novel without ruining it. While the jury is still…
Write what makes you happy
I mentioned yesterday how the editor I'm working with immediately saw the flaws in my novel. The crucial issue was that I'd got confused with my target…
Happy New Year!
I hope 2026 brings everyone blessings and good fortune. For me, I have a clear road plan for the next few months: 1. Complete the current edit on the book 2.…
2025 - A year to forget
I always hated this time of year as a kid. The adverts weren't Christmassy any more, the news showed nothing but reviews of the year, and the magic was rudely…
The shower test
Your best ideas don't come from scrolling through feeds or sitting in meetings. They emerge in the shower, on walks, during that quiet moment before sleep.…
Making it up as we go along
One juicy bit of advice, that came to me relatively late, was to never compare your inside with someone else's outside. You're comparing your messy, uncertain…
Life is not zero-sum
Creativity is not a finite resource. When someone else succeeds, it doesn't diminish your chances. Yet, we've somehow convinced ourselves that life operates…
Your brain believes everything you tell it
Your brain, particularly your subconscious mind, has one job: to help you succeed at whatever you're focused on. The problem is it can't distinguish between…
Creative compound interest
Keep creating. Do something every day. Just one thing. It might take 2 minutes or 2 hours. The magic isn't in the individual sketch, paragraph, or chord…
Write through their eyes
When describing a scene, don't just paint what's there. Paint what your character sees through their emotional lens. The scared protagonist doesn't notice…