Research is an important part of any book, but particularly when you are writing nonfiction. No matter how well you know your subject, there will always be something that you need to double check. Often we talk to writers, and they tell us that they sat down to write...
Without losing your mind First drafts can feel laborious at times. The first rush of excited keyboard bashing gives way over time to more reluctant teeth-gritted slow trickles that can make the finish line feel another world away. But never fear! You’re in the right...
The myth of expertise in nonfiction writing There’s a common misconception among new writers of nonfiction that you need to be an expert in your field to have something valuable to say. Hogwash! Yes, you need to know enough to reassure the reader. That’s obvious. But...
Speed writing seems to be becoming a trend. We’re not talking about being able to scribble down notes or use short hand, but generating large volumes of writing incredibly quickly. It may be social media posts, blogs, articles or even books. When I was teaching,...
This week my emotions caught me out, as they often do. It was an ordinary day. I was doing bits of work in my front room because we had a plumber round doing some work in the bathroom. As I sat tapping away at my keyboard, a sound drifted down the stairs that...
How to craft a great title for your nonfiction book that will work for you It’s time to look beneath the surface of book titles and find out what makes them fly, or flop. Does it matter what you call your book if the content is cracking? Are there any golden rules to...
Writer’s Notebook – pretentious accessory or crucial equipment? You may have heard people talking about having a “writer’s notebook”, and wondered what it is, and what you should be using it for. What is a writer’s notebook? Well,...
The whole truth and nothing but the truth? Writing your memoir is a chance to share your truth. Your story. Your reality. You control the stories you tell and how you tell them. The central character, alongside a supporting cast. But how supportive will those other...
AI has been dominating the headlines for a few years now. Everywhere you turn there is an AI addition to a platform or a software update that adds an AI feature. Companies are turning to artificial intelligence more and more for writing copy, creating programmes,...
Shaking up perspective in life writing Had anyone else assumed that all memoirs were written from the author’s perspective? Just me? Before reading and studying life writing, it never would have occurred to me that memoirs might be written from any other stand point...
