I feel like a twit. No, that’s not it. I feel like a tweet. Much better! After much longing, lurking and learning, I’ve finally taken the leap and joined twitter. At first I found the jargon mystifying, so to help potential twitterers I’ve created a list of commonly used terms and symbols. Feel free to …
When I first started blogging, I didn’t realise what a warm and inviting community the blogworld is. It seemed so big and anonymous – but I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’m getting to know and like many remarkable people from all over the world, and suddenly being a writer is far less isolating. I was touched …
I’m currently developing a new workshop: Writing for Children and Young Adults. It’s got me thinking about the writing workshops I’ve attended over the years – and there have been many! Some good. Some not so good. Some brilliant. After attending so many, I’m gaining an insight into what works and what doesn’t. I’ve realised …
Many authors can trace their success back to one single teacher. A person who recognised their potential and worked hard to foster it. Who inspired, motivated and encouraged them. I’m sure that many writers, like myself, would like to thank their old teacher personally but are unable to do so. Years pass, we lose touch. …
Bouncing story ideas off other people is a great way to create a gripping plot. It helps you identify when you’re being too predictable (watch for those yawns) or too bizarre (watch for signs of glaze-eyed incomprehension). It gives you the benefit of other people’s ideas, opinions, and experience. Last but not least, it helps …
It’s 5 pm. There’s a mess on the floor, the baby’s crying, and your two-year-old has just discovered the word ‘no’. You’re nowhere near your work target and dinner is still a distant notion. You think longingly about being a full-time parent. Or a full-time professional who can afford a nanny. Because surely it’s easier …
Do you belong to a writers’ group? My little group had a meeting last weekend, and as always it was enjoyable and stimulating – especially given that strong Greek coffee! It got me thinking about previous groups I had been in. Some good, some not so good. I’ve seen tall poppies ruthlessly cut down, but …
Yippee! Some wonderful news I’ve just received gave me the idea for this blog. My story made the shortlist for a prestigious writing contest … and … no, hang on, excuse me while I do a happy dance. [Leaves desk, prances around room in unseemly manner, returns exhausted.] Ah, that’s better. Anyway, as I was …
We’ve all been there. You get fired up and excited over an idea for a story. You sit at your computer and, in an all-consuming passion, bash out the first few pages. This is it, you say. The greatest story / article / book I’ve ever written! Yippee! The next day, you write a few …
One of the first questions I ask at my writing workshops is: Why do you want to be a writer? The answers are as varied as the participants themselves, but I’ve found there are five replies that crop up again and again. 1. For the money! This answer is relatively rare, but it does surface …
Stella Tarakson 