Category: Column

  • 5 Steps to win NaNoWriMo

    5 Steps to win NaNoWriMo

    Hello, I’m so glad you’re here and that you want to read these 5 steps to win NaNoWriMo. You being here is already a step in the winning direction. Firstly, what is NaNoWriMo? NaNoWriMo stands for National Write A Novel Month. Every November thousands of writers from all over the world set out to write…

  • How to write better prose and turn your pages into beautiful pieces of art

    How to write better prose and turn your pages into beautiful pieces of art

    What is prose? Prose is writing sentences in their most ordinary form. Some authors lean towards shorter, minimalistic writing styles while others prefer long complex syntax. In this post I chat about how to write better prose easily.   It is important to remember that it doesn’t matter what writing styles you prefer, what does matter…

  • Show don’t tell ~ a writing exercise you can have so much fun with

    Show don’t tell ~ a writing exercise you can have so much fun with

    We’ve all heard the advice “show don’t tell” but this isn’t nearly as easy to do as it sounds. But why is the “show don’t tell” rule such a tough rule to grasp? Well, readers don’t read for information, they read for entertainment. The reading experience of a book should be better than that of…

  • Unsettling – Flash Fiction Writing Prompt

    Unsettling – Flash Fiction Writing Prompt

    I am terrible at completing writing exercises on a weekly basis and I never write flash fiction, until today. A Facebook group for writers that I am part of posted a writing prompt flash fiction challenge with the word “Unsettling” as a prompt. I decided, why not? And so, I quickly jotted down my little…

  • Creating a curriculum to live by

    Creating a curriculum to live by

    I started reading this book yesterday and it’s phenomenal. It’s taken some time for the author to get into the actual techniques, however the reason for this is so that the reader really grasps the concepts. He uses amazing examples of real people and I find myself associating with the examples on so many levels.…

  • Do you listen to advice or do you follow your own course?

    Do you listen to advice or do you follow your own course?

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    Advice usually comes from a place of caring and consideration. However, sometimes advice comes from a place of jealousy. In that case, follow your own course. Sometimes advice comes in the form of messages like these: “slow down” “try not to make too much content” “are you focusing on the right thing” These messages are…

  • Have you always secretly wanted to write a book?

    Have you always secretly wanted to write a book?

    For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to write a book. When I was a little girl I used to stand in front of the very tall bookshelves in book stores and dream of seeing my name amongst the other names. That dream never faded. Deep down I knew I always…

  • Only I can create change that I may want in the world

    Only I can create change that I may want in the world

    Last week I shared an Instagram post about how low I had been and about what a tough week I had been having. I spoke about how I am the only one that can create change in my own life. I mentioned how I am the only one that can create a feeling of worthiness.…

  • I’m sick of suffering from the inability to decide

    I’m sick of suffering from the inability to decide

    I’ve spoken about my indecisiveness before (you might recall my constant restaurant battles?). Well, my indecisiveness has actually become quite a sore topic for me. It’s caused a lot of problems and a sort-of hate bubbling deep down within me. The inability to decide has become an illness for me. I know where “the inability…

  • Write what you believe and convince me

    Write what you believe and convince me

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    Write what you believe – a debatable topic. Should one write what you believe in or write what you know? Cameron Crowe said “Take it from your own life, write what you believe in.” So isn’t what you believe the same as what you know? Because, you believe what you know. When I was in…

  • Setting crazy goals – is it worth the insane ride to achieve them?

    Setting crazy goals – is it worth the insane ride to achieve them?

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    I’m staring at a painting on my desk of “la tour Eiffel” (The Eiffel Tower). I’m remembering when I bought this painting on the streets of Montmartre in Paris. I’m remembering how just before I bought this painting I walked into the Starbucks, got myself a coffee and sat on the pavement drinking it. I’m…

  • Where do writers get inspiration from, the inspiring red room

    Where do writers get inspiration from, the inspiring red room

    I slip off my robe, hang it up and climb onto the bed, covering myself with the provided towel and blanket. Time for a nice relaxing massage. The room is dimly lit by a red light. That’s right, a RED light. How is that relaxing at all? Red is an intense and emotional colour. Red…

  • Do this for an hour if you want to be a better writer

    Do this for an hour if you want to be a better writer

    I want to be a better writer. You want to be a better writer. We all want to be better writers. No matter how well we think we write, we can all get better at it. The saying goes, practice makes perfect, well that’s so true. Nothing will make you a better writer than actually…

  • Running and writing are kind of the same thing

    Running and writing are kind of the same thing

    Running and writing. These two things could not be more different, yet to me, they have a similar meaning in my life. But running and writing have become a ‘safe place’ for me. I started running last week. Now, I have never been a runner before I’ve always opted for more arts and culture driven…

  • Stop overthinking, and just do

    Stop overthinking, and just do

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    Stop overthinking and just do. I think this is going to be my new life motto. I am so guilty of overthinking every situation that comes my way. Let me paint the picture of every single freakin time I go to a restaurant. I walk into the warm, and slightly overcrowded restaurant. I choose one of the…

  • Procrastination is not a symptom it’s a clue

    Procrastination is not a symptom it’s a clue

    Let me write that again, procrastination is not a symptom it’s a clue. Procrastination is a clue that you’re not doing what you want to be doing. I received an email this week from Ash Ambirge about exactly this and I realised how lucky I am because when I know what I’m doing I don’t…

  • Get off the couch, get out of the house, and practice a little dream writing.

    Get off the couch, get out of the house, and practice a little dream writing.

    Today, I sit staring out of the window at the grey skies hanging over the deep blue ocean as a light drizzle of rain starts to fall from the sky. It is cold inside, possibly as cold as it is outside, and I’m very tempted to leave my slightly warm spot on the couch to…

  • 5 Ways to find the calm in the chaos

    5 Ways to find the calm in the chaos

    I don’t know about you, but my life is pretty chaotic at the moment. I am moving next week, so things are crazy busy. Despite my move, I’m trying to fit a whole week’s worth of work into two days because I  am going on a little cross-country holiday and then road trip home all…

  • 5 life lessons about Business, Writing, and adulting

    5 life lessons about Business, Writing, and adulting

    Adulting is so hard! The last two weeks I have been struggling a little bit in this department and whenever I find myself lacking I seem to turn to reflection. Put simply, I think about what I’ve learnt and what I do know. And, that’s why I decided to share these 5 life lessons. You…

  • Journaling therapy, it’s the real deal.

    Journaling therapy, it’s the real deal.

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    I spoke about Journaling therapy during my #30DaysOfFacebookLive challenge over here and I gave a few journaling prompts to do too as a form of building yourself up. A little secret though, I never did the prompts because at the time I was so caught up in the 30 days of Facebook live videos that…