Anna and I have a conversation about the benefits and struggles of attending writing conferences. We talk in some depth about the 20Books conference that happened at the end of July in Edinburgh. We agree that there are many benefits to attending events. They can provide the motivation to be more productive, to share and … Continue reading "#17 – Writing Conferences and Events"

A secondary character should help reveal the details of the plot and progress the story in some way. They can either inspire the protagonist or oppose the protagonist. Do: Attach them to a place so that the reader can remember who they are. Go shallow, go deep to make a rounded character. As an author … Continue reading "#16 – Secondary Characters"

In episode 15, Anna and Lucinda talk about incorporating six senses into writing and give some tips on how to achieve this. Anna talks about her experience of NPL (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to determine how people learn in different ways, and with a primary sense. Anna reads an extract from Philip Pullman’s novel, The Golden … Continue reading "#15 – Six Senses"

In this episode, Anna and Lucinda revisit goal setting and discuss why it is okay not to achieve those goals. Goals aren’t meant to constrain us. They are tool, like many others, that’s help us to get where we need to go. Lucinda’s goals changed when she discovered Story Grid. Lucinda talks about the need … Continue reading "#14 – Goals"

In today’s episode, Lucinda and Anna talk about how conflict and motivation add tension in a novel. Almost every important character in a novel needs two types of conflict. External conflict: Character vs another character/nature/technology. Internal conflict. Character vs self. Inner conflict is a vital aspect of storytelling because it creates empathy in the reader, … Continue reading "#13 – Conflict"

Introduction Anna and Lucinda share their joy at going to see a play called Standing at the Sky’s Edge, written by Chris Bush about Parkhill flats in Sheffield. They go on to talk about character and character development. Standing at the Skye’s Edge Standing at the Sky’s Edge cleverly weaves together the stories of three … Continue reading "#12 – Standing at the Sky’s Edge"

In this episode, we talk about process and help Lucinda set goals with the aim of becoming a full-time writer in 5 years. Each author develops their own process over time, but that process does not necessarily remain static. As knowledge and understanding grow so an author’s process might change. Consider your own process and … Continue reading "#11 – Process and Goal Setting"

Episode 10 is about creativity and mental health. On examining the evidence, few scientific studies support the widely held assumption that there’s a link between creativity and mental health. While the research says that exercise helps mild to moderate depression, there is no clear evidence that creativity is linked to mood disorder. Despite this, many … Continue reading "#10 – Mental Health and Wellbeing"

In this episode, Lucinda and Anna talk about barriers – internal and external. They discuss trying to find a way through, from family issues to imposter syndrome. Signs of being stuck: While deep down we might know that we should be writing, it is not always apparent to the conscious mind that we are struggling … Continue reading "#9 – Barriers to Writing"

In this week’s podcast we discuss the benefits and pitfalls of writing groups and give listeners some ideas of the options available (see below). The links included are local to Sheffield but you will find similar classes near to you unless you are in a remote area, in which case you can check out online … Continue reading "#8 – Writing Education"