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
Greetings, fellow scribblers. I hope you’ve all had your jabs or are at least nearing the time for an appointment. I’ve been working away on a new project that I’d like to explain a bit more about at a later date because I think it will be of interest to other writers. In the meantime,… Read More Bournemouth Writing Prize 2021 shortlist
Please forgive a little trumpet blowing. It’s been quite a while since I’ve entered any competitions, and even longer since one of my entries placed, so it was a very nice surprise this evening to stumble across the longlist for the Bournemouth Writing Prize for Short Story 2021, only to discover a story of mine… Read More Bournemouth Writing Prize 2021 longlist
[UPDATED 25/8/2021] It really does feel like we’re emerging from a collective hibernation, doesn’t it? Armed with a Covid vaccination, or at least the promise of one in the near future. For many people, writing has been on the back burner – it certainly has been here at Wordherding Towers. But I have set a… Read More Short story competitions April-December 2021
Full disclosure, I’m not impartial in the case of this particular interview. It’s not an exaggeration to say that guest author Laura McKenna is the reason I’m writing today. Back in 2014, I spotted a sign on the noticeboard of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. It was for a six-week writing class, using the… Read More Words to Shape My Name author Q&A
