There’s something magical about writing. Not just useful, not just necessary—but joyful. I see it all the time in my workshops: that moment when what’s on the page matches what was in your head – a sentence, a detail, a simile that just works! Writing can be hard work, for sure. But it can […]
Category: Creative Writing
The Real Barrier to Writing (and How to Help Overcome It)
Ever stared at a blank page, wondering where to start? You’re not alone. Many of the writers I work with arrive with the same problem. Often, they’ve been left with powerful writing anxiety from school, and so a lack of writing confidence. Others can begin but have no idea how to move beyond a raw […]
The Gift of Story: An Alternative Christmas Approach
It’s the thought that counts. That’s what people say, and sometimes mean. The people in your life who usually mean it the most are those with lots of stuff – people like grandparents. I remember giving my Nana soap, and even at eight years old, noticing her ‘Not another one’ face. And now that I’m […]
Thinking About Blogging? Start Here
Some of us (like me) remember card catalogues. You know, the ones in libraries where you pulled open a long wooden drawer and flicked through cards organised by subject or author. Nowadays, information is just a few keystrokes away – as is everybody’s opinion about everything. Blogs combine the two: information and opinion. A good […]
Use the Right Word, not the Fanciest.
Simplicity is beautiful. Or, as Architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, “Less is More.” Just look at that statement. With 10 letters, in three words, van der Rohe makes a complex assertion, using contrast as a tool: ‘Less’ and ‘more’ are opposites, paired by the strong, assertive ‘is.’ Rather than obscuring his meaning with wordiness, […]