Filter phrases subtly increase a reader’s sense of narrative or psychic distance -in other words, the extent to which they feel they are ‘one’ with a character.

If you’re writing a first draft of your novel and you’re worried you have too much backstory, you’re asking the right question. But there’s no need to be alarmed.

The intention of Write Towards Spring is to help us all continue or establish a near-daily writing practice, with softness and in sync with the season that we’re in: Winter. Thirty minutes a day of doing something to support your writing life; it could be learning, freewriting, plotting, reading, adding words to your draft, going on an artist's date. You could choose to create your own rules, deciding what you want to prioritize.

Hello again! This is the third in a mini series of videos on Feedback without the Freak Out. This will probably be the last in the series, but I'm enjoying connecting with you in this way so plan to do more videos like this in the future.

The second in an informal video series discussing fear of feedback. I am pushing on with my growth mindset once again, and speaking to you through the camera is already getting easier! In this video I discuss how great feedback is about a gentle back and forth, not about an assessment of value. It's about communication, connection.

This is the first in a short series of informal videos on 'fear of feedback'. I'm leaning on my growth mindset and trusting that I will improve my confidence on camera with practice!

Earlier this year I met with Paul. Paul wanted me to read his book in order to get some guidance on how to present it to agents. He wanted to know what genre I thought it was, who it would be marketed to, and how to describe it in a query letter.

But when we got together after I’d read his manuscript, as we got talking about who he imagined loving his book it seemed that a different conversation needed to happen.

This article is for you if you’ve ever got feedback on your work using terms like ‘This wasn’t clear’ ‘I was confused’ ‘I was lost’ ‘why did x character do this?’ or simply basic questions about what was happening in your story.

Whether you’re creating your online platform or writing a query letter; at some point, you need to say something about the author behind the book. But one of the reasons many writers find the querying process so daunting is the horrible suspicion that they themselves are not what the industry is looking for.

Once you decide to submit, you also have to decide to rise above the noise. The good news is you can learn how to write a query letter with the power to do this for you. You're a writer, this is your skill.

We are facing unprecedented levels of competition to get an agent. Since e-querying became the norm, your query became akin to the spam we all see in our own inboxes. You can no longer rely on a professional tone alone to stand out and get your manuscript in front of agents. 

When I became a mother for the first time I experienced this bittersweet and terrifying emotion of vulnerability. I read a quote somewhere on facebook by Elizabeth Stone that captured it perfectly:

“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”

Is there any better feeling than reading a book which completely transports you into another person's mind? As you read the closing pages you feel like by finishing the novel you are losing a friend, a lover or even a part of yourself, an identity that will always be a little part of you.