tips and tricks

Killing Your Darlings is Hell. Here’s How I Edited My Novel.

Killing Your Darlings is Hell. Here’s How I Edited My Novel.

I’ve been suffering some body dysmorphia recently – not for my own body, but for the size of my novel. A year ago, it was a voluptuous 120,000 words (440 pages); now it’s a skinny 90,000 words (350 pages). The Getaway, a murder-mystery set in the Caribbean, comes out in November 2024 and I’ve been…

5 things I learned about writing from Succession
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5 things I learned about writing from Succession

Succession isn’t only the most twisted-funny show on TV, it’s also a masterclass in great writing. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from Jesse Armstrong and his team of writers: 1. Characters should walk into scenes fully-formed ‘Establishing character’ is often something we think we should do, either with a thumbnail sketch or…

6 things to know if you want to write a novel this year

6 things to know if you want to write a novel this year

If your new year’s resolution for 2021 is to write a novel, then you’ve picked a great goal. Writing keeps your brain active and creativity feeds your soul. During pandemic times, there’s no better feeling than soaring away on flights of fancy. However, novel-writing is not without its challenges. Maybe you’re apprehensive. Maybe you don’t…

Why growth mindset is the number one thing you need to become a better writer (and a better person)
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Why growth mindset is the number one thing you need to become a better writer (and a better person)

‘Growth mindset’ might sound like one of those annoying buzzwords, but it describes an attitude shift that has helped me immensely. What is growth mindset? It’s a term that comes from Carol S Dweck’s book, Mindset, which is a study of how children learn. This is a simplification, but in her study, Dweck observed two…

5 tips for killing it in your next podcast or radio interview

5 tips for killing it in your next podcast or radio interview

I’ve been doing a few radio and virtual interviews recently to promote Dead Ringer and I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. Here are 5 things I’ve learned to help you rock your next radio/podcast interview: Smile Yes, doing interviews is nerve-wracking. Yes, you might be struggling to think of what to say. But…

Build compelling characters using reality TV archetypes

Build compelling characters using reality TV archetypes

For guaranteed drama, take a leaf out a casting director’s book and use reality TV archetypes to build fascinating characters for your novel or short story. I’ve already outlined the lessons that writers can learn from reality TV. That was big-picture stuff. This is more granular, as I will outline specific types of people you’ll…

5 writing lessons you can learn from reality TV

5 writing lessons you can learn from reality TV

Here’s a writing assignment for you: turn on the TV! The reality TV casting process provides a devilishly fun way to improve characterization when writing your novel or short stories. Whether it’s Survivor, Big Brother, Housewives, or Love Island, your favourite guilty pleasure reality TV show doesn’t happen on its own. Every reality show is…

The one thing I changed about my writing process that took me from slush pile to publication

The one thing I changed about my writing process that took me from slush pile to publication

I made one (very simple) change to my writing process a couple of years ago that’s been truly transformative. Previously, when I had an idea for a story, I used to start with plot-related notes or an outline or just dive in to the first scene. Now I start with character. I commit to writing…

5 things I’ve learned as a beginner in public speaking

5 things I’ve learned as a beginner in public speaking

Public speaking has always been a huge fear of mine, but over the last year, I’ve been working on getting past my nerves and anxiety. I’ve been doing this by joining the worldwide public speaking club Toastmasters. (You’ll probably find there’s one in your town, too.) After a few months of regular public speaking, I…