Writing in Winter is the best As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder, we naturally spend more time indoors and our minds turn to cosy, comforting activities. There are fewer demands on our time as we tend to have fewer social engagements during most of the...
I remember when I first started writing articles and opinion pieces, back in high school (humpty-something years ago), I would actually brace myself before putting a single word down. I pretty much adopted an alter ego, took on another personality through my writing...
Rituals can be a game changer for writers Writing a book is more than just putting words on a page—it’s a journey that requires both mental clarity and emotional resilience. At Booksmith Academy, we’ve guided many authors through The Book Forge, and we...
The importance of clarity in your writing Writing in a simple way is so important. While some might see it as dumbing down, there is a lot to be said for the art of writing plain and simple prose. In this blog we explore clarity in writing and offer some handy tips on...
Tips on opening chapters, opening pages and opening lines Firsts can be difficult. Nerve-wracking. Full of self-doubt. Fear of judgement. For some writers, a blank page is scarier than Norman Bates in a clown costume. Starting a book can become such an obstacle for...
One year on, but it feels like yesterday… Almost exactly a year ago we launched our very first intake of The BOOK FORGE, our non-fiction writing programme. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that we were scared. We had only had the idea for creating a...
Reading might seem like a separate hobby to writing… …especially if you are struggling to find time to write you might think that sitting reading a book is a waste of time, let me explain why it is so important. Many moons ago when I was a teacher, part of...
‘Dream with your heart. Write with your soul. Edit with your head.’ Jennifer Spredemann It’s true, isn’t it. You might write with your soul, but you definitely edit with your head. Editing is a very different skill to writing and so it doesn’t necessarily follow that...
Words have power… As a writer you don’t need us to tell you the power of words. Words are our best and most precious commodity, but do you ever stop to think about the power of the words you use to speak to yourself, as a writer? Do you allow yourself to...
Tapping into Creativity with Crystals, Oils, and Meditation You might be wondering why we are talking about natural support, like crystals and essential oils, on a writing blog, well, the answer is simple – we use them and they work! Any pearls of wisdom we can...
