Let Go Of “Should”
One of the most liberating things I’ve learned as a writer is to allow what you’re writing to change, even as you’re in the midst of it. There are dozens of pages in every journal and project where I’ve changed course mid-sentence, moving on to a new thought or epiphany without bothering to finish the…
“What Do You Mean By Writing, Exactly?”
When Boyfriend and I moved into a bright new Lisbon apartment last weekend — long on light, short on space — he looked at a leaning tower of my journals and asked if I needed to keep them all. The answer was an immediate and unequivocal yes. I can’t throw those out. Those are my life.…
The Scientific Method
Back at the start of my nutrition degree — which was actually a bachelor of science with a specialisation in nutrition — the professors drilled into us from the very first day the importance of the scientific method. They didn’t care that most of us were just there for the meal plans. They were going…
Work With What You’ve Got
I woke up cheerful this morning — no calls ahead, no urgent deadlines — and took Obi for a nice romp around our new park. When I got home I made a very comforting bowl of porridge, Boyfriend made coffees, and we settled down to enjoy some sun as the work day began. By midday,…
The Cure To A 3-Year Writer’s Block
I had a really interesting coaching call today with an entrepreneur who has been writing a book for three years, or, as he said “not writing a book for three years.”We met about a year into his writing-not-writing process, and he got in touch to get some help figuring out why, two years later, the…
Building Emotional Literacy
“How would I write this book if I didn’t have to consider anyone else? No publisher, no ‘audience’, no marketing team?”This was the question I asked myself this morning, .It’s a question that dawned on me slowly over a day or two, because I’ve been feeling a bit stuck — as so many writers do…
Beautiful, Rustic, Infuriating
Church bells woke me this morning. Three twin tones rolled in, followed by seven tidy chimes. 7.45 at the Basilica down the street. Last night, in a desperate attempt to block out the streetlight directly outside our new apartment, I taped aluminium foil over all the windows. It worked, but I’m sure the neighbours think we’re cooking…
Cut What Doesn’t Belong
When I was a kid, my dad used to get super mad when my sisters and I left stuff on our bedroom floors. He hated the mess. One time it got to him so much that he announced that anything still on the floor in 15 minutes would be going into the garbage. We all knew well…
Never Not Writing
Often when I go to bed I talk to my brain. I say, “Hi Brain! I’m going to sleep now, but I have a few things I’d like you to sort of for me while I’m under. Could you please figure out how I’m going to make that snippet about visibility fit into Chapter One?…
This Bit Is The WORST
I love nearly everything about being a ghostwriter. I love helping people tell their stories, and I get a huge thrill every time I get to start poking around in someone else’s business. The only thing that bursts my bubble is the transition between stage one (interviews) and two (drafting) of each project. You see,…