There isn’t a writer in the world who doesn’t sometimes (or most of the time!) feel dispirited, discouraged and disappointed about the words they are producing (or not producing) and about their writing career in general. The best way to combat this is to come out into the world, blink hard in the bright light, and then TALK TO OTHER WRITERS.

Flying the flag for the Birmingham Chapter at #RNAConf2024

I spent the whole of last weekend talking to other writers at the RNA 2024 Conference. We commiserated with each other about what a tough and fickle mistress the publishing industry is. We clapped and congratulated award winners as they received their trophies. We exchanged tips and advice for navigating the writing world. And we followed each other on social media so that we can continue to champion each other in the coming months.
We were also bamboozled by a plethora of information from wonderful speakers. We filled our phones with pictures of their bullet-pointed slides and scribbled down nuggets of sage advice.
And, on Saturday night, we let our hair down and danced like no one was watching! And no one was watching – everyone was too busy waving arms, gyrating hips and booming out the song lyrics. 

If you get the chance to go any sort of writing conference (or to a gathering relating to whatever passion floats your boat), please go! You will find your tribe. Like me, you’ll come home feeling a whole better (and totally exhausted!)
Everything I learned at the conference is now pointing me in a new direction for my books. It’s going to take a long time to come to fruition so I’m not going to jeopardise anything by revealing it yet. But watch this space!

A new direction that I can tell you about is an occasional new series on this blog, to be called ‘Five Questions About Writing With …’ It will reveal the lives and tips of a variety of writers across different genres. First up will be Sarah Rodi who writes Viking Romance for Mills and Boon. Stay tuned!

Finally, I’ve been playing around with Canva and produced a graphic for my very first novel, Bedsit Three. What do you think?
Bedsit Three is a psychological thriller featuring family relationships and it is now free to read on Kindle Unlimited for the first time ever! And only 99p to buy.