Lessons in Writing From a Mouse

This mouse is my new guru. I came across it on Facebook and it has had me captivated for days, helped me rethink my approach to novel writing and reminded me of what’s important in life. The person who uploaded the video onto YouTube gave it the title of Never Give Up. But there’s another, and to my mind, a … Read More

NaNoWriMo Diary Continued…

Okay, I know that technically a diary is something you write in every day. I should probably have called this a journal instead. And since I’m way behind, here are a few entries all at once: Tuesday: wrote 600 words today,  falling further behind. Now expected to finish April 2014. Wednesday: 150 words. Crawling now. Expected to finish May 2014 … Read More

Humour is Subjective: Continuing my NaNo Diary.

It’s November 4th, which is the 4th day of NaNoWriMo, and my third day. Yesterday, being Sunday, there were family things to do, but I still managed to get over 750 words done, so I felt fairly pleased. By the end of the day, the NaNo website promised I’d finish by March 2014 if I keep up the pace. Actually, … Read More

NaNoWriMo Diary. Putting Pen to Paper.

I’ve started. It’s only the 2nd of November and I have written 170 words so far of this year’s NaNoWriMo novel. Last year I didn’t bother at all, and the year before that the month was halfway through before I put pen to paper. Or, more accurately, before I tapped the keyboard and formed some words on a – what … Read More

Review of Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg

When my children were young one of their favourite questions, “What’s your favourite… colour, animal, type of chocolate, singer, television series?” It didn’t matter what it was, they wanted to know my favourite. And I’d sit there, saying, “Um… I don’t know. I don’t really have a favourite.” “But which one do you like the best?” They’d add, as if … Read More

Is it Writer’s Block or a Writing Break?

Sometimes when a writer hasn’t written much for a while he or she can feel stuck, unable to write, convinced no words will every flow from the pen or keyboard again. This feeling of being stuck is so common that we have the extremely familiar term “writer’s block.” Dozens, maybe even hundreds, of books have been written about how to … Read More

7 Ways To Help You Write When You Feel Depressed

If you are a writer who struggles with depression, you are not alone. Some research even suggests that writers are more prone to depression than the general population. If you feel severely depressed, it is important to get professional support. This article is not about how to find support, but how to keep going when it feels you can’t ever write … Read More

Why Do I Write? Why Do You Write?

There’s something about seeing someone you love stare death in the face and voice regrets that leads to pondering life’s big questions. At least, there’s something about my father nearing the end of his life and talking about his regrets that has got me thinking deeply.Isn’t it strange how much we dwell on what we think we’ve done wrong, on … Read More