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#TeacupClub 🍵✨@TeacupClub_·

Hello Teacup friends! The #TeacupClub Meeting starts NOW! 🍵 Make sure you're familiar with the rules before dropping your link 👇✨

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nicolamartinwriter

✍️ Author, #DeadRinger
📚 Reader of crime fiction, YA, and anything thought-provoking
📍 Bristol, UK
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⇘ 5 best books on writing:

Are you a hand-talker? 🤗⠀ .⠀ Oh, boy. If yo

Are you a hand-talker? 🤗⠀
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Oh, boy. If you're ever in the conversation with me, you'll see my hands flapping all over the place. 🤦‍♀️⠀
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Apparently, it's actually good to show the palms of your hands when you speak, because it demonstrates you're not concealing any weapons. (lol yes really.)⠀
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I'm particularly fascinated by books on body language, because it's useful for my writing. A subtle character movement is usually more effective than a clumsy description ("she looked angry" etc).⠀
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#joenavarro #whateverybodyissaying #bodylanguage #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #discoverunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #bristolbloggers #bristolwriters #bristoligers #bristollife #igersbristol #bristol_lens #bristolblog #bristolblogging #lovebristol #alwaysbristol #instabooks #igreads #lovereading #thereaderslounge #bookobsessed #readingstyles #alwaysreading #fortheloveofbooks #whatiread #readergram #debutauthor

Have you ever failed an exam or assignment?⠀
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I remember sitting down to take an exam on mathematical mechanics and my mind was filled with nothing but screaming. I failed. 🙈⠀
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I mention this because one of my teachers at college (I did a literature degree, not a maths degree, bwahaha) also taught Sandra Cisneros. She wrote The House on Mango Street for her poetry PhD -- and almost failed, because her 'poems' weren't really poems.⠀
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Luckily, the panel smiled on her. Thank God, because Mango Street is a gorgeous, gorgeous collection of not-quite-poems.⠀
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#thehouseonmangostreet #sandracisneros #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #discoverunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #bookblog #bookblogger #friendswithbookspost #readingstagram #bookstatribe #creativebookstagram #bookishphoto #readinglist2020 #readersunite #whattoreadnext #nosuchthingastoomanybooks #readallthebooks #booksaremagic #bibliofeature #readersgonnaread #allthebooks #booktography #singlebookshare #booksofinstagram #booknerdigans #bookgeek #booklove

New blog post: 5 best books on writing for beginne

New blog post: 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 books out there. Too many, you might even say! These are the five that I recommend over and over. 📚😊⠀
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Check out my blog @ nicolamartin.com. Link in bio.⠀
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#wordpressblogger #writingblog #blogwriter #blogwriting #bloggersofinstagram #bloglife #bloggerstribe #bloggerslife #blogginglife #bloggincommunity #savvyblogging #instablogging #bloggerlove #bloggersunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #britishauthor #britishauthors #britishwriter #britishwriters #writerscorner #writersnetwork #writersconnection #writerssociety #writersblock #booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife #bookishaesthetic

Do you listen to true crime podcasts?⠀ .⠀ I'm

Do you listen to true crime podcasts?⠀
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I'm catching up on My Favorite Murder, with grisly tales accompanying me as I run errands and do chores. 😳⠀
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Do you have any podcasts you'd recommend?⠀
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#readoutside #booksoutofdoors #discoverunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #valmcdermid #crimewriter #crimefiction #crimenovel #amreadingthrillers #psychologicalthrillers #psychologicalthriller #thrillerfiction #thrillersofinstagram #thrilleraddict #thrillerbooksaddict #bookaesthetic #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #2020reads #booksarebetter #lovethisbook #readingtherapy #bookwormsofinstagram #instareaders #bookworld #bookpost #idratherbereading #booksbooksbooks

I finally got to visit my novel in the wild, er, I

I finally got to visit my novel in the wild, er, I mean, in my local Waterstones, @waterstonesbristol 😎⠀
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#deadringer #nicolamartin #booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife #bookishaesthetic #bookblogging #bookstagramfeatures #bookstagramfeature #bookpic #bookishgirl #crimewriter #crimefiction #crimenovel #amreadingthrillers #psychologicalthrillers #psychologicalthriller #thrillerfiction #thrillersofinstagram #thrilleraddict #thrillerbooksaddict #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #bristolbloggers #bristolwriters #bristoligers #bristollife #igersbristol #authorsofig

What's the last historical novel you read? 📜⠀

What's the last historical novel you read? 📜⠀
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I'm re-reading Lily King's #Euphoria at the moment, which is about an anthropologist in the 1930s. It's such a vivid, immersive story. 🌻 @lilybooks⠀
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#historicalfiction #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #lilyking #discoverunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #bookrec #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #booklife #currentlyreading #amreading #booklover #booknerd #bookphotography #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #bookalicious #thatreadinglife #bookbloggershub #bookthoughts #readingisfundamental #bookcrazy #bookaddiction #bookaddicts #avidreader #whattoreadnext

Writers, do you ever enter short story competition

Writers, do you ever enter short story competitions?⠀
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I find the process so stressful. The anticipation! The nail-biting wait! The elation or despair. 🥺🤣⠀
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#readoutside #booksoutofdoors #supportauthors #indieauthors #writersunite #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #authorlife #authorpreneur #ukwriters #ukauthors #britishauthor #britishauthors #britishwriter #britishwriters #writerscorner #discoverunder1k #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #writersnetwork #writersconnection #writerssociety #writersociety #writersden #writers_around #writersofig #writingcommunityofig #writingislove #writingislife

What's the last book you read because #bookstagram

What's the last book you read because #bookstagram recommended it?⠀
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I've been seeing #Queenie everywhere, so I listened to the audiobook. Such a vivid main character, and a great reading from Shvorne Marks. 👑⠀
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#candicecartywilliams #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #discoverunder1k #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #beautifulbooks #prettybooks #creativebookphotography #bookishphotography #audiobook #audiobooks #audiobookstagram #audiobooklover #audiobooklove #audiobooksrock #audiobookreview #audiobookworm #instabooks #igreads #lovereading #thereaderslounge #bookobsessed #readingstyles #alwaysreading #fortheloveofbooks #whatiread #readergram

Which TV shows have you been bingeing recently? 📺⠀
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I've been watching Normal People, having enjoyed the book when I read it last year. Coincidentally, I've been re-reading one of my favourite books, Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, at the same time. I'm struck by how similar the two stories are: knotty, difficult stories of coming of age. 🎈⠀
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#prep #curtissittenfeld #discoverunder500 #bookblog #bookblogger #friendswithbookspost #readingstagram #bookstatribe #creativebookstagram #bookishphoto #readinglist2020 #readersunite #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #yareads #yareader #amreadingya #yanovels #yanovel #yafiction #bookrec #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #whattoreadnext #nosuchthingastoomanybooks #readallthebooks #booksaremagic #bibliofeature #readersgonnaread

Time for another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWriti

Time for another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWritingDeadRinger (check the hashtag to collect ‘em all):⠀
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💎 Don’t spend two sentences describing someone opening a door⠀
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I didn’t learn the creative writing term “proportion” until relatively recently. It basically means: give every action in your novel the amount of emphasis it deserves.⠀
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If the main character almost drowns, don’t skim over it in one sentence. 🌊⠀
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By the same token, if something banal happens, don’t spend a paragraph describing it. If the doorbell rings and the protagonist answers it, don’t describe them walking down the hall, finding their key, putting their key in the lock, reaching for the handle, opening the door, looking up, and then finally saying, “Hello!” 😜⠀
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I mention door-opening, because when I think of proportion, I always remember a scene in the first draft of #DeadRinger when a character takes an absurdly long time to open the damn door. Don’t worry, I fixed it in a subsequent draft.⠀
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(📸 by @wordcortex)⠀
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#crimewriter #crimefiction #crimenovel #amreadingthrillers #psychologicalthrillers #psychologicalthriller #thrillerfiction #thrillersofinstagram #thrilleraddict #thrillerbooksaddict #debutauthor #debutauthor2020 #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #writing #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writersofinsta #writerslife #writinglife #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #writingtips #booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife #bookishaesthetic

Where are you jetting off to this summer? ✈ (In

Where are you jetting off to this summer? ✈ (In your mind, I mean! 🤣)⠀
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My imaginary summer holiday is to New York City. I've been enjoying Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin. (@wednesdaymartinphd) The tales of yummy mummies on the Upper East Side are very silly, but it's entertaining stuff. 😏⠀
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#primatesofparkavenue #wednesdaymartin #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #beautifulbooks #prettybooks #creativebookphotography #bookishphotography #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #instabooks #igreads #lovereading #thereaderslounge #bookobsessed #readingstyles #alwaysreading #fortheloveofbooks #whatiread #readergram #bibliofeature #readersgonnaread #allthebooks #booktography #readingisfundamental #bookcrazy #bookaddiction

I've been enjoying these little signs from @theart

I've been enjoying these little signs from @theartkindness popping up around Bristol recently. Here's a pic of one I took a few weeks ago. It's blown away since then, but the message stands: ur cool. 😎⠀
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#bristolbloggers #bristolwriters #bristoligers #bristollife #igersbristol #bristoluk #bristol247 #bristol_lens #bristolblog #bristolblogging #lovebristol #alwaysbristol #visitbristol #ukblog #ukblogger #ukbloggers #photooftheday #bloggincommunity #savvyblogging #instablogging #bloggerlove #bloggersunder1k #discoverunder1k #supportauthors #writersunite #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #authorlife #ukwriters #ukauthors

How do you feel about meeting your favourite autho

How do you feel about meeting your favourite authors?⠀
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I tend to subscribe to the 'don't meet your heroes' doctrine. (What do you mean, writers are just average people? I refuse to believe it! 😯) ⠀
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When I met Douglas Coupland, I poured out rather an embarrassing five-minute monologue about how much his books meant to me. I think that's the reason for the (x)! he wrote in my book. He had no idea how to react. 🤣⠀
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Do you have any embarrassing stories about meeting your fave author?⠀
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#douglascoupland #jpod #microserfs #signedbook #signedbooks #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #instabooks #igreads #lovereading #thereaderslounge #bookobsessed #readingstyles #alwaysreading #fortheloveofbooks #whatiread #readergram #booksarebetter #lovethisbook #readingtherapy #bookwormsofinstagram #instareaders #bookworld #bookpost #idratherbereading #booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife #bookishaesthetic

Here's another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWriting

Here's another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWritingDeadRinger (check the hashtag to collect ‘em all):⠀
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💎 Write the story from the sidekick’s perspective, too⠀
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During one particular rewrite of #DeadRinger, I felt like I’d tied myself up in knots. My protagonist was breaking up with her boyfriend, but he seemed to be taking it too well. I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking or feeling during the scene.⠀
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So I decided to write the entire novel from The Boyfriend’s perspective.⠀
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Well, in note form, anyway. 😝 I wrote down every major scene of the novel and scribbled down a few words about what he was thinking at that point in time.⠀
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It was a simple exercise, but it solved all my problems.⠀
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We never get to hear his thoughts in the novel, since he’s not a POV character, but suddenly I knew how he would act and what he would say in certain situations.⠀
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I unknotted my problematic scene, and I think the novel got better overall.⠀
I now do this type of exercise (reimagining the novel as if the sidekick or love interest were the main character) with all my non-POV characters. ✨⠀
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(📸 by @wordcortex)⠀
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#bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #booklife #currentlyreading #amreading #booklover #booknerd #bookphotography #bookaddict #bookstagrammer #britishauthor #britishauthors #britishwriter #britishwriters #writerscorner #writersnetwork #writersconnection #writerssociety #writersblock #writinganovel #writingprocess #iamwriting #amwriting #writingtips #booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife

What's your favourite flower? 💐⠀ .⠀ I can't

What's your favourite flower? 💐⠀
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I can't resist a rose. If I'm passing a rose bush, I have to stop and smell every bloom. 😊⠀
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#rose #roses #bristolbloggers #bristolwriters #bristoligers #bristollife #igersbristol #discoverunder500 #bristoluk #bristol247 #bristol_lens #bristolblog #bristolblogging #lovebristol #alwaysbristol #visitbristol #ukblog #ukblogger #ukbloggers #photooftheday #debutauthor #debutauthor2020 #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #writing #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writersofinsta #writerslife #writinglife

Writers, do you prefer drafting or editing?⠀
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It's taken me a loooooooong time to embrace editing. I used to hate it. I still prefer drafting, but I now find editing very satisfying. (Okay, tedious and satisfying. But still satisfying! 😜)⠀
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I always find The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne to be useful when I go through that tedious/satisfying cycle of editing.⠀
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#thestorygrid #shawncoyne #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #debutauthor #debutauthor2020 #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #writing #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writersofinsta #writerslife #writinglife #supportauthors #indieauthors #writersunite #authorssupportingauthors #writerssupportingwriters #authorlife #authorpreneur #ukwriters #ukauthors #writinganovel #writingprocess #iamwriting #amwriting #bookwormsofinstagram #instareaders

Happy Independence Day, 'Murica. Please enjoy this

Happy Independence Day, 'Murica. Please enjoy this #throwback to me admiring a stars-and-stripes pallet at an RV park called Paradise in Northern California. 😎⠀
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#discoverunder1k #bristolbloggers #bristoligers #bristollife #igersbristol #bristolblogging #ukblog #ukblogger #ukbloggers #photooftheday #wordpressblogger #writingblog #blogwriter #blogwriting #bloggersofinstagram #bloglife #bloggerstribe #bloggerslife #blogginglife #bloggincommunity #savvyblogging #instablogging #bloggerlove #bloggersunder1k #writingcommunity #writerscommunity #writersofinsta #writerslife #writinglife

What weird obsessions did you have as a kid?⠀
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For me, it was Victorian Britain. I think I imagined that in a former life I was a plucky orphan who sold matches on the streets or something. 🥺⠀
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Now, I think bb!Nicola might have enjoyed being an amateur sleuth like Hazel and Daisy from the #MurderMostUnladylike series. 🔎⠀
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I just finished Book 3, #FirstClassMurder and I think it's my favourite of the series so far. @redbreastedbird⠀
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#robinstevens #middlegradebooks #childrensbooks #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #kindle #kindlebooks #kindlereads #bookalicious #thatreadinglife #bookbloggershub #bookthoughts #readingisfundamental #bookcrazy #bookaddiction #bookaddicts #avidreader #beautifulbooks #prettybooks #creativebookphotography #bookishphotography #mysterybooks #bookblog #bookblogger #friendswithbookspost

Time for another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWriti

Time for another Writing Tip I Learned #WhileWritingDeadRinger (check the hashtag to collect ‘em all):⠀
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💎 Let your readers hear your protagonist’s thoughts⠀
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#DeadRinger started life as a third-person novel, until my agent suggested I make it first-person.⠀
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This was a big change, but it made the protagonists’ voices much clearer. The reader gets to sit in their heads, hear their thoughts. 🤔⠀
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This, I think, is the superpower of novels (versus TV or movies). You get to hear what the main character’s thinking. In a way, you even become that character while you’re reading.⠀
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I’ve used third-person for other projects since writing Dead Ringer, but the act of changing a whole novel to first-person taught me something. I learned to become much more attuned to the character’s thoughts. I began weaving internal monologue into third-person stories a lot more.⠀
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My advice: don’t get so caught up in action and dialogue and description that you forget the importance of communicating your protagonist’s thoughts. 💛⠀
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(📷 by @wordcortex)⠀
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#booksbooksbooks #readerlife #readerforlife #bookishaesthetic #bookblogging #bookstagramfeatures #bookstagramfeature #bookpic #bookishgirl #bookblog #bookblogger #friendswithbookspost #readingstagram #bookstatribe #creativebookstagram #bookishphoto #readinglist2020 #readersunite #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #readoutside #booksoutofdoors #writersociety #writersden #writers_around #writersofig #writingcommunityofig

Writers, what's your favourite thing about writing

Writers, what's your favourite thing about writing?⠀
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Mine is that there's this whole world that exists in my imagination and I just need to open the door. 🗝️⠀
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#crimewriter #discoverunder500 #writersociety #writersden #writers_around #writersofig #writingcommunityofig #writingislove #writingislife #writergram #authorsofig #authorsofinsta #igwriter #writinganovel #writingprocess #iamwriting #amwriting #writinginspiration #writingprompts #britishauthor #britishauthors #britishwriter #britishwriters #writerscorner #writersnetwork #writersconnection #writerssociety #writersblock #writerssupportingwriters #authorlife

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Recent Posts

Best books on creative writing

31 Jul 2020

5 best books on writing for beginners and beyond

by Nicola | posted in: Books, Writing | 0

Whether you’re starting out in creative writing or looking to fine-tune your writing craft, there are a wealth of reference … Read More

Writing advice

31 Jul 2020

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

Dead Ringer by Nicola Martin

16 Jun 2020

Don’t give ’em a reason to stop reading – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer

by Nicola | posted in: Dead Ringer | 2

One of my favourite pieces of feedback I’ve got on Dead Ringer is: “I stayed up past my bedtime reading … Read More