Regular free-writing (see blog on 'Silencing the Inner Critic') seems to go against all the rules of 'proper, grown-up' writing, and requires practice! To write unedited can sometimes feel like we are spouting a stream of rubbish, wasting our time, not focusing on what's important. But through tricking the conscious, critical mind into allowing our unconscious thoughts and processes to reach the page, we can Read more [...]

Most of us have deep associations with the process of putting words to paper, which usually begin when we are learning to write at school. We are being judged from the outset, encouraged to think about what we are writing, checking that we are using correct spelling and punctuation, and developing an inner critical voice that censors our words as they hit the page. As we grow older, any creative expression we Read more [...]

I’ve written about every single book I’ve read since I was 13. I received a large writing book  from an uncle, and the first book I reviewed was ‘Flambards’ by KM Peyton. At the back is a page where I record those few books which receive the accolade of ‘Best Reads’ – those truly knock-out ones that you constantly want to return to, yet do not want to finish because you feel you will miss them!. Read more [...]