Who is going to write this book?
YOU WANT TO FINISH? Stick to these rules
1. Set a deadline to start ... this means to stop plotting and planning and start writing. This means starting your story at page 1, and not turning back again.
2. Have targets that are outcomes-based not hours-based. Many writers say they will write for an hour a day. On my mentorships I set targets at 25,000 words a month.
3. Set a realistic deadline to complete your first draft of the book. Then stick to it. A good goal is to h
Writing can change your future
Writing can truly change your life. You have heard this before, right? Writing all of mine changed my life in very unexpected ways. Hint - it wasn't ever about my bank balance.
So often we think the endgame of writing a book is becoming an author or having a bestseller. Well, most of my authors find the real reward is so much more intangible and subtle. One thing I do know after 20 years in the book business is that it is absolutely never about money. Writing is not often
Should you write about yourself?
I always used to tell writers NOT to write about themselves. For years and years.
This was in the interests of cultivating good fiction authors. And before memoir stormed the charts. I still believe you shouldn't.... but that's for FICTION (or a novel).
Because if you write about yourself in fiction, you really only have one story to tell. It is also a totally misunderstood maxim of writing that you must ‘write what you know.’
Many writers misinterpret this to mean – write ab
Who are the writers that actually get published?
Who are the writers that actually get published? Starting a book? That is the (relatively) easy bit. Keeping going is a bit harder.
You start off with a bang, writing every day, working on your plot. But as the months drag on and the going gets tough you start to make excuses. Work is pressing, kids are demanding, too much travel, family coming to visit. No time. You will do it later…. Now is not the right time for you. Next year…later in the year.What really happens? The
Meet me in the middle of your story
I was stopped at a recent Literary Festival by a debut author who ran up to me, waving wildly. She had just released her book and was very excited. She told me that she had a publishing consultation with me many moons ago, and I had told her to go back on her book, relook at it and ‘take her time'. I had (apparently) told her that her book was not ready yet. “I will meet you in the middle of your story,” I had told her. “But you need to do the work first. Take a year”
Okay, so what book are you going to write?
When I ask you, 'what are you writing?' what I am really asking is this... what is your genre?
This is the very first thing any agent (like me) or publisher is going to ask you. What genre is your book? This doesn’t mean we want a breakdown of your plot. I want to know what kind of book it is. Now this is a one-concept answer. Like: It’s a crime/self-help guide/children’s book / Young Adult novel / a romance, or a memoir.
Not… "Well it’s a fable but it is written lik
Why Stories Can Save Lives
Why stories can save lives . When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41 my friend called me up, “make something good come of it,” she told me. I knew then I would write about it and that became my 5th book Love and Above. My way, like so many other storytellers who have lived through the centuries, is to share stories by writing or telling them. We tell them in social gatherings, on a stage, in a book or in a diary. But we must tell them because storytellers have a c
The 10 essential steps to find an agent or publisher
CHAPTER SUBMISSION: The Countdown to Publishing Your Book
Essential Steps to finding an agent or publisher
By Sarah Bullen
‘I wasn't going to give up until every single publisher turned me down, but I often feared that would happen. JK Rowling
As a literary agent with 17 years working with authors I read a lot of manuscripts, and I get a lot of query letters. It always amazes me the huge effort and investment it takes to simply write a full length book. When I get a MS i
Should you plan or just write?
There is only one answer to this question (in my view). YES of course you should plan a book!
I believe in writing with intent if you want to get published.
If you are writing non-fiction you are going to be 100% clear about what is going to go into your book. You are going to have a clear list of your chapters and what material you will cover in each. Your planning will become your book proposal and it will guide your entire book.
But is a novel different? No.
From 'Hey Baby' to 'The Other Side'
It’s been 20 years since my first book was published, and I wanted to reflect on the long journey of being an author, as well as working...
How to write poems that get published
By Miriam Sagan for Writers Digest No poet likes to hear the expression "slush pile"_ it implies that our creations have gone into a heap...
What’s the theme of your story?
Your book needs a theme. A theme is closely aligned to your plot and often the words are used interchangably. I see them as different howeve
What are publishers looking for in 2025-2026?
Once again we look forward to the publishing market for the upcoming publishing cycle. It is so useful for an author to be aware of...
Some Things You Need to Know as an Author
What does it actually t ake to write a book? Below is a list of 10 things (five short and five longer ones). Join me in 2025 and finally...
How to write a great back cover book blurb
Think of your back cover blurb like a movie trailer. There is a good reason movie trailers are not made by the writer. It’s so hard as...
What if my book sucks?
Here's the question we all ask. What if my book sucks?
It doesn’t matter how many books you have written (like me); lalunching a book is a
Original and Wild Voices in Storytelling
Chapter excerpt from “ABOUT ORIGINAL & WILD VOICE IN SPEAKING AND WRITING”, from “Tending the Creative Fire manuscript” by Dr. Clarissa...
The 7 writing styles
See if you can find yourself and your writing style in my article below where I detail The 7 Kinds of Writers. You may have a laugh. Are...
What does a book editor cost?
My authors are often blindsided by how much a good editor actually costs. I want you to think of it this way – most editors take a...
Why you need to block off a date with your book
1. CLOCK IN AND OUT Be specific, and mindful when you start and when you finish. A focused strategy is better than just wafting into...
