Delighted to welcome Angela Ackerman of Writers Helping Writers & One Stop For Writers, writing coach, speaker, & co-author of many bestselling resources, including one of my all-time favourite fiction writing book series, which if you’ve been in your writer’s garret for the last few years, are so invaluable, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without. Here Angela offers her potent & equally invaluable writing tips on vulnerability […]
A. L. Kennedy’s 10 Rules for Writing Fiction
A. L. Kennedy’s 10 Rules for Writing Fiction These writing tips were gleaned from an interview A. L. Kennedy gave to the Guardian. Writer and performer, Alison Louise “A. L.” Kennedy is the author of 17 books: 6 literary novels, 1 science fiction novel, 7 short story collections, and 3 works of non-fiction. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and […]
George Saunders’ Short Animated Documentary on the Art of Storytelling
“A good story is one that says, at many different levels, ‘we’re both human beings, we’re in this crazy situation called life, that we don’t really understand. Can we put our heads together and confer about it a little bit at a very high, non-bullshitty level?’ Then, all kinds of magic can happen.” ~ George Saunders […]
Happy Birthday Nina Simone [& a Brief Blog Hiatus]
Happy birthday, Miss Simone. Though unrelated to the exquisite Miss Simone’s birthday… You may have noticed that things have been a little too quiet in this portal of late, a little too light on posts and short on prose. I had hoped to be sharing something of value for you now, something edifying, inspiring, healing too, and a […]
Poetry | Caged Bird by Maya Angelou
“All great artists draw from the same resource: the human heart, which tells us all that we are more alike than we are unalike.” ~ Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter Caged Bird By Maya Angelou A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing […]
15 Ways to Fall in Love with Writing [All Over Again]
If your love for writing, much like our ebbing summer’s sky, has lost its glow, its colour, & warmth—try these tips to ensure you fall in love with writing again, no matter the weather outside. Just as we feel displaced as writers if we’re not writing, if we’re not regularly engaging with the act itself, if a specific story or […]
15 Secrets to Achieving Your Creative Goals Every Day
Achieve your creative goals with ease and purpose every day with these tips from successful creatives Every creative soul knows that creativity, enthusiasm and inspiration too, cannot be consistently sustained or even necessary to do the work. In fact, showing up regardless of a dip in drive or plummet of passion, is what separates the aspiring writers […]
10 Ancient Healing Tools to Relax, Ease Stress & Keep Your Creative Cool
Soothe your spirit, calm your mind, ease stress, and let your body chill with these techniques If you’re feeling a little over-heated, overwhelmed or stressed, finding the inspiration to write and create may be far more difficult, motivation too, all the more slender. In the spirit of chilling out and keeping your cool — creative and otherwise — […]
9 Potent Ways to Use Music to Enhance Your Writing
Amp up your creativity and your sounds with these nine ways to enhance your writing using music. Plato said that ‘music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything,’ while Nietzsche believed that a “life without music is a mistake.” Much like writing, it can transport us to a […]
15 Ocean-Inspired Storytelling Tools & Tips
Every writer has days where they feel a little deflated, distracted or depleted of wonder — especially when working on a project as grand as a novel. With short fiction too, it’s natural for this ebb and flow. Although each of us must find our own process, if your writing runs a little dry or you’re feeling uninspired, try these […]