The standout books of 2025, which turned out to be a very good year of reading for me: I really, really loved these books. Any one of them would have been enough to crown a year of reading, so the pleasure of reading all four was an utter treat. Such reading is enlarging, and transformative. … Read more
Much of the work in self-editing and revising lies in tricking yourself in ways to see your work anew. In this post I outline suggestions for things to try out in your own practice. Approaching revision and drafting in stages After completing a first draft, it’s a good idea to put the work to one … Read more
If you are serious about being published, it makes sense to understand where your writing sits relative to readers and the marketplace. Comparison titles usually help to frame how your book might appeal. It’s also important to grasp your book’s genre or category; not only will this help to identify a possible readership, but it … Read more
My next Zoom masterclass, Showing and Telling on 20 October, is devoted to scenecraft and narration, and dialogue will be one of the topics under discussion. Once upon a time I read a guide to writing novels by a leading light at a well-known creative writing establishment, and it included a whole chapter on dialogue, and every single example of … Read more
When I teach my masterclass on Perspective and Style, I look at techniques that can make a piece of writing into its own distinct thing and develop our voices in writing. In my teaching on Voice, I stress the value of leaning into the natural speaking voice and getting it down on the page. It’s easy, it … Read more
