Will you wing it to bring it? — It’s one of the biggest questions in writing. Do you plan every tiny part of your novel in advance? Or do you start to write and just see where it takes you? And which one is the right way? I am here to tell you that there is no right…

Should you be worried about someone stealing your story? — OK. So far in this series we’ve looked at the lighter stuff of ideas and seed words. Now for the question on all our minds: will someone steal my idea? You've written a story that you think is really great. You’ve shown it to your family and friends who you…

Prince Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Adele and a little bit of magic — In 2013 I visited the fairy-tale world of Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE. I met Prince Charles and Adele and this triggered an avalanche of ideas. I’d already spent a lot of time studying storytelling, but that day was an eye opener. The whole day was curated to be…

Seed words and what you need to make the reader feel — As well as writing every day I read every day, and the best writing makes me feel all the emotions. That’s why I always think about the emotional seeds of my novel before I start writing. I find the best place to start with this is where you want your…

Getting your novel published — plan, write, market — This is the first in a series of articles I am writing in the run up to publication of my next novel, Teenage Kicks, in March 2023. Over the next ten months I’ll share everything that led to publication of the novel — where I go my ideas from, how…

Writing doesn’t have to be lonely if you find your tribe… — I’ve been writing novels for more than twenty years. I was told that writing is a lonely game. But my experience is different. The public writing identity seemed to showcase someone spending long hours in a dimly lit room slaving away at a single sentence. While this is sometimes true…

Keeping track of who, where and when in your story — I’ve been writing crime fiction and psychological thrillers for ten years now. I’m currently writing women’s fiction ‘up-lit’. One question that comes up regularly is: do you know what you will write before you write it? My answer is a resounding yes! I am a plotter. I like to plan. …

Five things that showed me how good the world really is — I am not naturally a feel-good person. In fact, I am an old cynic. I am not a fan of memes or affirmations even though I know they promote positive thinking. I need to see ‘the difference’ being made. In March 2020 I remember thinking that lockdown would change people…

Playing the time economy can turn your life around — The one question that stumps me is ‘What do you do?’ At parties or networking events or seminars or just down the pub, it’s one of the first questions people who don’t know me ask. I won’t bore you with a list of all the things I do, that’s reserved…