Category Writing
Shriek Song: short story published in New Writing Scotland
Just a short update to share some good news: I’ve been published in New Writing Scotland 40: nobody remembers the birdman by the Association for Scottish Literature! I’m thrilled that my short story, Shriek Song, found a home in the collection and that it can be enjoyed by readers in Scotland and beyond. Shriek Song […]
The importance of staying proactive as a writer
Trying to build a career as a writer when you have a life, other commitments and a whole other job can seem a daunting task and there’s no doubt that it takes hard work, discipline and patience. I wanted to jot down some thoughts I’ve had recently about why it’s so important to also be […]
Querying agents: what I’ve learnt so far on my journey to being published
Hello! After a VERY LONG TIME, I’m back! While I’ve been away from my blog for the past year and a bit, a lot has happened. I’ve moved from London to Edinburgh, got engaged (!) and finally finished my novel. (The one mentioned here in a previous post for reference.) While it’s been a really […]
Poem: For My Brother
It’s been a while since I shared a poem on here. Poetry just feels so intrinsically personal and emotional – maybe because I only ever write about the things that matter to me, and sometimes those things hurt. So here you go – this one’s for my brother. Who deserves everything he thinks he doesn’t. […]
Master’s update and new novel – it’s been a while!
Hello and welcome to this strange and tumultuous world in 2021. It’s been quite a long time since I last blogged (seven months in fact!) and while I’m disappointed not to have kept up my blogging schedule , I think I can be forgiven because, you know, it was 2020 and all. So much has […]
Finding inspiration and challenging myself as a writer
Hello and welcome back to the part of my blog where I document my journey as a writer, and write about how much I both love and hate writing. It’s been a bumpy couple of months. There have been many reasons – global pandemic notwithstanding – why I haven’t really felt like blogging, and writing […]
Dealing with criticism as a writer
Recently I submitted two short stories to my Creative Writing tutor. Sometimes when I submit my work, I have a feeling in my gut that she’s going to like it. When she opens her mouth to tell me what she thinks, I’m waiting for her to confirm my suspicions and tell me that I’m brilliant. […]
Creative Writing MA: checking in and freaking out
It’s about four months until I finish my Creative Writing MA and hand in my final project and dissertation, and although that seems like a long amount of time, I am sure, with a certain degree of dread, that the time is going to fly past. I promised that I would document my degree on […]
Writing a novel: taking myself away for a week
A recent article in The Guardian caused some controversy by suggesting that writing is an elite activity because it requires two things: time and space. Of course, both those things will often require money, meaning that as Lynn Steger Strong suggests, you can only be a writer if you can afford it. I’m not saying […]
My tips for entering short story competitions
Look, I’m going to be honest here: I’m no short story competition expert. Of the 20+ competitions I have entered in the past year and a half, I’ve had exactly 0 successes – longlist, shortlist, somewhere-in-between-list. No luck. But I haven’t given up, and I continue to methodically and strategically apply to short story competitions, […]
Forever on a Lilo 