Category: Writing Tips/Advice

15k in May – Writing Challenge. Week 3 Update

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Only a very quick update of where I am in the 15k in May writing challenge – my attempt to add at least another 15,000 words to my WIP by the end of this month. I’ve found this week to be very tough going and…

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15k in May – Update for Week 2

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I am currently in the midst of the 15k in May Writing Challenge. Despite posting another zero day on Day 9 and a miniscule 177 words on Day 11, I am currently ahead of schedule and am happy to be writing most days. Even though…

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15K in May – my next big challenge.

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Am I mad?! Having just completed one challenge (the A-Z Blog Challenge) only yesterday, it’s time to move on to the next! This time it’s the 15K in May challenge (#15kinmay) and I will be updating you on my progress every Wednesday during May. Starting…

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Z is for Zero – the word count no one wants to see!

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When writing, keeping a tally of your daily word count can be a great tool to keep up the momentum. My first experience of this was last November, during NaNoWriMo where the aim is to write 50,000 words in a month. To achieve this you…

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T is for Thief. There’s no such thing as an original idea.

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“It’s not where you take things from . . . it’s where you take them to.” The above is a quote from ground-breaking French  film maker, Jean-Luc Godard. Godard wasn’t afraid to take influences from his favourite works – be that in film, literature or…

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Q is for Quiet. It’s Always The Quiet Ones . . . Being a Writer

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As a writer we need to have the ability to disappear in to the background. To observe. To extract meaning from body language, action and reaction. To study human relationships. To unearth great dialogue. To ask the ‘what-if’ questions and let our imaginations run free….

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K is for Keep Moving – Write or Die!

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Today’s writing metaphor comes courtesy of the shark. In case you’re not entirely au fait with animal biology, many sharks need to swim constantly to stay alive. It’s all to do with passing oxygen-rich water through their gills, but the only reason I mention it,…

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H is for History – Don’t forget the ‘STORY’ part!

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Why is History often taught so badly? Firstly I must say that this is not a statement designed to alienate any teachers that may be reading this post – merely an observation based on my experiences as a child. I should also say that I…

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F is for Films! How thinking cinematically can improve your writing.

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I recently heard two different authors mention writing in the context of cinema and came to the realisation that the conventions and style of modern cinema influence my writing too. The first of these comments was from historical fiction writer, Hilary Mantel. Whilst I am…

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E is for Emotional Content. Writing with feeling.

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In case you aren’t au fait with martial arts  classic, ‘Enter The Dragon’ (above) Bruce Lee is explaining to his student the need for ‘Emotional Content’. The acting may be a little hammy and Bruce Lee films may seem like an odd place to go…

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