One word you should remove from your writing vocabulary
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You might assume this is a philosophical or motivational blog post, and I’m going to tell you there’s no such … Read More
Revisiting Gone Girl: 5 things writers can learn from it
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Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl defined and popularised the psychological suspense genre. These days, the crime fiction shelves are packed with … Read More
Let your readers hear your protagonist’s thoughts – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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Dead Ringer started life as a third-person novel, until my agent suggested I make it first-person. This was a big … Read More
How my new mantra is helping me stay sane (and productive)
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I’ve recently put in place a simple new motto and it’s amazing what a help it’s been, in terms of … Read More
Why growth mindset is the number one thing you need to become a better writer (and a better person)
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‘Growth mindset’ might sound like one of those annoying buzzwords, but it describes an attitude shift that has helped me … Read More
Make your protagonist the type of person who jumps into the fray – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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In life, I’m a risk-averse person. I always weigh up my options and try to act prudently. In novels, I’ve … Read More
5 best books on writing for beginners and beyond
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Whether you’re starting out in creative writing or looking to fine-tune your writing craft, there are a wealth of reference … Read More
The most important advice I can give to fellow writers
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“What’s it like to see your book in print?” is a question I’ve been asked a lot recently and the … Read More
Don’t give ’em a reason to stop reading – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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One of my favourite pieces of feedback I’ve got on Dead Ringer is: “I stayed up past my bedtime reading … Read More
Should writers be sweating the adverb?
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I recently read a prominent author’s top three writing tips and one of them was that old chestnut, “don’t use … Read More
Why do mediocre novels get published? My theory (and what writers can learn from it)
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There’s little more frustrating than picking up a book and realising it’s BAY-AD. The characters are cardboard cut-outs. The action … Read More
Embrace the idea of multiple drafts – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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I’ve spent a lot of my writing life harbouring under the delusion that my first draft needed to be perfect. … Read More
5 of the best audiobooks for new listeners
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Looking to download an audiobook, but not sure where to start? Here are five of the best I’ve listened to. … Read More
5 tips for killing it in your next podcast or radio interview
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I’ve been doing a few radio and virtual interviews recently to promote Dead Ringer and I’ve made plenty of mistakes … Read More
How I made £250 using cashback websites
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I’ve been using cashback websites like Topcashback and Quidco for a couple of years now. Here are my experiences – … Read More
You’ll have to rearrange your life in order to write a novel – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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If there’s one myth about writing that I hate, it’s the myth that great novels were written in snatched 5-minute … Read More