Posts by Karen
Author Spotlight interview with Jim James
Every author goes on their unique journey writing a book. We love to find out what’s worked, what hasn’t and what could have worked better. A few weeks ago, I shared some of the stories from authors who have recently been published. And my colleague, Sheryl Andrews, recently interviewed Jim James for the Author Spotlight…
Read MoreGuest blog: 5 social media tips by Karen Duncan
Thank you to Karen Duncan for sharing her top social media tips for authors in this guest blog. Over to you Karen! 5 Things to Consider Before You Press Post on Social Media If you’ve taken the time to write a fantastic post then you can take a little longer to make sure it’s the…
Read More10 ways to increase your writing motivation
Writing motivation… You start your writing with excitement and enthusiasm. And then life gets in the way. A book isn’t a quick win like a blog or an email, so how can you maintain your focus and increase your motivation and mojo when it drops? I was recently asked for my tips on writing motivation…
Read MoreCase study – Zana Goic Petricevic
As I write this email, I’ve just come off Zana Goic Petricevic’s online book launch with dozens of people from all around the world being called forth to step into their boldness. Immediately an Amazon bestseller in the US, the book has already stimulated insightful conversations and encouraged readers to take risks and rewrite their…
Read MorePlanner or pantser?
There are two types of writers. Planner or pantser. The planner only starts to write when they have a clear outline. They get clear on the topic and themes, map out the chapters and know their ultimate end goal. They give thought and consideration to what they’re going to write, so that they know what’s…
Read MoreThe messy middle
Last week I wrote a book. It was only supposed to be a short book, but as the days moved on, it got bigger and bigger. And by Friday, it was over 14,000 words. OK, it’s not a complete book yet, although it’s getting there… It went well for the first few days. I purposely…
Read MoreLessons from The Hotel Inspector
I recently watched The Hotel Inspector. The hotelier, Alex Polizzi, goes around struggling hospitality establishments to turn around their fortunes and tells them what they could do better. It made me laugh out loud when she made this exasperated comment to the couple running their lodge. “Did you read the f*****g brief…?” Now Alex Polizzi is a pretty straight-talking…
Read MoreWriting space: Where to write and why it’s important
I was recently talking to a friend who was struggling to write. When we unpacked the reasons why, she realised that before the pandemic she was stimulated by long train journeys. And being in the office all the time was stunting her creativity. Over the last 18 months, you’ve probably spent a lot of your day at…
Read MoreThe 8 rules of writing
Whenever I have a session with my Smart Author – Fast Track groups, I always start by asking them to each share their successes since the last call. I ask questions like… What has gone well? What is working? What successes have you had? Because even if you’ve had the worst week in the world, there will be…
Read MoreIs my writing good enough?
Self-doubt. Imposter syndrome. Is my writing good enough? These are all valid thoughts that come up when writing a book. When you reach into your soul and share the things that are important to you, then it’s not surprising that you may agonize about telling your story. And if you’ve gone through things in the past…
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