Questions about Writing and Authorship
Here are the most common questions I get asked. However, if your question is not here, drop me a message. I’m always happy to hear from people..
I’ve always been fascinated by the untold stories of ordinary women during extraordinary times. The WWII era has a rich narrative to explore resilience, courage, and the complexities of moral choice.
As a child, I used to watch old black and white movies and programmes from the period or set during the period and loved listening to elderly relatives tell me about their lives. My favourite movie of all time is The Sound of Music, which has a very deep theme of war disrupting ordinary life. During my school years, I fell in love with the book Carrie’s War and then later at GCSE, the war poetry from both the First and Second World Wars. Then, as a young woman, I read the biography series of Helen Forrester, who grew up in the Depression of the 1930s and was a young woman during the Second World War.
And, alongside all this, I married a soldier, and it was to the stories of the women of this period I turned to in order to help me navigate the difficult life that comes with being a military wife. My ultimate conclusion is that these women not only did everything I was doing but did it all with rationing, bombing, no communication from their soldiers and the threat of war right on their doorstep and I wasn’t even close to having to deal with half those things and still it was a struggle. So, ultimately, my writing and obsession with the women of this period stemmed from a form of catharsis and an exploration of who they were and what made them so special to do what they did.
I love the research side of things, and it’s a huge part of my process. I use a combination of historical documents, books, memoirs, museum archives, visits to places and experiences, as well as period photographs. I love to visit locations where possible to get a real sense of the atmosphere and setting, and it’s this immersive experience that I often crave when I’m working on settings and things that ground the work into its time period.
My characters are always fictional and never based on anyone. I find the pre-occupation with authors putting real people into their work shows a very distinct lack of imagination and thought. Instead, characters form as brand new entities with their own desires and drives. Often, as you write and get to know the character, they start to become almost independent of you and say and do things that you didn’t consciously intend for them to do or say, which then takes the story in new exciting directions.
I couldn’t think of anything more boring than simply basing a character on a real person, as this is so limiting to what you can do and where a character can take you. Part of the fun is getting to know a brand new person from scratch, who will slowly reveal themselves to you as you move through the narrative.
This depends on a number of things; the type of book and how complicated it is, how much research it needs, what else is going on in my life at the time.
My first book took me a very long time to write, probably about 9 years, because I completed a BA Hons degree during that time, we moved house a number of times, my husband went away to fight in a war, and a whole lot of confidence issues that meant I didn’t write consistently until the last year or so, when I decided to take it seriously and most of the book was written and edited.
I’ve found that if there’s big issues going on in my life that are worrying me, making life difficult, or just killing any kind of creative energy, I get terrible blocks and can’t write anything. This is because it puts your mind and body into emergency mode and things like bringing creativity is not so vital to existence and therefore is shelved under not needed for survival.
I am trying now to write more consistently so I can be more proactive and get books finished faster, but all this comes from a lot of trial and error, looking at my mistakes and taking some time to learn how to make things better.
After years of getting it wrong, I’ve now learned how to make the most of my schedule and get the writing done. I always try to do an hour of writing each morning at 8am before I start the home education and work day. This way the writing gets done consistently because if I don’t do it like this, I won’t end up getting anything done that day, as work, life and other demands take over.
It doesn’t always work, and sometimes I wake up and I’ve got a work issue on my mind, so I know I won’t settle into writing that day because my mind is worrying about the issue. On these days I try to go with the flow and allow myself to go ahead and solve the issue that’s worrying me first.
Start with a period that genuinely interests you, because you’ll be living with it for months or years, so you need a genuine interest in the time period and the people who lived then. Don’t let research overwhelm the story – use it to enhance your narrative, not replace it, as this makes for a very boring account; you’re writing a story, not a historical document. And finally, read widely in your chosen genre, see what current trends are, what people are buying and what structures and tropes people expect from your genre.
Balancing historical accuracy with storytelling. You want to stay true to the period whilst creating a story that resonates with modern readers. Sometimes historical realities can conflict with what makes good fiction, particularly when it comes to forms of speech, social attitudes and the way people interacted with each other.
For me, I find that because during the time I write it was very common for women to not be allowed to do the same jobs as men, get paid the same and also to suffer misogynist attitudes, it’s important to make sure all the people in my stories reflect their period and don’t have the same values and attitudes as today’s society, while also making sure they’re not just a book full of reprehensible people. This balance is tricky and one that often takes a few rewrites.
Writer’s block comes from one of two places, it’s either an external (life) issue or an internal (story) issue.
If it’s an internal issue, it’s often a story problem, and I’ve run into an issue with where I’m at or how to get out of a situation I’m in. Sometimes, in these cases, it’s simply a matter of skipping over the problem area and writing some later pieces of the book. Often, you need to write forward to get unstuck and write back.
If, however, it’s an external issue the problem then lies with something in my life sucking the creative energy and channeling it into a worry, problem or issue that’s happening currently. And unfortunately with this one, it often won’t resolve until the issue or worry is dealt with.
I was once stuck in writer’s block for about five years due to external worries going on in my life. And, once these worries were resolved, the writer’s block disappeared. It’s about not trying to force things but doing small things to help you find your creative energy again.
The best way is through my free Creativity and Creative Expression Substack group where I share writing updates, historical research discoveries, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of my writing process. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin and TikTok.
Yes. I occasionally run writing workshops where I share research techniques, plotting strategies, and tips for bringing historical periods to life.
I also have a range of programmes, workbooks and downloads, some of which are completely free, to help you write, be more creative, productive and banish those creative blocks.
I’m always happy to share recommendations. I regularly feature book reviews and reading roundups on my blog, particularly focusing on fiction and creative books.
I love so many books, but my top book recommendations would be:
- Twopence to Cross the Mersey by Helen Forrester (the first in her four part biography)
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
- The Road Beyond Ruin Gemma Liviero (or any of Gemma’s books)
- The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
- Carrie’s War Nina Bawden
- The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton
Questions about Creativity Coaching.
Here’s the most commonly asked questions about coaching and the programmes I run.
Creativity coaching is a form of coaching that works on collaboration and is designed to unlock your creative potential and apply it to your business, creative practice, or general life.
As your coach, I’ll help you overcome creative blocks, develop creative marketing strategies, market your business in a way that aligns with your values, and boost your productivity, among other things.
Creativity is in every aspect of your life and even in the things you don’t even realise. Coaching can help you make the most of your business, content, branding, audience engagement, creative practice, productivity and more.
For more details and information about what creativity coaching is read my article on the basics of creativity coaching.
Creativity coaching focuses on your creativity in combination with other aspects of your life. Unlike other types of coaching, it emphasises creative problem solving, innovation, personal expression and thinking about situations in different ways.
Because my specialisms and professional experience are writing and marketing, these are the areas I focus on with clients. With writing, it’s often about focusing on things like:
- overcoming writer’s block
- productivity for writers
- finding time to do the writing
- writing in the middle of life distractions and problems
- solving issues
- personal issues like confidence, fear and worry
- anything else related to a writer’s life
And, with marketing, it’s often about focusing on things like:
- fear and worry about putting yourself out there
- resistance and solving issues around feeling spammy
- overwhelm and working out what to do first
- organisation and tools to help make things easier
- the purpose of things like marketing plans
- how to channel your beliefs and make your messaging come from a genuine place
- any other kind of marketing, copywriting or content support you need
Anyone can benefit from a little creativity coaching.
Creativity is in nearly every aspect of our lives, we just don’t often realise it. Even the scientist looking to prove a theory needs to think creatively to work out how they can get the data they need to prove the theory.
Most people wanting creativity coaching don’t initially think it’s coaching they need. Usually, they are looking for a solution to a problem they have. And, this problem can be anything from the following:
- They need to market their business, but feel icky and spammy about doing it
- They are afraid of being exposed when they do marketing
- They’re overwhelmed with all the things everyone says they need to do to market their business
- They don’t know where to start and need support to begin marketing
- They find trying to do all the marketing things too time consuming
- They are just stuck and hate the idea of marketing
- They are a writer who has terrible writer’s block and their creativity has just gone awol
- They can’t find time in their busy lives to do the writing
- They are resisting doing the writing and not sure why
- They can’t get into a writing routine and need help
- They need some kind of accountability and want a coach to help them stay on task
- And so many more…
There are so many reasons creativity coaching can help you achieve your goals. Often, in life, it’s not just about knowing what to do, it’s about dealing with the issues surrounding your perception and outside influences about those things that need help too. And, this is where creativity coaching can really help,
I have over 15 years of marketing experience and am a published author of historical mystery fiction. I also have an advanced certification in Creativity Coaching, a Master of Life Coaching and NLP Master Practitioner certification, a first class Master of Arts in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with Creative Writing along with a whole host of other courses and certifications.
My unique blend of creative writing and marketing expertise offers a well-rounded approach to coaching. If you’d like to know more about my qualifications, they are listed on my About page.
It is because of the marketing and writing experience that I can offer a unique perspective as a coach. I know first-hand how hard it is to run and market a business and also how hard it is to fit writing into a busy life.
In my creative life I’ve failed, I’ve hit blocks, I’ve struggled, I’ve been down, I’ve felt useless and I’ve thought about giving it all up and it’s exactly these experiences that bring me the knowledge and understanding of what you’re going through.
And, when you combine this with 15 years professional marketing experience, and coaching training, I can offer you practical solutions and a fresh perspective on your business and creative life.
I believe in a client-led approach. I will always be guided by your needs, situation, and the problems you’re dealing with. The whole approach will be tailored to your situation, the speed, and level of complexity you need to help you get to where you want to be.
In-person sessions are usually for a minimum of one month and during that time there are coaching sessions every other week to allow you time to complete actions we’ve set out and you also get full remote access to me any time, any day via email. Email sessions give you full remote access to me any time, any day.
Email coaching means you don’t have to find time to schedule session meetings and you’re able to ask questions or clarify things anytime they come up during your week. The beauty of email coaching means you get to access me when you actually need me rather than having to wait for the next session scheduled. This means you can get answers faster and can implement suggestions quicker.
In-person sessions work by first discussing any updates or situations that have come up since the last session. We’ll then talk about where we left off last time and the projects you were going to work on and what progress you’ve made. Then we’ll discuss any current issues you’re dealing with and I’ll give you some thoughts, suggestions, templates or new things to try. And, finally we’ll talk about the week ahead and what we think might be some good goals to tackle for this week.
Over time, we might also revisit the overall goals we set out at the beginning of our sessions together and see if we’re still on track or whether these need adjusting.
It includes personalised coaching sessions, strategic guidance, and continuous email support to help you stay on track with your creative and marketing goals. See the answer to the question above for details of this.
Yes, every coaching package is individual, so every person gets tailored support for specific needs, making sure everyone gets the help they need.
However, I do have three different coaching package types, which include:
- Coaching package for writers and authors
- Coaching package for business owners and those wanting marketing help
- Coaching package for those wanting to develop more creativity in any other aspect of their lives.
However, if you want a particular package and don’t see it anywhere on my site, you can drop me a message and I’ll let you know if I can help, or if I know someone who can.
When it comes to marketing, it’s not just about learning ‘how’ to do it, often it’s more about learning to deal with your own issues, fears, pre-conceptions and problems before you can actually get any kind of success with it.
You can learn all the techniques possible, but if you have some pre-conceived ideas of marketing being spammy and you hate spammy tactics, you will always resist it.
Coaching will not only help you implement marketing strategies in simple bitesized ways that work for you, but it will help you tackle all your issues surrounding what you think marketing is and what it represents.
My background in corporate marketing and doing marketing for big established businesses means I know how to help a company achieve its marketing goals and get to where it wants to be.
I can help guide you, offer suggestions, give you templates, advice and education on different ways to do marketing that work for you and your business.
Absolutely! Creativity coaching offers tools and techniques to overcome writer’s block, helping you to express your ideas more freely and effectively. Together, we’ll work on finding out what the block is and why it’s stopping you before working through ways to overcome it and move forward.
In my experience, writer’s block is usually a result of an internal writing issue or an external life issue.
If it’s a writing issue, it could be you don’t feel ready to write a particular section yet, there could be fear around your writing, it could be you need to do some more research or it could be something else. We will explore these and find out what the issue is before finding ways to work through them.
If it’s an external life issue, it means your life worries, concerns and problems are killing your creativity and this is causing the issue. In this case, we’ll explore what those issues might be and how you can make some decisions to help clear your mind and allow your creativity space to breathe.
If you’re looking to enhance your creative skills and apply them to your business or writing, creativity coaching could be a great fit.
To find out more about whether it might be right for you, visit the Get Coaching pages, which details all the info about what it involves and visit the blog, which has numerous articles on creativity, coaching and marketing to give you everything you might want to know.
Also, reach out with questions or thoughts (don’t worry, I won’t sell to you) I’m happy to answer anything at all about creativity coaching.