The Coffeehouse Writer

Novel in a Year, Really?

Novel in a Year is the successful course I have been running, which starts its 4th year in January 2024. Wow!

I get asked lots of questions about this course and thought the best way to answer them was in a simple post, if you have more questions that haven’t been answered here, then please ask in the comments, chances are somebody else is waiting to ask the exact same question.

Okay, so let’s start.

Why do you offer the course over a year? I have seen other writing coaches offer to complete over a month.

I’ve seen those courses too, and while I don’t doubt their success, I find it depends on the individual and the time they can commit to learning a new skill, developing it and then the actual writing of a novel. All of this while raising a family, working, caring and sometimes all the above and whatever other commitments a person can have. The timescale of this course is realistic and sets you up to succeed not fail. From the feedback I have received, the time goes quickly, you do not feel rushed, and it sets a good pace for future writing projects.

I have many ideas, how do I know which one to choose?

You don’t have to decide right away. The first two months are about developing your skills as a writer. Plus, we will have 2 one-ones and 8 group sessions in those first 2 months, to discuss your ideas and the feasibility of them as a novel or script.

Help! This sounds great, but I have never written before, and I wasn’t very good at school.

The thing about school is that we are often expected to enjoy and be enthusiastic about topics and genres that we are simply not into. As an adult, we know what we like (mostly!) and what interests us, and chances are if you are looking at a writing course, it means you like (the idea at least of) writing now. I don’t decide what you write or research, that is left to you. My job is to make sure I teach you the basics in an interesting and relevant manner, without all the heavy stuff you had to learn at school. There are no exams, no tests, and as you are writing at home, or wherever you choose, you should be relaxed. As a qualified teacher who has worked with pupils of all ages and abilities, I can help if you are neurodivergent (e.g. dyslexic, Autistic, ADHD (like me!) ) to express your words onto the page. Things like spelling and grammar matter, but we live in a world where we have help to do that with apps such as Grammarly and ProWritingAid, and also audio-typing. I am always happy to discuss ways in which I can help you as an individual. Don’t let past experiences stop you from writing now.

How does this compare to similar courses?

Good question! The biggest way is that I take fewer students on at a time, which allows me to personalise the course to each individual student and their writing needs. You really do get a group session each week, with a private Facebook group ( I am currently looking at groups off social media as an option too), and that one-to-one each month makes a difference, plus the regular email feedback and contributions to the group.

This course as I’ve mentioned before fits a busy lifestyle without you feeling the pressure.

The price of the is less than a degree course at approx £10, 000 per year (times 3 ), or a Masters at approx £9,000 per year, where you don’t always come out with a finished project, or actual real-world knowledge of the book/publishing industry. The course provides great value for money and is an investment not in just one book, but all future writing. You are not left alone to do assignments, I am with you giving feedback as often as you need it.

When you say I finish with a book, do I actually?

Yes! Okay, let’s be honest here, while I can teach, coach and motivate you, it is you who has to do the work. When we get to the actual writing part of the course, the target is 500 words a day. Look at it this way, the average person speaks between 100 – 130 words per minute. That’s about 4-5 minutes of speaking. Which means, that some days you will write more when you are on a roll, and other days when life just gets in the way as it does, allow you the grace of not worrying about getting too far behind.

Do I have to write a book?

No, you can write a film script, TV, or even a theatrical play. It all depends on what your aims are as a writer. Again, I am more than happy to have a chat about this before you book.

How do I publish my book?

There are two main ways, traditional, where you send your manuscript off to a publishing house or agent (Please note there should NEVER be any charge by them to do this) or via self-publishing also known as Indie publishing, where you publish and do all the work your self or hire freelancers to help with aspects such as cover design and proof-reading. I can help advise on both of these options. For those who wish to go the indie publishing route but don’t want to do the work themselves, there is a third option where I can help as required for a small additional fee (this tends to be a long-term option for those who want the freedom of indie publishing, but not the stress of uploading etc).

This would make a great gift, can I send it as one?

Yes, the Christmas gift certificates will be out soon, they give no details of the price, but name the recipient and give details of what they will be doing. Please check out the website and social media for further up-to-date details.

Where do I sign up?

You can sign up here. I look forward to meeting you in January and hearing your story ideas.

If you have further questions then please ask them below or email me at feedback@thecoffeehousewriter.com

Can creative writing be taught?

Yes! Absolutely!

Let’s start with what is creative writing. Dictionaries describe it as typically fiction or poetry that displays imagination and invention.

Fiction is simply something made up, not real. It can be based on a real event or fact and the bulk of the story is invented around it or the whole idea might have sprung from imagination. Wherever your idea comes from, the process of developing it is somewhat natural for others, while some have to work harder.

It doesn’t matter what type of person you are you will still have to develop further skills, and guess what! It doesn’t matter how many books or scripts you write, you will still learn with each one.

We have the basics of storytelling, you know, a start, middle and end.

Then we have the bits in between.

Now if you have come across this page, it’s because you most likely typed into your search engine ‘Can creative writing be taught?’ and you will be inundated with links offering your courses, workshops both online and in person as well as writing coaches. All of these provide a myriad of methods all proclaiming they are the best.

Let me tell you a secret…No one knows the best way to write a story, hang on a moment, but what we can help with is showing you the bits in between that are also needed.

A good creative writing teaching will work with what you can do and make the parts you do well stronger, and the parts you do bad stronger too. They will work with your strengths (great ideas) and your weaknesses (what to do next).

You can buy every book on the market and they are many, do free and paid online courses, download free PDFs offering you the top 5 tips to writing a best seller, but the best advice is to write. Simply write and get your story down or choose a course where you are working as an individual and not just another. name on an email list.

If you are interested in seeing where you idea could go or would like to have a face to face meeting (in person or zoom) then please email me at feedback@thecoffeehousewriter.com or visit https://thecoffeehousewriter.com/blog/

Mandi

A sample of my how to write books I’ve used over the years.

This blog by The Coffeehouse Writer is about Can creative writing be taught? Which simply is yes it can be. While I am a writing coach and mentor and I work with people on a personal basis rather than impersonal online courses. This allows me to look at your strengths and weaknesses as a writer and help to build a strategy for where you would like to go with your writing. I work with those who which to be an author (mainly indie authors) scriptwriters, and playwrights. The Coffeehouse Writers Group is currently in the process of writing a group audio drama.

Help! I want to sell more books!

Congratulations on writing your book! That is a HUGE achievement. Be proud of yourself.

What’s that I hear? It’s been out a week and you can’t retire yet? I’m afraid you will be waiting a long time.

In 2018, 675 million print books were sold in the US, 190.9m print books in the UK, and is valued at $312m and NZ$1.8 million in Australia and New Zealand, respectively and e-books and audiobooks were selling more (Statista 2020). In the last couple of years, there has been a change, print is back in fashion, and ebook sales are dropping.

That’s a lot of competition, and most new indie authors stick to Amazon KDP.

I understand why, it’s easy; a complete package from uploading your manuscript, to arriving on your reader’s doormat, and with Kindle and Kindle Unlimited being the biggest ebook platform, you would be crazy not too!

But what about those readers who still like to use their indie bookstore, or even one of the big companies like Waterstones? If you are publishing, printing and distributing solely through the big ‘A’, then you can’t get your book to them.

There are many ways to do this.

You can use an alternative printer (search for a local company) and a separate book distributor (again, there are surprisingly many).

Or you can ‘GO WIDE’.

This means you are expanding you net, rather than going direct to just one such as Apple books, Kobo, Nook, KDP, Google Books and Ingram Spark as well as Draft2Digital, Publish drive and StreetLib, USE THEM ALL.

What are the benefits of ‘Going Wide’?

The main one is increased awareness. You are building you brand and your readers across multiple platforms. And it’s not just about using multiple platforms, but formats and territories too. Most are free to upload and get your books out there, the differences come when the book is sold.

By no means am I saying leave Amazon, but by ‘GOING WIDE” you can build a stronger foundation for yourself as an author and importantly your books.

‘Going Wide’ means you book will be able to reach indie bookstores like our own, Bell, Book & Candle, which sells books by indie authors only. As an indie bookstore, we get our books direct from a wholesale, which makes sense when you think of it. ‘Going Wide’ means you book will be able to reach indie bookstores like our own, Bell, Book & Candle, which sells books by indie authors only. As an indie bookstore, we get our books direct from a wholesale, which makes sense when you think of it. In the case of Bell, Book & Candle we use Gardners.

Yes, it takes a little more time, but having you book available in more places, making it more accessible is great for you, your reader, and Indie bookstores.

If you enjoy reading the facts and figures, you can take a look here.

Check you local bookstore and see where they get their books from, most will be happy to tell you.

Design and have a marketing pack ready, with flyers, posters, images for their website, photos of book covers and details of the book (including the all important 13 digit ISBN) the blurb, release dates, author bio etc. Having this ready for each of your books will help speed up the process, and from a bookstore point of view, you are more likely to be chosen for any feature spots as it saves them a lot of time trying to find all the info ( at Bell, Book & Candle, we have a Facebook group for authors to do exactly this!).

Have a plan!

Marketing plans are necessary for every book you publish,

As an Indie Author, chances are if you are starting out, you are doing the whole show single-handedly. Bravo! It’s hard, I know, but don’t make it harder by not being prepared.

What is it they say…

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
Benjamin Franklin

Tune in tomorrow, for the second in the series, and my how to write a marketing plan and details on a very short video course, you can watch whenever you want to,

For more details about being an indie author, courses and events sign up to my newsletter.

Writing for Well-Being

Namaste!

This simple word means Hello in India, but around the globe it says so much more. It has an automatic way for bringing a sense of calm with it, that the person who says it is happy and content and wishes that for you. Maybe this is because I usually hear it when I am at Yoga, yet wherever I am, the moment that word is in my ears, I start to relax.

Hopefully, you are relaxed now reading this blog, I’ve just finished a quick spot on local radio about the benefit of singing, I’m not a singer by any means, I leave that to my eldest, but I am fascinated with the benefits that writing can bring out, when I realised, this is part of what I coach and mentor but I have never done a blog about.

So, here it goes. There is a generally accepted consensus that creativity is a great outlet for stress and anxiety and that writing can be therapeutic.

Journalling, is what as a kid we called ‘keeping a diary’ it’s a way to record what and how we are feeling that is usually something we keep to ourselves, so there is no judgement. It’s a tool to gain control over out emotions, we let rip on the paper, so we don’t on people. This cathartic action can be cleansing.

It can reduce stress, so much that there is evidence saying that just twenty minutes a day can lower you blood pressure and improve liver function!
It can improve your immune system, by increasing the production of Immunoglobulin A, which helps to fight infection.
It can boost your memory and comprehension leading to improved cognitive processing, which is the tool we use to to understand and manipulate a memory. You want to cook a meal, you buy the ingredients, you follow a recipe or cook from one you know well, you prepare and serve the meal, that is cognitive processing.
Ask an author how they feel after writing, and they will say good, even if they lack confidence in the work, the act of writing makes them feel alive.

The more you journal these benefits become long term, helping to build your identity, restore and emotional balance and build self-confidence. You can use it to allay your fears and concerns and look at them from a slight distance, providing a new perspective. You can become self-aware of anything negative and it provides a safe space for you to question yourself. It allows you the opportunity to grow and become more adaptive, a place away from the chaos outside.

TIP: Try writing every day in a journal for 15-20 minutes and see how you feel after a few months.
You can join me every weekday for a writing sprint and use that time to journal and write your morning pages.

But, it’s not just journalling that is beneficial.

Writing creatively whether its stories, poetry or scripts can positively impact us without realising. Hoorah! There is this stereotypical image of a writer stressed and pulling their hair out, yes, we can all certainly hold are hand up to having days like that, but honestly, they are the minority, otherwise we would give up! I‘ll let you into a secret, it’s not usually the writing that causes the stress, it is the editing!

Let’s look at how fiction stories can help you.

Better conversational skills. While we may write on our own, we talk to our characters, and they talk to each other. Dialogue is important. Though writing dialogue for others (characters) we learn the importance of word choice, how what we say has to be said carefully, and what impact those words can have on the listener. Because of these we develop a new level of empathy for the power of words, how they can hurt or heal. Improved conversational skills then gives us better social skills, no more hiding in corner.
By providing a space to make more space! The page becomes a storage of all your thoughts, those flashes of inspiration you have, the delightful descriptions you design on seeing something memorable now have a place to go. Great, but that literally, clears up more space in your head, or at least improves memory, so you can remember more.
Like journalling, writing stories helps you see the bigger picture. You may be writing a scene that is familiar, an argument you have had for instance, writing it down between your characters will allow you see to see both sides of the story. WOW! You are now the best person to adjudicate those disputes, conflict resolution has nothing on a writer!
This may seem obvious, but it will improve your reading and writing and also your editing skills. You need to write a job application, no problem, a reference for someone else, easy! How about a blog post for work, simples! The more writing you do the more it becomes second nature, you are using muscles that need regular exercise, to see benefit in all areas. You will notice that you grammar and punctuation improve as you become more familiar with structure.
All those benefits of journalling as just as active here.!
When we finish a project we feel accomplished. We have achieved what e set out to do. That could be a 100 word story or a 90,000 word novel, but that feeling remains. It boosts your self-confidence in you as a person but also in you ability to write and meet a deadline; your self-esteem, it kicks in those happy-making endorphins,

I have more one question for you now…
What are you writing?

Follow me on Social media @thecoffeehousewriter or join email to join the mailing list to hear about the next Writing for Well-Being course.

Is Indie Publishing a Piece of Cake?

That all depends on how far you will go for that slice of sweet goodness!

Firstly, let’s look at the reasons you may want to be an indie author.

You like to remain in CONTROL of EVERYTHING. I get this, I honestly do, when you go down the traditionally published route your begin to loose you say. For example, do you know when your book will be out, and how long you have to wait? If you want to be the boss of you, then stop aboard the indie train, your seat is waiting, I hope you have the skills to deal with the journey, otherwise you will have to find someone who does.
Which leads us nicely to the second point. Are you IMPATIENT and don’t want to wait for your novel to be published in somebody else’s timescale? Whatever your reason for not lingering, with indie publishing you set you own timescale and organise your own calendar. That also means you need to be highly organised!
Speaking of being ORGANISED, do you know EXACTLY what indie publishing entails? It’s not as simple as writing and sticking it on Amazon. For a start there are other options out there. Have you considered all the jobs that you will have to do besides finding the time to WRITE?
TIME. I assume if you are indie publishing you have a lot of spare time? What with the full-time job, the kids, the hobbies you do for research, looking after your home etc? I’m going to take a leap here, and say probably not. This is where being super organised and having skills comes in handy.

Okay, so this is not to scare you off but let’s list some of the jobs you have to do.

Write the book.
Edit the book -developmental and line
Find and Pass the book on to ARC readers
Sort out any final edits picked up by ARC readers
Have it proofread
Format the book to fit the paperback sized you want
Decide on the paperback size you want.
Design a cover
Design an ebook cover and a paperback cover that has space for your ISBN
Buy your ISBN
Register your ISBN
Design your author brand
Open up social media accounts as an author and use your branding.
Claim your author pages
Engage on social media,
Build up your audience
Start a newsletter
Book a book tour
Plan your launch marketing
Upload your book to a publisher and distributor
Market and Promote your book
Engage on social media with your audience
Talk with local newspapers, magazines and radio
Arrange competitions
Start on second book.

Phew! If you are not a writer and ‘just’ a reader going through this post, I hope you understand now the cost of the book is totally justified. So when you get your free book from a pirate book site, you are doing a disservice to the author. If you want a free book, go to your local library or become a Beta reader.

Don’t run away! While it may look like a scary list that you could never achieve, if you look at each point as a new skill to learn, that will get easier with each book you write and publish, you will go far and achieve more than you imagined possible.

Of course, you don’t have to do everything yourself. There are skilled freelancers out there who are willing to help. Spend your money wisely on the skills you really don’t have, and also on editing. Even the most keen eye will miss mistakes in their own work. You read what you expect to see.

For covers look at sites like Fiverr, Upwork, Reedsy, google ‘ book cover designers’ or have a go yourself on Canva. Book cover prices vary considerably, so it very difficult to give a ballpark, it depends on the style, and how exclusive you want your photos and designs to be, timescale etc

Marketing is a skill in its own right, and with each point of this journey, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Use friends and family (sparingly, you want to keep them on your side!) Visual sites like Instagram and TikTok are great for authors showing their books off. Twitter is a great place to meet fellow writers, and Facebook is good for having your readers groups, a place to share exclusive content and sneak previews.

The key to all the above is being organised. I have a planner AND a Kanban board, in fact I have two!

I plan out social media each week, I plot out stories and ideal daily word counts, targets and goals, Yes, some go clearly by the side, but if you don’t have a goal, you won’t move forward.

I also recommend having someone on your side, whether its a professional coach or mentor or your other half, a parent, a child or best friend. You need someone who is aware of what you are going through and what you need to do, to achieve your goal of indie publishing. Of course, having a professional is always better, but if you are not ready for that step, then belonging to a community of writers who can empathise with you is the next best thing. Check out the the community section on this site for more help.

A little secret. Have a photo, or a quote near to where to you are writing or as a screensaver, that shows the REASON WHY you wanted to write in the first place, and is your MOTIVATION to keep going. When things feel really tough, and you wish you hadn’t started, take a look and remember why you started in the first place.

Is indie publishing hard? Absolutely! But once you start, you won’t look back, and it does get easier as you go along and build your team of support.

That all depends on how far you will go for that slice of sweet goodness!

Firstly, let’s look at the reasons you may want to be an indie author.

You like to remain in CONTROL of EVERYTHING. I get this, I honestly do, when you go down the traditionally published route your begin to loose you say. For example, do you know when your book will be out, and how long you have to wait? If you want to be the boss of you, then stop aboard the indie train, your seat is waiting, I hope you have the skills to deal with the journey, otherwise you will have to find someone who does.
Which leads us nicely to the second point. Are you IMPATIENT and don’t want to wait for your novel to be published in somebody else’s timescale? Whatever your reason for not lingering, with indie publishing you set you own timescale and organise your own calendar. That also means you need to be highly organised!
Speaking of being ORGANISED, do you know EXACTLY what indie publishing entails? It’s not as simple as writing and sticking it on Amazon. For a start there are other options out there. Have you considered all the jobs that you will have to do besides finding the time to WRITE?
TIME. I assume if you are indie publishing you have a lot of spare time? What with the full-time job, the kids, the hobbies you do for research, looking after your home etc? I’m going to take a leap here, and say probably not. This is where being super organised and having skills comes in handy.

Okay, so this is not to scare you off but let’s list some of the jobs you have to do.

Write the book.
Edit the book -developmental and line
Find and Pass the book on to ARC readers
Sort out any final edits picked up by ARC readers
Have it proofread
Format the book to fit the paperback sized you want
Decide on the paperback size you want.
Design a cover
Design an ebook cover and a paperback cover that has space for your ISBN
Buy your ISBN
Register your ISBN
Design your author brand
Open up social media accounts as an author and use your branding.
Claim your author pages
Engage on social media,
Build up your audience
Start a newsletter
Book a book tour
Plan your launch marketing
Upload your book to a publisher and distributor
Market and Promote your book
Engage on social media with your audience
Talk with local newspapers, magazines and radio
Arrange competitions
Start on second book.

Phew! If you are not a writer and ‘just’ a reader going through this post, I hope you understand now the cost of the book is totally justified. So when you get your free book from a pirate book site, you are doing a disservice to the author. If you want a free book, go to your local library or become a Beta reader.

The key to all the above is being organised. I have a planner AND a Kanban board, in fact I have two!

I plan out social media each week, I plot out stories and ideal daily word counts, targets and goals, Yes, some go clearly by the side, but if you don’t have a goal, you won’t move forward.

A little secret. Have a photo, or a quote near to where to you are writing or as a screensaver, that shows the REASON WHY you wanted to write in the first place, and is your MOTIVATION to keep going. When things feel really tough, and you wish you hadn’t started, take a look and remember why you started in the first place.

Is indie publishing hard? Absolutely! But once you start, you won’t look back, and it does get easier as you go along and build your team of support.

Make an Appointment

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Work with Mandi Now

Flexing the Writing Muscle

Do you write daily?

I do. Now.

Not always what I should be writing, but I do write.

I am and have always been, a big list maker, it is probably why plotting ideas and creating beatsheets is easier for me than others.

I can write extensive notes, on my work and that of my clients. I can write shopping (book and garden) lists til the end of time!

But writing my own fiction is something totally different!

There have been days, when I didn’t feel like ‘writing’, sitting down at my desk and turning the laptop on, and I never forced myself. I know others recommend this, but I didn’t want writing to become a chore for me. It was something I loved doing, and my only way I saw as my being creative. I enjoy the freedom writing gives me.

Yet I needed to finish projects. I’m sure you do too. I have folders all over my desk top with half written stories and scripts. I won’t show you the PILES of notebooks filled with ideas, character descriptions, overheard conversations, one liners, a feeling, or just something unusual that sticks out and I need to recall later.

I needed to get into a habit.

I am always careful of using the word NEED, but I think it is justified here.

If I wanted to be taken seriously as a writer then I NEEDED TO WRITE. It really was that simple.

Writing = WRITER

Some of my students were having the same issue, so I started the WritingSprints running each weekday morning at 7am to 8am (bst), now I know it was early, but I am a morning person so this was fine with me. But now I had something I didn’t have before.

ACCOUNTABILITY.

There was going to be other writers WATCHING me sit at my keyboard and type everyday for an hour! I would have to do something.

The hours starts with a motivational quote. We LOVE these!

For those writers who were unsure WHAT TO WRITE, the quote actually INSPIRED them. WOW!

So, this one hour has now become…

MOTIVATIONAL, INSPIRATIONAL AND GIVES ACCOUNTABILITY.

Not bad!

Like most writers, I I have found the morning writing sprints invaluable at creating a habit. An hour each day of writing what I want to, I found I was creating and writing more, and so were those who joined me.

Research shows that it takes just 21 days for something to become a habit, just THREE WEEKS! I’m assuming that you will love writing so much that you will continue on your own over the weekend!

Like an athlete or dancer writing is as much a muscle, so the more you WORK it the STRONGER it will become.

Imagine what you could do in three weeks?

Most sprint writers seem to write around 1,000 words within the hour, (there is no minimum, whatever you feel comfy writing and talking quantity not quality here), over 21 days that would be 21, 000 words.

That is the average word count of a feature length film script. MIND BLOWN?

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

In THREE MONTHS you would have a FIRST DRAFT of YOUR novel.

Still unsure if you can write a novel or a script, or whatever you want?

Still saying you have no time to do this?

Here is another incentive, join the writing sprint each day for FREE.

That’s right, there is no charge! How do I run a business without charging you may ask, or what is the catch?

I genuinely want to see more writers achieve their dreams, and the more of you there is, the bigger the motivation and accountability there is.

For those who do want to support me, check out the services page. I list all the ways I can help you, and my fees, which are totally transparent, no hidden charges!

Join me at 7am (BST) to start you journey as writer. You can sign up here.

If you have more excuses than on here, give me a shout and we’ll talk through them.

Self Love

Hands up if you’re a writer who has suffered self -doubt?

The two seem to go hand in hand, we are after all putting something very personal out there for public viewing and critisim. The key here is to understand that you will always get negative feedback off someone. It is down to taste, we don’t all like the same the same things, whey should we expect EVERYONE to like what we are writing?

We need to build our own self confidence up and not put that responsibility on others.

Here are a few exercise that can help.

Create Positive Affirmations and place them where you will see them DAILY.

I love yoga and would highly recommend it.

Make a plan to help identify the problems.

Know and understand the difference between your INNER CRITIC and your AUTHENTIC CRITIC.

This is a tough one. How do you know which critic is which?

Get two pieces of paper.

On the first, write down your most negative thoughts.

This might seem the easy task, but each word you write down will hurt, but try not to give up.

For Example:

I take to long on one writing project

What if my facts are not right?

What is no-one reads my story?

What if they don’t like this one?

They will think I’m an imposter.

Your list can be as personal as you wish. it is your list.

This one is your INNER CRITIC!

With the next piece of paper go through each of you Inner Critic comments, and put a positive spin on them.

For Example:

I take my time to ensure I get my story down the way I want it.

This is a fiction story, there is room for error.

I am writing this story for me, if only one person reads it I will be happy.

If they don’t like my story, that is okay too. Maybe they will like the next one, or it’s not their genre.

This is your AUTHENTIC CRITIC!

Don’t be hard on your self without reason. We all have room to improve and change with genuine reasons, without putting more worry on ourselves being over critical.

Keep that Inner critic in check by reading your authentic critic as a regular reminder!

Part of my job as writing coach is to help with you inner critic and make you see the authentic you. If you are interested in working through your worries as a writer while improving you self worth then please drop me an email at feedback@thecoffeehousewriter.com to book your first 15 minute free session.

Writer’s Mistakes!

It’s really as simple as that.

Mistakes are allowed, in fact let’s go one step further and encourage them!

Remember when I told you about my sons and the cornflakes? That was an accident. Son no. 3 had made the mistake of over reaching. BUT… if he hadn’t they would never have heard the sounds of crisp cornflakes crunch under welly boots. They would never have made golden flaked angels.

Sir Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin by accident. Searching for a new ‘wonder-drug’ to kill all diseases, he thought he was failing. On throwing all of his experiments out he was left with a mold, that kills every bacteria around it.

In 1956, the inventor of the Pacemaker Wilson Greatbatch was actually trying to record the heart rhythm when he reached for the wring resistor, He went ahead and inserted it and noticed the circuit emitted electrical impulses, and thought they might work to improve the heart circulatory. So went ahead and made a smaller version.

These are just two of the great mistakes that have gone forward to save lifes.

By nature, we can’t stop mistakes. They just happen. When they do they can’t and shouldn’t all be erased. As well as learning from them, we need be able to judge our now work on the merits it has.

Knowing when to say, “this is the one” is extremely difficult. Each copy of art whether is writing or painting is a little part of you. And by saying that a mistake needs to be thrown away with assessing, can feel judgemental towards ourselves.

By learning to except our mistakes we accept that part of we have no control over.

Mistakes can happen in a multitude of manners as a writer,

The most important function on your laptop/pc

…forgetting to save that chapter so you have to rewrite but… Hey! you know the new chapter is TEN TIMES BETTER.

Not creating a plan to start with and ending up going off an a tangent, then realising the TANGENT is EXACTLY where you want to go.

Having unnatural dialogue. Accents are fun, and we all have one and I bet mine is different to yours. In fact I have moved around so much, mine is created from many. Some words are from my native Lancashire, some from home of Yorkshire, others from Cornwall, London and so on. And it is not just regional, it’s age related. How many older adults understand all the ‘new words and phrases’ used today? Do you have to Google them? I confuse my kids when I ask them “Do you want a chufty badge?” Basically a sarcastic term for a non existent badge for doing something they should be doing anyway, from the 80s (that’s the NINETEEN eighties!) Print a page out give it to someone else to read, can they tell you how many people are on the page, and who is saying which line? If not you have some work to do.

Unrealistic Character. We all want a hero or heroine but listen carefully, THEY DO NOT NEED TO BE PERFECT! Faults or flaws or simply interesting characteristics will give them a greater depth. These people you are creating need to be BELIEVABLE. C’mom admit, you go for the guy with the perfect hair and crooked smile, the person who gets agitated when the waiter gets a meal order wrong, then gushes apologetically when the food arrives and is divine, the woman who spends too much time getting ready for your work do, but then manages to charm even the meanest of bosses. You flaws can be physical or emotional or they wire they are wired differently, yet each one needs to be justified. Don’t give limp to a cop without telling us HOW they achieved it, we like a little back story. We need to empathise with them, and invest in them emotionally even the bad guys! Show us the humanity.

It does not matter what genre you are writing but predictability can kill a good story. Be aware of the trends in your genre and go against them, see what works for you and your story. Flip it on its head.

Clichés work for some genres like romance, it is honestly what we expect, but don’t fall into a habit of relying on them. It makes for lazy writing, and your readers will eyeroll and start skipping ahead. Here’s an idea… why not create your own, you are a writer after all!

Conflict comes in many ways. You know right at the beginning of as story, when the characters refuses to do something new, THAT IS CONFLICT! When they realise the journey is harder than they thought and want to change their mind, THAT IS CONFLICT. It is not always the actual fight scene or discord in your story, the conflict can be internal as well as external. The roof collapses on a struggling single mum with no income, THAT IS CONFLICT. Conflict is GOOD! It drives your story forward, without, you would have no story!

Ok, stop! Wait a minute! You are editing as you go? NOOO! If you do this, seriously you will NEVER FINISH, and this one comes from experience! Finish you first draft THEN EDIT.

Here are a few tips to help you accept.

Take a step back and look at you creative piece from all aspects. Does it work from a new perspective?

Admire it for what it is.

OWN IT. You did, so what the hell! It happened, you can’t go back and wish it hadn’t.

Learn from it. But don’t let it stop you writing.

If you want feedback on your draft then why not book a one to one with me.

Simply, just drop me an email here.

Creativity is…

Do you remember these cartoons drawn by Kim Casali for her new husband? They used to feature everywhere.

Creativity can be like the many examples given in the ‘love is…’ cartoons, it comes in many forms.

For me personally, my creativity comes out in writing, gardening, cooking, teaching and party planning and photography. I am sure it will pop its head in many other places, but theses are for me, the obvious places that I am creative.

In writing, I invent new characters, I build new worlds, I design narrative plots. I often break the rules of word count, of mixing styles. With my style of writing, they work.

In cooking, I experiment with flavour and techniques, most recently a new to the family vegetable, was one we have grown for many months, Kohl Rabi. Not only was it seen as an experiment, but a risk.

When trying something new there is always the risk of not liking it, or not having the skills. But you will never know unless you take the risk.

And then there are the mistakes.

When my two youngest sons were smaller, one made the mistake of delving into the largest box of cereal with his little arm to get to the bottom, probably a free toy. He did this reaching up. Meaning the cornflake box was soon tipped over him and the cornflakes were all over the floor.

My husband and I had been watching the whole process, stifling instructions and laughing, wanting him to discover for himself the outcome.

Tears came quickly.

Stepping in we walked over cereal crunching under our toes. This made them giggle. Within moments all four of us plus three dogs were stamping on cornflakes, creating patterns, and sounds they hadn’t seen or heard before, laughing proper belly laughs. Our older sons, were to as impressed!

Stock photo- Our floor was worse than this!

I think on that day we created the best thing possible besides all the fun we had. Memories.

For me creativity is…

memories.

What does creativity mean to you?

Editing

Does the mention of the word send you into a cold sweat, that drips down you back, you know right between your shoulder blades, pooling at your waistband?

I think I’m more than competent at editing, at least with other people’s work, it is after all a huge part of my job, though I do state strongly I do not copy edit, I do development edits. Yes, there is a difference.

But when it comes to my own, I go what I have always called ‘word blind’. I panic, I miss things, which leads to more panicking and more of the missing. I have stress dyslexia. It only happens when I need to really focus on my editing skills. Which is why I use a professional editor for my books.

I teach lots of students with dyslexia which ranges from the mild to the very severe, and I always say, not to worry about spelling and grammar, we can sort that out in the editing.

Well now that time has come!

It doesn’t matter if you are going to go down the traditional route or the indie publishing route, editing can be just as scary. It is the different between a good concept and a great novel.

I always advice leaving some time, personally I like two weeks, between finishing typing those last few words, to picking it up and reading again. Read something else in the meantime. Hopefully, when you get back to yours it’s not too familiar, so you can read it with fresh eyes.

Relax, find a quiet corner and have you book ready.

Format your book –Numbered pages and your name and title in the header, 1.5 or double spacing between lines, a simple font eg Times New Roman 12 point, dialogue properly set-out (new line for new speaker) and paragraphs indented .

Print your book out. Believe me this will make is so much easier! Keep a selection of coloured highlighters and sticky page markers too. Again, this will make life easier.

Make notes as you go. This way you won’t forget what you needed to edit. Edit as a reader, if something stops your ‘flow’ ask yourself why. ‘Who is John? Im sure the m/c is Kevin?’ ‘What happened at the picnic, it isn’t mentioned again?’ ‘Why is there a long description about the kitchen knife?’ ‘Check hair colour of m/c’ or ‘what day was it before?’

Don’t panic! Everything you have done is expected. Even for those authors we all years to be, they still go through this process.

Read chapters. Don’t try and be hero and read it all in one go. Give the words time to sink in.

Your first edit is about the story.
1. Does it make sense?
2. Are the characters well rounded, their dialogue natural? Does their physical description change?
3. Is each character different to the next?
4. Are all the stories completed?
5. What about the timeline?

Once you have your notes, go back and look through each individual issue. Remember the Butterfly Effect, if you change one thing it will change the story later. Do your changes impact the story at other points?

The way you edit is entirely up to you. If you feel drawn to the last page, start with that. I like to leave the first page to last. This is the one that needs to be the most captivating to get people to read further.

If it needs a MAJOR overhaul that is fine too! I’ve written a story and changed the whole point of view, I felt that the story was better told from a first person perspective.

Save all drafts. This is seriously important, email copies back to yourself, save to hard drive , external hard drive and cloud. Make sure each version is labelled with edit and date. Maybe go a step further and keep a data record or edits done in each version.

Keep you voice. It is easy to use software to edit and to loose you voice. While these aids to editing can be extremely useful, you still need to make sure the words still sound like you have said them. (Check out my blog on editing software coming soon.)

Set yourself a deadline and stick to it. Yes this is hard, especially if you have other responsibilities, but you owe it to yourself to get you book finished. Don’t give up now.

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