Writing
Advice and Tips

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 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

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? 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

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”

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 . 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

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

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.

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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

Chapter excerpt from “ABOUT ORIGINAL & WILD VOICE IN SPEAKING AND WRITING”, from “Tending the Creative Fire manuscript” by Dr. Clarissa...

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...

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...

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...

What if you are writing a memoir or biography? Memoirs are as varied as their authors. Here are some of the most common types. Where will...

You have written the book and finally launched it. It’s loaded on Amazon and you have exhausted your own marketing network and harassed your

Okay so you pretty much know my rule - DON'T write until you are clear on your genre. I can't tell you how many novels I get sent and...

10. J.K Rowling * 400 million copies Surprised? I suppose not, but I bet you though she would be higher on the list. J.K Rowling has...

The Mastermind The Mastermind does not commit the crime, but is the brains behind the big event, whether it is a stealing, a scam or some...

Basic Statistics Name: Age: Nationality: Socioeconomic Level as a child: Socioeconomic Level as an adult: Hometown: Current Residence:...

You have established your genre – now how will you book play out in terms of how you present the information. A lot of this is a choice...

Memoir writers, you need to take a different approach to plotting than writers tackling a straight NF. When you plan a memoir or...

Here's the question that lurks in the back of the mind of many writers … am I actually qualified to write a book? The book could be about...

Where are you going with all this writing? Well, you are mostly likely shooting for a minimum of 50,000 words. Why 50,000? It is the...

It takes a lot to write a novel. Even those who haven’t tried would say, “well, duh!” to this. But it’s not so much the mind space or the sh

What is original thought in writing? And all those things you think….. those ideas you have….. Are you aware where they come from?  Are...

1.   How long will this book take? 2.    Can I get on the New York Times Bestseller list? 3.    Where do I start? 4.    Why are publishers

Should you pitch a traditional publisher or simply bite the bullet and self-publish (or indie publish)? This is an important question and...

There are two steps to this process. Step 1: Get an ISBN Step 2: Order a barcode The National Library of South Africa (NLSA) is the...

‘When you write non-fiction, you sit down at your desk with a pile of notebooks, newspaper clippings, and books and you research and put...

‘The pathos, and the gift of life, is that we cannot know which will be our defining heartbreak, or our most victorious joy.’ Alexandra...

‘I am 54 years old. Large important parts of my life receive virtually no attention in my memoir — a sentence for a traumatic love...

One of the biggest questions I hear from authors is this. Should I traditionally publish or indie publish? Since 2013 Jane Friedman has...

So you have got a book out there into the world. Massive congratulations. But getting a book published is one step, getting it to...

I just got back from the annual month-long writing residency in Greece, and I read a LOT of working manuscripts there. Many authors came...

Now that you have done all the hard work, it’s time to press play. If you want to get a publishing deal, this is where the rubber hits...

You have written your best possible version of your book, and now you may just need someone to make it better. The good news is that...

Rewriting (and rewriting and rewriting) is not only completely essential – it is the lifeblood of an author. In writing the first draft you

AUTHORS are having to adapt and adjust with reader demands. That means you have to get tighter on delivering a book that is ‘on point’...

As authors, we need to be savvier than ever about who reads our books. We have the ability to market our books directly to our readers....

Where should your story start? Few stories start at the beginning. Most stories start in the middle. All stories - whether it’s a novel,...

‘I didn't know how much marketing would be involved in actually getting my book sold.’ ‘My publisher did some PR for the first few months...

You start structuring a book by being very clear on what you are writing about. Sounds simple? You (sort of) know what you want to say...

​ It has been a busy year in publishing – and its only July. The good news is that reading has not been hit by the two years of lock...