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The complete guide to working with beta readers

Everything you need to know about working with beta readers – who they are, the benefits of using them and practical tips on how to recruit, brief and communicate with them. It’s publishing folklore – how JK Rowling was famously...

Keep going: 10 books to help build your writing resilience

From punchy pep talks to solid science, I've been reading books about how to build better habits and keep going for over a decade. These are the ones I turn to again and again when I want a burst of inspiration or help answering a tricky coaching question. Read on for...

How to keep writing using rewards

Whatever you’re writing it’s important to keep motivated and keep moving forward. That’s when rewards can power up your writing productivity. However, there’s more to rewards than treating yourself to a big slice of cake after crafting the perfect sentence. Find out...

Build a rock solid writing routine with the psychology of habits

‘How to build a writing habit’ is clickbait for writers. Habits are a magic bullet to kill procrastination and end struggles with willpower. But beware! Writing does not meet the scientific definition of a habit so striving for the gold standard will end in failure....

Writing systems: finding yours, why it matters

Everybody writes differently but one thing’s the same. The writers who have a more balanced, easier and less wrung-out relationship with writing have all developed some kind of personal system to keep them going and to stop them from stalling. Before lockdown I used...

How to make time to write – 4 approaches to finding time

Learn about four approaches that other writers use to make time to write, try these simple exercises to find time in your busy schedule, and make the most of what time you have. How writers make time to write Some of us are short on time while others have too much....

How to set a writing goal: the ultimate guide

Writing goals are important because they give you something to aim for. They give you the structure, direction and clarity you need to keep moving forwards with your project. However, the wrong goal can become a millstone that demotivates and leads to delay, and make...

Prioritise your writing – exercises to help make writing matter and make it happen

You’re busy. You’ve got a job, family commitments, a life that fills your calendar from dawn until dusk. But you’ve also got dreams - a creative idea, a book you want to write - or you’ve got plans for an article you need to write, a blog to update. If your writing...

A guide to tracking your writing – why noticing how you write will transform your practice

Tracking can be a powerful tool for behaviour change. It helps you build writing habits and routines, improve your productivity, and make you feel more positive about writing - which means you'll be more likely to continue. Get started with this complete guide to...

The complete guide to writing accountability – hold yourself to account and use others to help you achieve your writing goals

Writing accountability comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether you like to keep your projects secret or enlist others to support you, we’ve got you covered in this complete guide to writing accountability. Find out why it matters, get inspired by the ingenious methods...

How to stop procrastinating for good: a guide for writers

Some writers assume that procrastinating means engaging in frivolous activity - but that’s not true. Work can be procrastination, research can be procrastination, planning can be procrastination. It has many different forms and the less visible it is, the more...
How to avoid the willpower trap

How to avoid the willpower trap

We’re taught from an early age that trying to do such and such is admirable – and indeed, it can be. But in reality, making yourself do anything through willpower alone is a trap. It's demoralising and rarely gets results. Forcing yourself to write, stay focused or...

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Overcome distraction with obstacle thinking

Overcome distraction with obstacle thinking

Many things get in the way of writing - from the siren call of social media to children clamouring for attention. Find out what obstacles writers face and how to battle your distraction with obstacle thinking. Learn to WOOP with some help from video games. The time is...

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Do you believe in writing myths?

Do you believe in writing myths?

You’d never call Cheryl Strayed a shirker. Today, her books regularly hit the bestseller lists, her memoir Wild was made into an Oscar-nominated film. She’s successful and prolific by any measure. But for years she was stuck – she didn’t write a thing. She judged...

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Writing systems: finding yours, why it matters

Writing systems: finding yours, why it matters

Everybody writes differently but one thing’s the same. The writers who have a more balanced, easier and less wrung-out relationship with writing have all developed some kind of personal system to keep them going and to stop them from stalling. Before lockdown I used...

read more
How to set a writing goal: the ultimate guide

How to set a writing goal: the ultimate guide

Writing goals are important because they give you something to aim for. They give you the structure, direction and clarity you need to keep moving forwards with your project. However, the wrong goal can become a millstone that demotivates and leads to delay, and make...

read more