Garrison Keillor’s advice struck a chord the first time I heard it, and I often come back to it: My advice to writers is very simple. It is to get out. Get out more, don’t sit in the house. Go for walks, it’s good for you. Writing is an obsessive activity and it’s too…
I’m an alligator, I’m a mama-papa coming for you I’m the space invader, I’ll be a rock ‘n’ rollin’ bitch for you Keep your mouth shut, you’re squawking like a pink monkey bird And I’m busting up my brains for the words I love Moonage Daydream ; it’s probably my favourite Bowie song and I listen…
A proofreading tip that tells you not to proofread? I know it sounds counter-intuitive but stay with me; there’s method in my madness. What I mean is don’t proofread your text… … at first. In other words, just read it. Like, for pleasure. Not only will this make the job easier in the long run,…
Love (or ‘luv’, as we say in the north). Every year on Valentine’s Day we are all encouraged to show love for the special people in our lives – our partners, family and friends. I also love my cats (as I do all animals), who give and receive an awful lot of love too, every day…
It’s January, and it’s cold and bleak. At this time it’s only natural to feel more motivated to curl up in a duvet and read a good book instead of write one. But there are things you can do to stay on track with your writing resolutions. Here are a few ideas. 1. Start small. Baby…
Blood, bitterness and blackmail. Author Wendy Percival talks about her first novel, Blood-Tied, and completing her second, The Indelible Stain. “I’ve always liked something with a bit of mystery and intrigue, where you’re wanting to know what the hidden thing is behind it all, with twists and turns.” Mid-Devon based writer Wendy Percival is telling…
Many new words came to prominence in 2016. Those that made the top three for the Raw Text Word of the Year include the ubiquitous portmanteaux ‘Brexiteer‘ and ‘remoaner‘, while others longlisted include ‘bigly‘ (coined by the US President Elect), ‘pussy’ (well, we are cat lovers around here) and ‘Corbynite‘. As a proud example of one,…
In order to answer this question, it may help to consider how you define ‘writing’. Writing isn’t just about sitting at a desk. Sure, that does come in to it, but by the time you get to that stage you’ll have already made the commitment to words, by which time the question will be irrelevant. Let…
Even if your text is destined for paper, the chances are that at the proofreading stage you’re looking at it on a screen. Because if you’re like me, you started out with a notebook and pen and wrote your ideas out longhand, then went to a computer to type up your ideas. Computers are definitely great for…
21st December is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. It is on this day that pagans meet at sacred sites, such as Stonehenge, to worship and welcome new sun. After this day, days get longer and more sun is going to come. As pagans celebrate and show reverence, awe and gratitude to the…
