Getting to ‘the end’ – how to finally finish writing your book
I've been witness to the precise moment when a book was written. I watched as the words ‘THE END’ were typed, as a long-held goal was achieved. I know the secrets – it involves big goals and tight deadlines, cute kittens and stunning views, and incredible focus....
Writing psychology: 3 opposing character traits that hold you back
There's a romantic myth that being an extreme personality type makes you a more creative person. But we believe that being thoroughly mediocre – coming somewhere in the middle – is about the best thing you can do if you want to get your project written. Learn how your...
How to write travel guides – 10 essential skills for success
With over 50 travel guides under his belt Julius Honnor knows a thing or two about writing reviews. His advice sends travellers rushing to towns, hotels and sites of exceptional interest in all corners of the globe. He shares his advice on the skills you need to...
Bulletproof your goal setting with obstacle thinking
Forget positive thinking, it’s time to get pessimistic. Focusing on what can go wrong can help you create a bulletproof plan to achieve your writing goals. Combine obstacle thinking with other science-backed tactics for goal setting and you’re on to building a winning...
How to write an academic article that gets published
To say academic article publishing is competitive is an understatement. Often described as publish or perish, university researchers are under huge pressure to get their articles written and into the world. With career success dependent on having a rock-solid...
How to write an author blog that helps your writing career
Having an author blog is a super-important part of any writer’s marketing toolkit. Your blog is a place where you can test out your writing, get noticed by publishers, engage with readers, build a following and in some cases – sell your work. Whilst it’s great to blog...
How to write highly effective LinkedIn articles
With over half a billion users across the world, we should take LinkedIn pretty seriously when the company says it’s aiming to be the biggest publisher of any type in the world (if it isn’t already). But with more people than ever posting not just updates but...
Understanding your writing philosophy will make you more productive
While there are lots of tactics you can use to keep procrastination at bay and stay motivated with your work, there’s no right or wrong way to approach a writing project. Saying that, scientist and author Cal Newport has identified four writing philosophies – figuring...
The persuasive power of ‘when – then’ planning to make you a more productive writer
It's all too easy to make promises and plans about your writing. To say that you're going to finish writing a book, to plan on blogging every day. More often than not - those targets go unmet and those dreams go unrealised. And that’s because according to...
How to keep productive by quitting
You know that nagging voice you hear when you haven’t finished something? Well, I’m a compulsive finisher and my nag is relentless. It’s probably why I’m better at writing shorter things like this and why writing anything longer than about 2,000 words gives me the...
How to build a daily creative habit
Faced with her students’ procrastination, designer and lecturer Tash Willcocks set out to prove that small steps lead to big gains. Since February 2013 she’s hand drawn and published an illustration every day. From overcoming fear, to building a community, and finding...
How one writer’s data can help us all to write
We’ve been working with the data visualisation specialists at The Guardian newspaper. We gave them exclusive access to tracking data from Man Booker long-listed novelist Wyl Menmuir. They used the data to tell a story about writing stories – the ups and downs, the...