7 tips for writers People often ask me, ‘how do you find time to write?’ The truth is, I don’t find time. I make it. I want to write, so I do. Do I get busy and overwhelmed? Hell, yes! Do I sometimes go days, weeks, months without writing because life gets in the way? Hell, yes! But I always come back to writing because I love it. I choose to write and it means other areas of my life sometimes fall to the wayside (i.e. housework) and I’m okay with that. Thankfully my husband is mostly okay with that too.  Writing requires sacrifice I work part-time in a local hospital, I’m the primary ca ..read more

Like most people, 2020 hasn’t been my favourite year but it is almost over. While we haven’t been able to travel or move around Australia or abroad as we’ve been used to, we can be transported to other places; other countries, time zones, eras and worlds, without even leaving our home. Thankfully I have read many wonderful books this year; from escapist reads, to nature-themed stories and memoirs, to books set in places far away from home. I’ve easily bought over fifty books this year. All physical copies. I’ve borrowed many from the library and friends too. Fifty books may seem like a lot ..read more

How to use attachment theory in fiction Have you ever wondered how to use psychology to create authentic relationships between your fictional characters? How to strengthen that notorious ’emotional wound’ and heighten the character conflict? Well, now you can. Attachment theory can help you build a strong foundation for your protagonist’s backstory and create a lifelike cast of characters in your novel. What is attachment theory? In the 1960s, Psychoanalyst John Bowlby proposed the idea that babies are born with an instinctual desire to connect with other humans. In the first year of life, th ..read more

What a crazy time we currently live in. Amidst the chaos, life moves forward, even if it does look different now to a few months ago. Even though many writer events have been cancelled, books are still being published. So without the traditional bookstore book launch or library talk, how will authors get their book noticed? Writing agencies, publishers and authors have had to adapt rather quickly. Digital publicity and social media will now have to be at the core of any book launch. Now more than ever, readers need to be vocal about books they love and spread the word. After all, reading is n ..read more

We’ve heard a lot about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on bookstores and book launches and cancelled writing gigs. But what if you haven’t got a book on the shelf yet? What if you’re just about to hit submit and send out your work to agents only to find yourself in the midst of the very dystopian future you once only read about? Now we’re living it. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a manuscript out on submission; I’ve had plenty of experience with the niggling doubts about whether my writing is good enough and when the dreaded rejection emails will fill my inbox. I never t ..read more

It’s the beginning of the year when I think about what’s next in terms of my writing. Last year I completed my eighth manuscript, a commercial women’s fiction novel, and now it’s ready for submissions. For me, ‘submissions’ cover all opportunities available for an unpublished manuscript, not just sending off to literary agents. It’s a lot of work getting the applications underway, but entering competitions is not only excellent practice for nailing that pitch and synopsis, but it also ramps up the possibility of it being seen by an industry professional. Every year I do a round-up of th ..read more

Let me tell you, it’s very challenging to find a spare moment when you have a four year old and a four month old baby.  I mean, just getting dinner on the table is a struggle most days. I’ve been writing novels seriously for almost ten years, so I’ve had to adapt my writing regime around work, my social life, and more recently, my family. My eldest daughter is now four years old and attending preschool three days per week. When she was first born it was the first time I’d had a break from my psychology career and I felt excited about spending more time writing! Then my daughter was born ..read more

How do you know if your novel is commercial or ‘marketable?’ I recently completed the first draft of my latest manuscript (#8!). It has the working title, The Perfect Sister. Even though I know there’s a lot of redrafting and editing ahead, I’m feeling pretty happy with the overall story. But, had I been asked 25,000 words in whether I was excited about my story, I’d probably have told you no. I was excited when I began but it soon wore off and I was left feeling really stuck. Then I listened to Fiona McIntosh’s interview on the So You Want to be a Writer podcast and I discovered my pro ..read more

Plotting the novel In 2018, I entered the Richell Prize (yes I’m blaming you!) for my current WIP. At the start of last year, I wrote the first 25,000 words and since I’d entered my other manuscript in every other award the year before I decided I’d give it a go. This is the first time I’d entered a manuscript that was not complete. What does the Richell entry involve? A detailed chapter summary and a synopsis. Agh for a pantser this is torture! Even though I have a vague idea of what happens in my stories and where they will go, I can’t really see the details in between until I start to wri ..read more

A new year, a new plan.  Last year, I had a big goal in regards to my writing career. This year, I just want to stay on track, write regularly and keep moving forward. In recent months, the thought of sitting at my keyboard and having to produce a word count felt utterly overwhelming. The more time I spent away from my manuscript, the more pressure I placed on myself to produce. A lot went on last year. I wrote the first 25,000 words of my WIP and then shelved it when the edits came in for my complete manuscript, Secrets That Bind Us. I reworked the manuscript and started pitch ..read more