The good stuff comes later, said SF writer Octavia E. Butler QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one … Continue reading
Inspiring Pictures for Writers – Paris 1950 in film
Breathe in. You can almost smell it…. This is not your world and probably not your language; I’m willing to bet good money that it is also not your time, … Continue reading
‘And by the way…’ Sylvia Plath on the worst enemy to creativity
And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is … Continue reading
Inspiring pictures for Writers – portrait of mother and child
Warning: this is a heartbreak of a painting. It turns on its head the usual image of a mother and child; here it’s the child offering comfort and protection. It … Continue reading
Why great novels are dangerous – Julian Barnes QUOTES FOR WRITERS (and people who like quotes)
I think a great book—leaving aside other qualities such as narrative power, characterization, style, and so on—is a book that describes the world in a way that has not been … Continue reading
Inspiring Pictures for Writers – diving into fable and fantasy
Not into fantasy? Don’t write it; don’t read it? I understand and could say the same except…except it’s good to get out of the comfortable niche we create for ourselves. … Continue reading
Don’t expect the puppets of your mind to turn into people on the page…QUOTES FOR WRITERS
Don’t expect the puppets of your mind to become the people of your story. If they are not realities in your own mind, there is no mysterious alchemy in ink … Continue reading
Inspiring Pictures for Writers – a street in a French town leading somewhere…
An arresting pen and ink drawing by David Gentleman. The simple graduation of colour in the sky suggests something is about to happen… Gentleman is an illustrator who studied at … Continue reading
If you’ve earned more than £300 from a short story don’t read on….
Seriously, don’t. Nottingham Writers Club Short Story Competition is not for you. It’s for anyone who’s thought: I don’t stand a chance because only experienced writers will win. Nottingham Writers … Continue reading
BRIDGET WHELAN writer 