In the autumn of 2019, my mum was in serious cognitive decline. She was finding it increasingly difficult to retrieve her memories or find the right words. She had even forgotten the name of the house she’d lived in for 25 years. As she was losing her grip on language, I started reflecting on its power. And that’s when I found this quote, from spiritual teacher Jeff Brown: Words. So powerful. … [Read more...] about As Mum lost her grip on language, I wrote a book about words
writing process
Why is writing a book so hard? Plus other FAQs about being an author
I'm not a seasoned author, but I have written three books. I finished the first one 15 years ago (it remains unpublished); the second was a short e-book about storytelling that I published on Kindle a few years ago; the third is a work in progress (I am working on a second draft). But in my capacity as a developmental editor I am currently working with several authors to help them write business … [Read more...] about Why is writing a book so hard? Plus other FAQs about being an author
Why not zhoosh up your writing?
Let me ask you a few questions. Do you find writing a chore? Doubt your ability to write? Want to write blogs to promote your business but don’t know where to start? Have a website that is professional but doesn’t really show your personality? Get in a spin when it comes to deciding what to keep in and what to leave out of a blog, article or speech? Need a hand with editing and … [Read more...] about Why not zhoosh up your writing?
What the parsnip does it all mean?
I've always been fascinated by synchronicity – events that have no causal relationship but seem to be meaningfully related. Last week, a friend came over to my place to give me cooking lessons. What? Cooking lessons? At my age?!? Yep. It has long been a source of shame and guilt that I hardly ever cook anything from scratch. I moved into my new flat in March and, until my friend visited, had … [Read more...] about What the parsnip does it all mean?
Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
In my last blog, I traced the development of my writing voice by looking back at the first reviews I wrote for the music paper Sounds. If you haven’t read it yet, click here. I identified eight learnings about how you might find your voice in the written word, which I’m now going to dig into in more detail. NB: These learnings apply to fiction and non-fiction, but please note I am not a … [Read more...] about Eight things you need to do to find your voice as a writer
How did I develop my voice as a writer?
I often refer to myself as “the accidental journalist”. Becoming a professional writer wasn’t part of my career plan. I had trained to be a secretary, and that’s what I was – until I started working for the editor of Sounds, a rock music paper, and a year later found myself writing my first gig review and having it published under my pen name, Betty Page. I benefited from the “anyone can do it” … [Read more...] about How did I develop my voice as a writer?