My Writing Life – Articles to Help Fellow Writers

Writing has been my companion since I was a child, and through my upcoming series of articles I hope to inspire others to pick up that pen!

Expect honesty. The only way to improve and learn is to persevere -you can’t write a book if you don’t put pen to paper, after all.

If you’re looking for books about writing, the best I’ve read is Stephen King’s On Writing. There are many others, but I believe that your writing is improved by reading others who inspire you. I spend many hours studying story, but I also pay attention to patterns, for example:

The romance genre is vast, and incredibly popular, but there are so many categories which each have different reader expectations attached to them. A medical romance is likely to be 50,000 words, but it goes deeper than that.

If you pay attention, you will find a similar wordcount point where the first encounter happens, when things goes pear-shaped, and other key moments along the way.

Doing the reading for the genre you want to write in is essential.

From a personal point of view, my current project is about this subject too. It’s really a writing coach in your pocket.

Oh, and by the way, if you want a one-on-one writing coach I can do that too.

Writing Prompts

Do you get stuck for ideas? Perhaps you need a nudge to get started? Whether you’re stagnating on an existing project, or just in limbo, I have something to help you.

I have something that’s a little different to your usual creative prompts, and it’s called Take Five Words.

Intrigued?

Each week I’ll send out an email with the details, and it’s up to you whether you use it to create a poem or as a launching pad for something bigger! It’s a simple but effective way to get the wordiness flowing.

Creating Good Writing Habits

Bear with me here; I speak from experience when I say that you need time and space to create.

This doesn’t need to be an office, in fact really it’s about having a routine and sticking to it.

Every day when I wake up, I put the kettle on, then while it’s boiling I switch on the laptop. Scrivener is sitting in front of me by the time my coffee is ready.

Even if you write 'I don't know what to write today', you've written something. Here's a screenshot of how I use Scrivener to do this. I previously used excel but this method is more effective.

Habit is key.

The other thing about downloading your brain when you first wake up, is that it clears junk and helps you gain clarity. Free writing allows you to stream your sub-conscious, and there is solid research to support the health benefits too.

Personally, I have a folder where I write my daily download. Once I’ve done this, I’m set for the day.

How to Write Well

There are many schools of thought on this, but I think authenticity is important.

Writing well comes from tenacity. With daily practice your vocabulary grows, your typing speed increases, and things become easier. That means more room in your brain to get into your flow.

But what should you write?

Throughout our lives we build a mountain of experiences. Each one of these is unique. Our job as writers is to allow others to share those moments through stories.

Although memoirs are a true representation of this, that’s not what I mean. Every face you see, every waft of a familiar scent… they all add to your own storytelling database.

Taking a simple idea and running with it can be liberating, and that brings me on to fear.

Fear of Failure – The Writer’s Achilles heel

This topic is one close to my heart. The lines are blurred between fear of failure and of success, more so than you think.

If you choose to put your work in the public domain there is a chance that it will receive criticism. Learning to live with this is part and parcel of life as a writer.

Social Media is part of life in 2026, and I suppose you could call it necessary, but I find it challenging. I like to mingle in the real world, people watch, and soak up the atmosphere.

I will write more about this in my marketing articles, but if you are an introvert you may find blogging and SEO more appealing. When you choose outlets to suit your personality, you are half way to being at ease with your public persona.

If fear and procrastination are amongst your obstacles, I can help you.

The Writer’s Notebook

I had to giggle as I wrote that! I have boxes full of these so singular use of notebook seems wrong!

Although some of them have lain untouched for years, they are full of my brain dumps. I have tiny ones that fit in my pocket, A4 lined, and even some sketchbooks. Sometimes I’ll doodle while I’m thinking about work, and often the doodle will turn into a spider’s web of a mind-map.

If you prefer to use a tablet for taking notes, that’s fine too. I find that my brain behaves differently when I have a pen in my hand. Perhaps a mix of paper and tech is a good balance.

Whichever you choose, remaining in the habit of capturing life feeds your database.

Note – there’s that habit word again!

Getting Published vs Self-Publishing

The publishing world is evolving. Traditional publishers still hold strong in the marketplace but there are other options.

Whether you choose to write poetry books, for pleasure on a travel blog, or pursue the big time is your choice, there are pros and cons to all avenues. How you do it, though, can be made easier if someone who’s been there is holding your hand.

It starts with what are you comfortable with.

Many publishers have a requirement for a minimum of Social Media followers before you can even submit, and with the onset of AI the landscape is changing every day.

Again, I have a few opinions (and ideas) about this…all to come in future articles.

In Closing, Write About Everything

This article has given you a few things to think about., and as a fellow writer I understand the frustrations and hurdles we must navigate.

I hope you’ll join me on my writing journey, and will let me support you in yours. They key is to just get on with it, keep your notebook handy, and write about everything, everywhere. When you leave the house: keys, phone, pen, and paper!

Remember:

When we write, we accept a level of isolation yet we are all like-minded beasts. (Emma Herbert)

Below is a link to my newsletter, and I would love you to sign up. No spam, no nonsense, but good advice to help you along your own path in writing.

You can also follow me on my Amazon pages Emma Kate Herbert or Kate Taviner which is the pen name I use for poetry books.

On Medium, I’m Musings of a Creative Mind.

Patreon: Emma at Painterly Ponders

I hope to see you soon,

Emma