Ignore the murdered editor and look for the positives Rejection’s part of the writing game. We all know it. Any writer in this for the long haul – and I’d suggest there is no other haul – has to develop a very thick skin. It’s from the days when you had to submit your articles … Continue reading Dealing with Rejection as a Writer
Reflections on a difficult relationship When David had to deliver his first eulogy, he was forced to consider the realities of his relationship with a rock star in the making. In 1989 Dave joined a band. He’d been playing guitar for a few years, and sent an ad to the local paper. There was a … Continue reading Rock Star Eulogy 🎸
This simple little writing exercise should help get your creative juices flowing, and also engender a sense of calm. Imagine yourself in the perfect garden. Explore and describe this garden through writing. This is your garden. Don’t be constrained by realities. This garden can be anything and anywhere you want it to be: countryside, urban, … Continue reading The Garden ✍🏻 a Writing Exercise
A valuable companion to morning pages We rush through life: wake up, check the phone, walk the dog, dash to work, grab a coffee, lunch at the desk, trawl through emails, go home, have a quick dinner, watch a bit of telly, then sleep for a few hours until we have to get up and … Continue reading The Evening Check-in ✍🏻 Reflecting on the Day
Men don’t talk. We don’t “open up”. We find it difficult to show our feelings. We won’t ask for directions – and with satnavs and smartphones, these days we don’t have to. These may be clichĂ©s, but clichĂ©s are rooted in fact. When I used go to collect our kids from primary school, I noticed … Continue reading Breaking the Male Silence 👤
The old man’s gone, but the music lives on It’s approaching the third anniversary of Mark’s dad’s death. And he’s just given away the old man’s saxophone. It was the day of their son’s graduation. Mark and his wife, Sue, went to the university for the ceremony, accompanied by Mark’s mum, Mary. It was a … Continue reading Giving Away Dad’s Sax 🎷
In a previous post, I mentioned morning pages; if you’re not familiar with the idea, this is what it’s all about. The term “morning pages” comes from Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way. This is an inspirational book for anyone interested in exploring creativity, or who feels their creative impulse is floundering. I was first … Continue reading Morning Pages ✍🏻
It’s OK to be you As writers, we observe and analyse, document and comment, our own feelings and opinions thinly veiled behind the exploits of allegedly fictional characters. A certain level of detachment is essential if we’re to be at all effective in our craft. As writers are typically introverts, this tends to come easily. … Continue reading The Writer as Outsider đź“„
Martin Sketchley 