Reading books is, according to an article in the Huffington post, one of the habits that successful people have in common. Successful people read more than average. Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Stephen King and many others are among those listed as being avid readers. Question is: does reading a book regularly make you successful, […]
Author Archive | Grace
Another New Year
New year is the time we are supposed to think about resolutions. Some of you will be groaning because the resolution you made last year didn’t happen. Don’t worry because most New Year’s resolutions don’t. Including mine. I’ll be the first to admit my resolution to declutter and streamline my home office didn’t get very […]
Sometimes life gets in the way.
It’s a frosty day here in Galway. As the frost takes us towards Christmas and the end of the year I have started thinking about last New Years resolution. Judging by my success at carrying out last year’s resolution I doubt it. Last year I resolved to declutter my office. I had a loose plan […]
Writing a Best Seller
Writing a best seller is what every writer wants to do. Okay, I know there are some writers who say they just write for art but it’s hard to imagine someone really not wanting to be read – by lots of people. Surely that’s what we all want? In my case, I do want to […]
The Right to be Anonymous – Elena Ferrante
Lately I’ve been reading about the outing of writer, Elena Ferrante. It makes me think again about why writers choose to be anonymous and why so many women writers use initials. CHOOSING TO BE ANONYMOUS Firstly anonymity. Writers choose to be anonymous because they want to remain private. They have their own reasons for doing […]
Irish Publishers Charging for Submissions
100 EURO PER READ Irish publishers are not supporting Dublin based, Liberties Press on their introduction of a 100 euro charge for reading unsolicited submissions. On their website, Liberties Press describe themselves as Ireland’s leading independent publisher. However, other Irish Publishers have not followed their lead. The chairperson of Publishing Ireland, Ruth Hegarty has said […]
Can You Learn to Write?
Classes about learning to write are some of the most popular ones you can find. Yet, some successful writers denigrate these classes and their students. They say that such students aren’t ‘real writers’ because writing is something sacred, that cannot be learned. SACRED TALENT The idea that writers have this sacred talent that enables them […]
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Eileen is the Man Booker shortlisted novel by Ottessa Moshfegh. The novel is set in the 1960’s and focuses on a lonely woman who works in a boy’s prison near Boston. She is pulled into a strange crime and disappears. The story is in the thriller genre and has been greatly successful for the author, […]
Seasonal Affective Disorder and Writers
Seasonal affective disorder affects many of us. However, the fact that writers spend a lot of time indoors sitting down can make us more vulnerable. Get Outside The antidote to seasonal affective disorder is to get outside and walk as much as you can. Even a ten-minute walk can make a difference to your mood. […]
Creative Thinking Skills
Creative thinking skills can be learned. But, to develop and improve these skills we have to lose our self-consciousness about what we write. This self-consciousness can take many forms but most of it revolves around the same thing – fear. ARE YOU SCARED? If you are afraid of what people will think then your writing […]