The Writing Coach
Literary Consultancy and Coaching for Writers from Jacqui Lofthouse
Reading Jane Harris’s wonderful historical novel The Observationsthis week reminded me of one of my favourite writing exercises which I call ‘The Observer’. Here’s your writing prompt this Monday morning: A character stands in the street, looking up at a lighted window. The character observes the person through the lighted window and reflects on the …
Sometimes life can get in the way of writing, so I thought I’d help to get you in the writing zone each week by offering you a regular writing prompt. There are no rules. You may choose to free-write, to get as many words as possible down on the page (for later editing), or you …
We often hear of the novel that sits ‘under the bed’ for years, and in most cases, that is where it stays. I know that I have one of those (it really is under my bed, it’s called ‘The Age of the Fish’) and whilst mine got me an agent and was read by publishers, I …
I would like to take a moment to share a few recent success stories from my former clients. This list is by no means exhaustive and if I haven’t included your publication, do give me a nudge and I’ll include you in the next update. Here’s to all those I have worked with and all …
If you have completed (or are very close to completing) a novel for children or young adults, the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition is the perfect opportunity to get your work noticed. Mslexia are hoping to discover a fantastic new children’s writer who has been overlooked by the usual submission process. In the current climate, where …
Confidence for writers is such an elusive creature. Why’s that? Because we are working in a profession where rejection is often a part of the deal. We frequently work without a structure, sometimes without colleagues, relying on our wits and in many cases not getting enough feedback. I’ve worked with enough writers over the years …
This post about time management for writers originally appeared on my very first blog ‘Stubborn World’. It tackles the thorny issue of how to find time to write in a busy life, something that so many of us struggle with. I do hope that you find some of these ideas inspiring. 1. Set aside …
First of all, a very Happy New Year to you all and wishing all readers of this blog a happy, healthy, and creative 2012! What is the Annual Review? Last year, for the first time, I embarked on the ‘Annual Review’ process suggested by Chris Guillebeau here. This worked really well for me and by …
Question: What can a writer learn from an illustrator? Answer: The fact that we don’t have to know the entire plot before we begin. Indeed, we might know nothing at all about our story but if we have a strong ‘hunch’, it’s important that we follow it. Earlier this month my daughter and I attended …
Writing a first draft of a novel or any book is, you might say, the easy part. But it’s at the editing stage that we craft our work into something special. We aim to transform our material into work that will compel a reader. If you’ve recently finished a draft of a novel – or …
There are times, for all writers, when the idea of completion seems like an impossible dream. A book-length writing project is no small undertaking and completion takes determination, guts, persistence, passion, inspiration and simple hard work. We can’t underestimate the importance of completion. If we don’t complete our writing projects, we can’t expect publishers to …
For many writers, confidence can sometimes seem in short supply. I’ve been a writer long enough and been around enough writers over the years to know that self-doubt is an undeniable part of the writer’s life. Perhaps it is not possible to be creative and never experience uncertainty about one’s work. I’d go so far …
