Reviews

Why your story might require a bit more action As writers we're sometimes so busy working on character building, setting, tone, dialogue, internal dialogue, humour, descriptive language… that we forget to include scenes where interesting things (plot/action/story) actually happen. Whatever the genre, all stories and novels benefit from more action. Even a story that seems to be entirely about feelings and thoughts still needs plenty of things to happen for a reader to stay i

Nest-builders, garden visitors and musicians I’ve been very taken by birdsong this month. Each time I hear it, I stop whatever I’m doing, close my eyes and sit on my doorstep to properly listen to these beautiful songs. It’s why this month’s prompts are all about birds. Write a scene from the point of view of a little bird, about to make a nest. She’s determined that this year’s nest will be better than last year’s attempt. I love an animal narrator – you can make them as hum

Know your em dash from your comma when characters are talking I teach a number of punctuation workshops and the one area that seems to cause the most confusion is punctuation around dialogue. Here are few important rules: Commas and full-stops (and question marks and exclamation marks) at the end of a line of dialogue come before the speech marks: 'Come here on Monday,' she said. She said, 'Come here on Monday.' 'Are you coming here on Monday?' she asked. 'Do not come here o

Find a great metaphor and make it work for you again and again This month’s writing prompts are focused on extended metaphors, which means using a metaphor several different times in a few sentences (or paragraphs) rather than using it just once. Here’s an example of an extended metaphor in which I make use of the sea to describe someone’s turbulent emotions: Her moods ebb and flow like the tide. The calmness of the surface hides the currents and riptides below. The furious a

Love is in the air...or is it? Here are some Valentine’s Day prompts to get you started on a romantic story…or a story very much lacking in romance.   Angela is having the worst Valentine’s Day ever. Her partner, Derek, seems to have forgotten all about it, leaving Angela waiting alone at a restaurant. Set the scene, with Angela waiting excitedly and then exasperatedly, as she sits at the table surrounded by other couples. She is also having to deal with the waiter who keeps

How romantic fiction tropes can kick-start your story   It’s all very well wanting to write a romantic story or novel, but where do you start? You could look back at your own life and cherry pick the best or funniest dates or relationships to wrap a story around. You could be inspired by your parents’, siblings’ or friend’s relationships. There might be something on the news or online that stirs your imagination. Or, if you’re lucky, you might overhear someone in a café or an

Begin your writing year with these prompts about characters In each of these exercises, the tone is up to you. Janine is a 55-year old very successful actress who is extremely tired of being a doormat when it comes to her family. She's had an unbelievably bad Christmas, with entitled adult children, grumpy aging parents, critical siblings and a very morose ex-husband all taking advantage of her good nature and inviting themselves yet again to her holiday home by the sea to 'c

Bookshops, illustrators and one stunning library That's me standing in front of a little bookshop in El Calafate, Argentina. Packed with something for everyone, it is the most southerly bookshop I've ever been in. I was lucky enough to spend almost all of last November in South America, on holiday with my partner. And when I wasn't beaming at alpacas and dogs, and being completely amazed by waterfalls and mountains, I popped into some great bookshops. I always do this when I

Short story writing tips from prize-winning author, Claire Moffett One of my clients since 2019, writer Claire Moffett chats with me about her love of short stories and what it feels like to see her name - and stories - in print. A finalist in The Sunday Post Short Story Competition in 2023, she won second place this year [2025] with her page-turning tale: 'The Lying, The Snitch and The Wardrobe'. How did it feel to have another story published? Do you now feel that you can c

The festive season provides an abundance of riches for writers I teach a number of fun Christmas workshops where the aim is to write humorous stories and poems, all with a Christmas theme. I love preparing these workshops, anticipating laugh after laugh as clients read out the hilarious lines and scenes they've written. But I also love the workshops that look at DRAMA (capitals definitely required), where characters are dealing with rage, loneliness, greed, jealousy, disappoi

Squeeze in a few writing exercises this December Yes, I know you probably have hundreds of things that you absolutely have to do right now - December is, after all, the busiest time of the year for many of us. But, if somewhere in the middle of making mince pies, wrapping presents, picking up guests who are coming to stay, decorating a tree and dressing your dogs in their Christmas pudding outfits, you do find a few spare minutes, then have a go at these fun Christmas prompts

Why I love a literary statue with a bench I was thrilled last week to finally get to sit down next to Virginia Woolf. Whenever I walk along this stretch of the river in Richmond-upon-Thames, the bench belonging to the full-size bronze cast by Laury Dizengremel is always occupied. Which is another thrill - that people throng to Virginia's bench; that they appreciate this extraordinary writer. (There are, I should add, lots of benches dotted on this riverbank, but it's this one

Be inspired by the change of season For me, October is a time to go on walks and marvel at how much change is going on in forests and...

If you want to make a living from writing, this is what you should write next With the average professional writer in the UK earning...

Blow out some candles and write My dog, Pippa, and I have both had birthdays this month so I thought I’d write some fun birthday prompts...

The essential ingredients of a romantasy novel About 17 years ago, I devoured Stephenie Meyers’ Twilight series of books, staying up to...

Try these fun dialogue prompts as a warm up With each prompt, write ten lines of dialogue. (Five for each character). Have fun with these...

How to get the best from your subject It's been a busy few weeks as a journalist. Yesterday, I spent some time chatting over Zoom with...

Writing prompts for rage! I was teaching a class yesterday, filled with very lovely, calm people all of whom are polite and very sweet....

Test your creative skills with this fun workout. I've always been very curious - OK, let's call it nosey - about people: what they have...

How to help writers find readers. Unless you are a celebrity or bestselling author with tens of thousands of followers and an inbox...

Limber up with these spring-time writing prompts Describe the sound of birdsong when you wake up in the morning. Or, if you're not a...

How networking helps speed up your publishing journey Whether you've decided to submit your work to agents and publishers or are about to...

Don't hang back; send your stories out into the world. Sharing a new story with other people is a nerve-wracking time for any writer:...

Find five minutes and write... If you have just a few minutes to spare, have a go at these writing prompts that are inspired by travel....

Why I love an over-the-top character. I don't often want to read about reasonable, measured characters - the ones who always behave...

Flex your writing muscles with these spring-inspired prompts. Spring has arrived in south-west London and I've been up early walking my...

Author Niloufar Lamakan shares her marketing tips following the successful launch of her debut novel, Aged to Perfection. Q:...

Create romantic leads, write a meet-cute and describe a broken heart. Valentine's Day may have come and gone, but that doesn't mean it's...

Make use of famous characters to practise writing monologues. Writing monologues is one of the quickest ways to warm up your writing...

Why I'll always be a fan of Agatha Christie. I was in Wallingford, in Oxfordshire, recently and discovered that there is a bronze statue...

This funny and original rom-com, written by one of my clients, is out soon. If you love rom-coms that are laugh-out-loud funny,...

Have lessons with Deana. An inspiring, patient and understanding teacher. If you’ve always wanted to write a novel but all you see is a...

Use a playlist to tell your story. It's tricky knowing where and how to begin writing a memoir. What you shouldn't do, however, is write...

Time for a writing warm-up session Haven't written for a few days? Not sure you're really feeling in the mood? Sometimes a little...

Be inspired by new places and people I've recently returned from two wonderful weeks in India where I spent most of my time marvelling at...

Deana has been incredibly helpful in my writing journey. She has taken me back to basics, working to create good foundations so that I am...

Joining Deana's class gave me the confidence and motivation to continue with creative writing. Her lessons are inspiring and interesting....

I’m currently working with Deana on my novel and her advice and feedback has been invaluable. She cuts to the heart of what’s going on...

Deana was invaluable to me as a developmental editor on my novel which is now being pitched to literary agents - because she helped make...

Deana demystifies the art of writing!  Her bespoke group classes with a never ending array of topics have enabled me to extend my...

Deana is an encouraging coach - I wanted to give up many times, and gently and persistently she helped me complete my book. She is not...

Seven prompts to help you get into writing mode this week Write a paragraph (or more!) using each prompt as your first line. Even if you...

Why Films Can Help You Write Your Novel Are you the kind of writer who visualises their chapter as though it were a scene in a film? I...

Visiting the Dorset home of one of my favourite authors. I was in Dorset last month and visited the cottage where Thomas Hardy was born...

A great book needs a great ending I’ve just read two books, back-to-back, whose endings were terrible. This was entirely unexpected as...

Approach your work differently to reach The End. Almost all writers get stuck at some point. Maybe, mid-way through a novel (or work of...

Send your novel out into the world and begin writing your next. It’s almost a compulsion with writers to give a finished manuscript one...

Attend an author event and pick up some writing tips. I love attending author talks as much as I love giving them. Not only do I enjoy...

Why daydreaming may help you finish your novel. I was on a train crossing London this morning, from north-east to south-west, a journey I...