EVERYBODY GETS BAD REVIEWS
CRITIQUE & REVIEWS No love, you’re not alone. Every single storyteller, every single creator, gets bad reviews. Granted, some get more than others, but generally speaking, we all get our confidences knocked down a peg or two every now and then. But it doesn’t have to be the end of…
JUST DON’T BE A DICK
CRITIQUE & REVIEWS Once upon a time I used to love reading the reviews in The Sunday Times. It was my most precious indulgence as a poor single mum living in the north of Sweden. I’d pick up the thick envelope from my newsagents on Wednesdays and put it aside…
BEAT PROCRASTINATION
Better Under Pressure?HEY WRITER, do you know that the idea that you work better under pressure is a myth? It’s actually a misguided belief a lot of us tell ourselves. Studies show that no one works better under pressure, so why do we hold on to this belief? Psychologists say it’s a…
BEAT PROCRASTINATION
Don’t Let It Ruin Your LifeHEY WRITER, did you know that people tend to think of procrastination as something personal? Yep, it’s true. They also tend to believe that avoiding and/or putting off tasks is a solitary decision that doesn’t have much of an impact besides creating something of a time crunch. But guess what?…
CRITICISM
When To Pay Attention?HEY WRITER, do you know when you need to pay attention to negative feedback? And, by extension, when you should just ignore it? “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and…
BEAT PROCRASTINATION:
– You’re Not AloneHEY WRITER, are you a procrastinator? Then you’re in good company. Everyone procrastinates at times. Everyone. At any given time, it’s estimated that 20% of people are procrastinating some aspect of their lives. “You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.…
CRITIQUE & REVIEWS
DOs and DON’Ts for CriticsHEY WRITER, have ever you been a critique partner? Maybe a member of a writing group? Or, my personal nightmare, had friends and/or family ask you to give them feedback on something they wrote? After all the posts about being on the receiving end of criticism, today, I want to…
BEAT PROCRASTINATION:
– No, You’re Not LazyHEY WRITER, did you know that procrastination is not the same as laziness?Generally speaking, when it comes to getting things done, there are three types of people: – Those who take action quickly; – Those who wait until the last minute; and – Those who put in minimal effort Those…
REVIEWS & CRITIQUE:
-Can Criticism Be Healthy?HEY WRITER, do you think criticism can ever be healthy? I do, and in this article I’m going to tell you why. “The trouble with most of us is that we’d rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.” – Norman Vincent Peale When the emphasis of criticism is…
BEAT PROCRASTINATION
A 30-Day ChallengeHEY WRITER, do struggle with procrastination? Yeah, I thought that might be the case. But no worries, I have a series of articles that could change your life. First off, you’re not alone. Everyone procrastinates from time to time. Avoidance is a natural way to protect ourselves from stress, pain, fear,…
ACT ON CRITICISM?
– You Do You, BooHEY WRITER, do you know that successful people tend to look at criticism as feedback? And no, that doesn’t mean that all criticism is correct. It goes without saying that the word criticism has a negative connotation. It can easily make us defensive and resistant to the benefits we could…
CRITICISM:
-3 Ways It Makes You StrongerHEY WRITER, did you know criticism can make you stronger? Most of us could share quite a few stories about the criticism we’ve received and the mark it left on our psyche. We all know it can leave us feeling weak, misunderstood, and vulnerable, but it can also make us…
CRITIQUE & REVIEWS
3 Reasons We Hate ItMOST PEOPLE hate being criticised, so as writers we’re in good company. It’s just that criticism can sting more when it relates to something you have created. But then again, as Aristotle said: “Criticism is something you can easily avoid by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” As writers,…
WHAT DOES FANTASY MEAN TO YOU?
FANTASY IS PROBABLY my favourite genre in storytelling. It gets a bad rep among literary snobs, but fantasy is so versatile it can, literally, be anything. If you think about it, quite a few of the stories that are held up as beacons of Good Literature (or words of a…