Lucy van Smit is an award-winning author, a screenwriter, and artist. She has worked internationally for NBC News, has made documentaries for Canadian TV on writers like John Le Carre and Ian McEwan and in 2018 her debut novel The Hurting won the inaugural Bath Children’s Novel Award. She's now put together A Writer's Journal Workbook, for Writers & Artists, which is jam packed with bite-sized exercises and tips for dismantling writer's block, improving observational skills, developing characters and much more. It's designed to help new writers get started, find their voice and improve their skills.

Simon talked to Lucy about her own struggles with writer's block, which she experienced after publishing her first novel, and how creating The Writer's Journal helped her as much as anyone who might read it.

We have a discount for Writing Life listeners, courtesy of our friends at Bloomsbury! Until 1 March 2022 anyone in the UK can get 25% off the workbook as long as you buy through the Bloomsbury website. The code is AWJW25 and can be used here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/writers-journal-workbook-9781472987365/ 

Find out more about what we do: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

Hosted by Simon Jones.

Music by Bennet Maples.