The Read & Trust newsletter
A couple of months ago, I was asked to become one of the founding members of a new group of writers called Read & Trust [http://www.readandtrust.com]. Here’s the idea: > Read & Trust is committed to gathering together the best independent writers available — the ones recommended
Jean O’Brien: poetry, focus and competitions
Interview by Donna Sørensen Back in January, I had a delightful chat with Iain about what it feels like to be published for the first time [http://writeforyourlife.net/writing-published-first-time]. I was deliriously high at the time, riding the upward crest of the endless ‘Happy Face! Sad Face!’ wave that
Stop lying about what you do
I’ve been reading booktwo.org [http://booktwo.org] by James Bridle [http://twitter.com/jamesbridle] for about a year. He recently wrote seven posts about the future [http://booktwo.org/seven-posts-about-the-future/], and this one’s a belter: > We prejudge endlessly. Because we have not experienced the emotions that
Where does your writing sit in the literary canon?
A bit of a different question this one, but it’s something I think you need to have in mind when you’re writing. One of the things my English degree (and subsequent Masters) [http://writeforyourlife.net/university-qualifications-writing] gave me was a good (though far from brilliant) understanding of the
10 decisions you can make about your writing right now
There is so much advice available to writers. Website after website from perfectly pleasant person after perfectly pleasant person offering totally reasonable suggestions to help you write better, longer, faster. All of which is splendid. I mean, I’m one of those people. The problem is, at some point, as
Are you a writer that commits and finishes?
We’re often told how many people write and submit books to agents and publishers each year – it’s a lot. But I bet there’s a whole heap more who start writing and never reach the end. People find it much easier to start than they do to go
The loneliness of the middle distance writer
In this episode I talk about the loneliness of being a writer and the problems associated with writing for long periods without any feedback or reward. It’s a tricky one for most writers, I think. How do you find the strength to keep going without the occasional treat or
All the small things
If you’re anything like me, you like to watch people. Not only that, you like to listen in on their conversations then make a note of what they say and how they say it. You do it because you can’t help it. You’re a complete nosy parker.
Do you think like a writer?
A couple of weeks ago you might have noticed a new page added to Write for Your Life, and that shiny bar at the top of the screen. That’s because I plan to launch the Write for Your Life membership scheme [http://writeforyourlife.net/membership] in the next few
How to behave online and build your brand (yuck!)
There’s a lot of pressure on writers these days. Not only do we have to come up with great stories, perfect prose and wonderfully constructed sentences, we also need to think about our brand. Yuck! That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it? The personal brand. What a