I usually confine my blog to writing-related matters. It’s a learning-to-write blog, after all. But sometimes there’s that yearning to express something more personal, and I’m lucky to have a forum where I can share my thoughts. Today was the funeral of my beloved uncle Tim. He was 82, and had been in deteriorating health… Read More A tribute
Today, November 13, is World Kindness Day and is a fitting date for the publication of the Everyday Kindness anthology. I’m proud to have a short story in this wonderful book edited by crime writer LJ Ross, featuring the work of 55 writers. All of the stories have been chosen to uplift and inspire, and… Read More Publication day for Everyday Kindness
Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know that I’m a huge fan of Fiction at the Friary, a monthly literary salon that takes place here in Cork. It is hosted by award-winning writers Danielle McLaughlin and Madeleine D’Arcy, and features a different guest author each month talking about their work, along with an optional… Read More Fiction at the Friary Q&A with Madeleine D’Arcy
Hello fellow writers, I hope you’re all writing away mad, as we say in Cork. I, on the other hand, am mad that I’m not writing away, having hit something of a wall with my current WIP (book 2). It was going great guns. I recently completed an excellent Curtis Brown Creative three-month novel course… Read More Getting unstuck with NaNoWriMo
Sharing your writing, particularly for the first time, is terrifying. What if early readers confirm your suspicions that your half-formed ideas are stupid? Yet the best way to grow as a writer is to seek outside opinions, and every work-in-progress needs another pair of eyes at some point, no matter how experienced you are. The… Read More 6 things I’ve learned about getting feedback
One of the most daunting elements of writing groups, classes or workshops is that you’re required to critique other people’s work as part of the learning process. There’s more to this than simply saying what you think. It’s often a delicate balancing act of being helpful but tactful. So this blog post is aimed at… Read More 6 things I’ve learned about giving feedback
Back in December, I happened upon this tweet by UK writer LJ Ross, author of the popular DCI Ryan series of crime novels: If you’ll remember, this was a time when everyone was weary from all the lockdowns and the news was wall-to-wall misery – unlike now when everything’s, erm… never mind. An uplifting project… Read More Everyday Kindness anthology
Isn’t it the worst? You want to use some carved-out free time to write. Or you want to make headway with an ongoing project. Or you want to finish a WIP that’s been dragging on for aaages. But you’re stuck, you can’t seem to find the next idea, the next word even. Surely this must… Read More 6 things I’ve learned about writer’s block
Please indulge me for another brief blog post as I tell you that my short story ‘A Guide to Keeping Birds’ has come joint second in the Bournemouth Writing Prize. The report from the judges, United Agents literary agent Sophie Scard, Picador Commissioning Editor Ansa Khan Khattak and Fresher Publishing Editorial Director Emma Scattergood, said:… Read More Bournemouth Writing Prize, a final update
Hello fellow scribblers. I hope some writing is happening for you, now that there is a slow return to normality and routine. I’ve been quiet because I’ve been busy. I have been working on a new book, outlining and planning and generally being far more ordered than usual. It’s a challenge, but I’m determined to… Read More Arts Council Agility Award
Word herding 