So you’ve always felt the bug of writing, but now you really, REALLY want to get it done. And you have the best idea. And you start writing, until...
How to Research Your Book Without Breaking the Bank
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Writing
9 Writing Tips for Beginners
Getting into writing can be daunting. At least, that is certainly what I felt a few months ago. I had been writing on and off for years, mostly off,...
The Complete Guide to Starting Your Novel
The Writer's Cookbook has been going for four years now(!). In that time, we've published a lot of posts. So I decided it was time to look back on...
5 Unexpected Benefits of Writing Retreats
This is a guest post by Mina Ahmed. For many years I have been writing in what I now call a 'writer’s confinement.' I had written a number of poetry...
What is Voice and Tone? (And Why Should You Care)?
A few weeks ago, I put together some content about voice and tone for my day job. This included information on what it is, why it matters, and how to come up with our own.
To most people this probably sounds pretty boring.
But to me, as a student of writing, it was fascinating.
It’s reinforced things I studied at university and helped me to learn how to explain the theory behind writing to people who are new to it.
Make no mistake—your voice and tone does matter.
And it influences everything.
Ready to find out more?
5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing
Crafting clear, simple sentences that connect with your readers sounds simple.
But it’s really, really not.
Many academic institutions teach you the exact opposite of how to write in this way.
That means that when you’re blogging, you want to write a commercial book, or even when you’re a poet, it can be very difficult to convey your ideas clearly and sharply.
In fact, writing clearly and expressing your ideas in a simple way is one of the most difficult challenges you’ll face, particularly when you first start out.
Interview with Dr Sophie-Louise Hyde from The Student Wordsmith
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop led by Dr Sophie Louise-Hyde. I was intrigued by her workshop style and project The...
Writing a Character into Womanhood: A Creative Guide
We all love our haloed heroines, our femme fatales, our underrepresented underdogs. They bloom through the cracks of literature and wiggle past the hundreds, and hundreds, and…oh, you have got to be kidding me. Not another…
Another white male, who has come along to ‘save the day’! He has his superhero spell-checker! Hang on just one second while I get all my imaginary heroines on speed-dial to sort this nonsense out.
10 Literary Techniques to use in Your Copywriting
I believe that the key ingredients of all great writing are the same.
However, many writers don’t feel this way.
Novelists often find copywriting soul-destroying and avoid it as much as possible.
But if you want to reach more people—and compel those people to purchase your books—you need to work on your copywriting.
If you don’t, you won’t create a connection with your audience and they’ll be much less likely to purchase anything from you.
The deeper the connection you create with your reader, the more likely you’ll be to compel them into action.
Here are 9 literary techniques you can use in your copywriting that prove copywriting and fiction writing aren’t so different after all.
How to Write Postnatal Depression
The image one has of a woman becoming a mother is always maternal, sweet…like once she gives birth, everything falls into place.
Sadly, it’s also an image predominant in the rare romance novels where the author goes beyond the happily ever after and shows the characters living life to their fullest.
Reality is different, and raw, and sometimes painful. Not every woman gives birth and becomes the perfect mother. That is a myth, and it does more harm than good in the long run.
There is nothing wrong with holding a baby in your arms for the first time, and feeling a void. Of not immediately liking the little bundle of joy everyone says is the new reason for your being alive. Of thinking you’re a bad parent, and you need to stay away…
This is called postnatal or postpartum depression.