On Tuesday 11th at 6pm, I will be doing a workshop for WestWord, called Found Prompts, and we will be looking at all the places you can find story ideas when you think your inspiration well is running dry. There are so many places we can find stories, from many surprising sources. Come along and let's explore them and create some stories seemingly from thin air!  Click on the button at the end of this post to book a place on the workshop, and I will see you on Tuesday at 6pm BST.

Found prompts and noticing the world around you has been the subject of my Daily Writing Craft Thoughts on social media this week. When I am asked where my ideas come from, apart from saying “come along to the WestWord workshop on Tuesday and find out (LOL)", I tell people my ideas come from everywhere. I am not saying I live a more exciting life than anyone else, but I do try to notice the things others may walk past. I notice those minute pauses when someone hesitates before answering something; I look at things like a single shoe at the side of the road; I make up scenarios when someone sits in front of an untouched coffee for too long in a coffee shop, and wonder why.

Most of these moments and observations never become stories on their own. But they become seeds. A gesture suggests a character. A snippet of conversation sparks a scene. An unexpected detail makes me ask, Why? And that's often where a story begins for me.

One of the best habits you can develop as a writer is simply noticing. Slow down. Look up. Listen carefully. Ask yourself what catches your eye, and more importantly, why it catches your eye.

Tell me: What's the last ordinary thing you noticed that made you wonder if there might be a story behind it? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to book your place on the Found Prompts workshop by clicking the button below.

Until next time, happy writing!

This week, my Daily Writing Craft Thought posts have been all about pacing for any story length.

It's easy to think that pacing depends on the length of your story. You would naturally think a flash fiction piece should move quickly, while a novel has more room to slow down? That is not necessarily the case. I've read flash fiction that felt as though it wandered for pages, and novels that seemed to fly by. Both of these scenarios, in themselves, are not bad by the way. I love a flash fiction that is 200 words but feels like so many more. I really feel I am getting my money’s worth, so to speak. There is a great skill the writer has used to manipulate us to feel that – and as long as it makes sense for the story, it’s fabulous. Same with novels… I do love a long, meandering novel, but I also love to feel breathless and as if I am on a rollercoaster to the end. The pacing you should use very much depends on the story and the feel you want to convey.

So basically, the feel of a story is nothing to do it the word count, and everything to do with pacing.

Good pacing is about keeping the reader engaged. Every scene should offer something new: a question, a revelation, a decision, a shift in emotion, or a change in circumstance. If nothing changes, the story begins to stand still, no matter how beautifully it's written.

That doesn't mean every page needs dramatic action. Quiet scenes are often essential and can be some of the most affecting. They allow characters to reflect, relationships to deepen, and readers to catch their breath. But even quiet scenes need movement. Perhaps a character realises something. Perhaps a relationship subtly changes. Perhaps the reader is given a clue they didn't have before.

One useful question to ask during revision is: What changes because of this scene? If the answer is "nothing," it may be time to rethink its purpose.

Whether you're writing flash fiction, a short story, or a novel, pacing comes from progress. Keep giving the reader a reason to turn the page, and they'll happily follow wherever your story leads.

Tell me, do you find it harder to keep the pace moving in shorter stories or longer ones? Let me know in the comments, or post anything you like that is writing related. Just say HI!

Almost every writer has experienced that feeling. You sit down with the best intentions, stare at the page, and nothing happens. It's tempting to call it writer's block, but maybe it isn’t always that cut and dried.

Sometimes we're trying to make a first draft sound like a final draft. Sometimes we don't yet know our characters well enough. Sometimes the story has quietly wandered off course, and our instincts are telling us something isn't quite right.

When I find myself staring at my blank computer screen I try some questioning tricks. I ask what my character really wants (in this scene, in the whole book, in life!) and also question whether the stakes are high enough. It’s not enough to say they want to achieve such and such, because we also need to know what would happen if they don’t.

You might discover, during your pondering, that you don't know what your character really wants. Perhaps the stakes aren't high enough. Maybe you've reached a scene that doesn't belong, or perhaps you're simply tired and need to step away for a while.

One of the most helpful things you can do is remove the pressure to write perfectly. Give yourself permission to write badly (for me, that is no problem at all!), write out of order, make notes instead of scenes, or simply ask questions on the page.

Stories reveal themselves one decision at a time. And being stuck doesn't mean you've failed.

When you hit a writing block, what usually helps you move forward again? Is it a walk, a prompt, talking it through, reading, or simply giving yourself a break? Let know in the comments, or just talk about anything writing related you like.

Until next time, happy writing!

When most people think about good writing, they think about  ideas, characters, or plot. But there's another element to it that enriches the reader's experience: the rhythm of the sentences themselves.
 
Every sentence has a pace. Some move quickly, driving the reader forward. Others slow things down, inviting reflection or creating atmosphere. A skilled writer knows when to use each.
 
One of the simplest ways to improve rhythm is through variety. If every sentence is the same length or follows the same pattern, the prose can become predictable. Mixing shorter, more direct sentences with longer, more flowing ones creates movement and keeps the reader engaged. See the picture below for a teaching tool I have seen several teachers use in workshops I have been to.

Reading aloud is one of the best editing tools you have. Awkward phrasing, repetition, and clumsy rhythms are much easier to hear than to see. If you find yourself stumbling over a sentence, your reader probably will too.
 
It's also worth paying attention to emphasis. Important words often have more impact when they appear at the beginning or end of a sentence. Sometimes moving just one phrase can completely change its effect.
 
The next time you revise, don't just ask whether your writing is correct. Ask yourself how it sounds. Does it flow? Does it pause where it should? Does it carry the reader naturally from one thought to the next?
 
Do you read your work aloud when you're editing, or is that a habit you'd like to develop? Let me know this, or anything about your own writing process, in the comments section here. Do you have any hot tips?

​Until next time, happy writing!

I don’t know about you, but I always feel it is a massive achievement to finish a first draft of anything, whether that is a flash fiction, short story, novel or any piece of writing. The achievement is that you did it – you started it and you finished. You transferred something from your head to the page, often with major life distractions.
 
But the first draft is only the beginning.
 
Revision is where a story really starts to come out. It's the stage where characters become clearer, scenes become stronger, and themes begin to emerge with greater confidence.
 
It can be a daunting undertaking though, so, instead of tackling everything at once, chop the job itself into bits. Give yourself a different focus with each read-through. Look at the overall structure first. Then examine character motivation. Next, consider pacing, dialogue, description, and finally the language itself. I started to do this after reading the book Solutions for Novelists – Secrets of a Master Editor by Sol Stein. It’s aimed at novelists, but is principles can be used for any writing. That micro-detail scene by scene, character by character.  It really helped me to focus on one thing at a time, and to give it my full attention.
 
Reading your work aloud is a great tool for editing. You'll hear repetition, awkward phrasing, and places where the rhythm falters far more easily than you'll spot them on the page.

Don’t be afraid to remove something you've worked hard to write. That’s the hardest thing by far to do – to delete or remove something you spent so much time on, and that you are really proud of. A beautiful paragraph that slows the story is still slowing the story. Every sentence should have a purpose. It’s a really tough thing, but you HAVE to be tough, and brave! Save those beautiful words for another project it might fit into.
 
Be patient with your work. Editing isn't the part that comes after writing. It's part of writing.
 
Tell me, when you revise, what do you tackle first? Do you do big-picture structure, character, dialogue, or polishing individual sentences? I am really interested to hear about other writers’ working techniques, so do comment here to let me know.

One of the things I worry about most in my writing is whether I have used too many overly used terms. There are so many clichés that slip through in writing that they can sometimes become comical. The most alarming thing is that there are Facebook pages dedicated to calling them out – so I often look at them to make sure I am not committing any of those “crimes”. Of course, cliches sometimes have a place. If what you are writing needs cliches to work, then use them. Rules are meant to be broken, and I don’t like to be too prescriptive in any of the advice in this blog. Take my advice “with a pinch of salt”, avoid being dictated to “like the plague”, and just make your work shine “like a new pin”. See what I did there?!
 
We all want our work to feel fresh and original, yet clichés have a habit of sneaking onto the page. Sometimes they arrive as familiar phrases. Sometimes they're predictable character types, stock reactions, or scenes we've seen many times before.
 
A cliché is often a shortcut. It reaches for the familiar rather than the particular. Instead of describing what this character would notice, feel, or say, it borrows something generic.
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One useful technique is to pause when you write the first thing that comes to mind. Not because it's necessarily wrong, but because there may be something more interesting underneath it. Ask yourself: What would this character do? What would this setting feel like? What detail belongs only to this moment?
 
Specificity is one of the best antidotes to cliché. Readers connect with details that feel observed rather than copied or borrowed.
 
It's also worth remembering that familiar ideas aren't automatically bad. Love, loss, family, hope, jealousy, ambition, and redemption have been written about for centuries. What makes them feel fresh is the unique perspective through which they're explored.
 
So don’t avoid every single element of the familiar – just be picky and makes sure it fits. If you can say it better, do! But if you can’t, and the phrase that was most obvious is the right one – use it but make sure it lands!

What's your favourite example of a story that took a familiar idea and made it feel completely fresh? - Let me know in the comments.

One of the biggest misconceptions about storytelling is that conflict has to be dramatic.
​
When we hear the word, we often picture arguments, fights, villains, or major disasters. While those things can certainly create conflict, they are only a small part of the picture.

Conflict is simply a character wanting something and coming up against resistance.
That resistance might come from another person. It might come from circumstances. Often, it comes from within. Fear, guilt, uncertainty, loyalty, pride, grief, and self-doubt can all create compelling conflict.

Think about a character who wants to tell someone the truth but is afraid of the consequences. Or a character who wants to leave but feels responsible for staying. Nothing dramatic may happen on the surface, yet the reader feels the tension because something important is at stake.

In fact, some of the most powerful stories are built on quiet conflict; making a difficult choice, overcoming an internal obstacle, or facing an uncomfortable truth.

When you're writing, try asking yourself a simple question: What does my character want right now, and what's stopping them from getting it?

Tell me, what kind of conflict do you find most compelling to write or read: internal conflict, relationship conflict, or external obstacles? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, happy writing!

I meant to get this blog post done on Sunday, but I had one computer issue after another, and then my website editor threw a wobbly! So I am a few days late getting this writing craft ramble out.  Last week was all about adding tension to our stories and ways to create it.

Tension is one of the most important parts of storytelling, but it’s often misunderstood. Many writers assume tension means explosions, arguments, or life-or-death situations. But really, tension can exist in the quietest scenes.

At its heart, tension comes from uncertainty. The reader wants to know what will happen, whether a character will succeed, what choice they'll make, or what consequences might follow.

One effective way to create tension is to give characters clear goals and place obstacles in their path. The greater the challenge, or the greater the cost of failure, the stronger the tension becomes. 

Questions are equally powerful. A reader doesn't need immediate answers. In fact, carefully placed uncertainties often encourage them to keep reading. The key is to create curiosity rather than confusion. 

Tension can also come from relationships, secrets, misunderstandings, deadlines, difficult decisions, or information that is withheld at the right moment. Sometimes a glance across a room can carry more tension than a dramatic confrontation.

When you are revising a story or a scene, look at each part and ask yourself: What is the reader worried about here? What are they hoping for? What question is encouraging them to turn the page? Tension isn't about making things louder and bigger. It's about making them matter.

What kind of tension do you most enjoy reading or writing. Do you prefer emotional tension, suspense, relationship conflict, mystery, or something else? Let me know in the comments.

Until next time, happy writing!

Some of the most satisfying moments in fiction happen when readers suddenly realise the clues were there all along. I always talk about this in workshops so some of you may have heard it before from me, but a perfect example of this is in the movie The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis (the film is 27 years old now, so you would have seen it already if you wanted to, and this contains SPOILERS!). 

In the film it turns out the character you had been with all through the film was a ghost, and I thought, no, that can’t be true, because he spoke to people, he had dinner with his wife and talked to her! I immediately rewound the film and saw that NONE of those things had happened. He never interacted with anyone apart from the one boy who could see him. The anniversary dinner with his wife, where we thought he had arrived late and she was pissed off with him, and said “Happy anniversary” before leaving, was just her, by herself, thinking of him and saying “Happy Anniversary” to his memory, while his helpless ghost sat by. Other scenes also reveal the real truth, but they fit into the narrative so perfectly and so smoothly that the ending could not be faulted. We could not claim “cheat” or shout “how ridiculous”. It is a perfect example of breadcrumb laying.

Breadcrumbs are the small details, hints, echoes, and moments of foreshadowing that quietly prepare the reader for what’s to come. Done well, they don’t draw attention to themselves at the time. They simply settle into the fabric of the story.

A breadcrumb can be almost anything: a repeated phrase, an unusual object, a passing comment, a moment of hesitation, or a seemingly insignificant decision. Later, when its meaning becomes clear, the story gains a sense of cohesion and inevitability.

The key is subtlety. If a clue feels too heavily signposted, readers may predict the twist too early. But if there are no breadcrumbs at all, major revelations can feel unearned or disconnected.

Breadcrumbs also create emotional resonance. Returning to an earlier image or detail near the ending can give the reader a powerful sense of completion, even in a quiet story.

One useful exercise is to reread your ending and ask yourself: What could I quietly plant earlier to make this land more deeply? Try it and see what happens.

Do you enjoy spotting clues and foreshadowing while reading, or do you prefer surprises to catch you completely off guard? Let me know in the comments at the end of the page.

And before you get to the bottom - just a reminder that I have two events happening soon:

One is Writers Reading Zoom on Thursday 18th June at 7pm UK. The featured reader is Juanita Ozamiz. There are still some reading slots available so please book your free ticket first and then let me know if you would like a slot.

The second is the Zoom launch of Ancestral Virgins, the novel in three volumes by Fiona J Mackintosh. This is on Saturday 30th June at 8pm UK.

More details of both of these can be found by clicking on "Courses and Events" on the menu at the top of this page, where you will be able to get your free tickets.

Until next time, happy writing!

Last week I took a little break for a few days so didn’t post a blog. I had a lovely trip to Berlin where I got to unwind for a bit. But now I am back and talking about writing again..  this week it has been all about the five senses, and how to use them to make your writing richer.
 
One of the quickest ways to make a story feel vivid is to engage the senses. Writers often focus heavily on what a character can see, but atmosphere becomes much richer when we bring in sound, smell, touch, taste, and texture too. The creak of floorboards in an empty house. The smell of rain on a warm pavement - or that smell you get after the rain. The sting of cold air against skin. These details pull the reader deeper into the scene.
 
The key is specificity. A few carefully chosen sensory details usually work better than long passages of description. One striking image or unexpected smell can create an immediate emotional response.
 
Sensory writing can also reveal character. Two people may walk into the same room and notice entirely different things. One notices perfume and candle smoke; another notices damp walls and stale coffee. What we focus on tells the reader something about who we are, and this is the same for your characters.
 
And atmosphere matters. Sensory details shape mood almost invisibly. Soft fabric, distant music, and warm light create one feeling; flickering bulbs, sharp disinfectant, and echoing footsteps create another entirely.
 
If you weave sensory details naturally into your writing, the reader will stop observing the story from a distance and begin to experience it.
 
Which sense do you find easiest to write, and which do you tend to forget? Let me know in the comments below. And, write a short scene where a character is visiting the house of a new friend and has been asked to wait for them in a room. Post what you come up with.
 
Until next time, happy writing