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Because of job cuts, I’ve recently returned to the freelance hustle in my mid-50s – and I’ve encountered lots of negativity and defeatism. My fellow 50-somethings are lacking confidence, can’t cope with new tools and software, think editors only want young talent, that AI is making them redundant… I felt all this, too, at first. […]

I remember writing my first letter to author François Bloemhof in 2000. As a young author, I was delighted when he actually answered—and the feeling has never quite worn off when writing to other authors. Writing to another author grows your connections and knowledge whether thanking them, admiring them, or just exchanging like-minded ideas. Here’s why you […]

I am a big fan of Colleen Welsch at The Freelance Writer’s Guide. She has a big personality, but she is down to earth as well and so darn full of common sense. If I were returning to fulltime freelance writing, she’d be the person I’d go to in order to get back on track. Thanks […]

We are not defined by our rejections….or rather we shouldn’t be. Nobody knows about them . . . or should. We ought to be defined by our efforts and success. Don’t talk too much about rejection, or about trying hard and not getting anywhere. Yet many people want to talk about how hard they’ve tried, […]

Stories about my daily life never seemed like writing that could sell. Who cared who I was or what I had done. But an editor of a publication pointed out that international readers would find my everyday cultural experiences interesting and fresh. I wrote the first feature about daily life in rural Southern Africa—and surprisingly, […]

I am often asked how should someone start writing. They tell me they’ve always wanted to write. They think about a novel. They would love to write for a living. How did I start? When did I decide I liked writing? Many of these are people looking for Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, then […]

I was recently made redundant from my day job so am now, at the age of 56, back out there having to hustle for freelance work. I naturally began to reach out to my so-called network. But I quickly realised that I haven’t been great at nurturing contacts and keeping in touch with people over […]

Author Raven Digitalis hired me to be their publicity assistant in November 2024. Opportunity knocked and I answered, anxious to step in for the potential fun and experience. While authors frequently need editors and proofreaders, they also would use an extra hand. Here’s what I learned by becoming another writer’s assistant. Writers Hiring Assistants I was […]

Unlike novels, screenplays are not in and of themselves an end product. They’re merely blueprints for something else, like a movie or TV show. They’re a roadmap showing filmmakers how to express a story in a visual medium using tools like cameras, lights, actors, editing and music. They’re not meant to be all-encompassing narratives that […]

Ello, ello, Hope. Happy New year of the (sneaky) Snake sign!!🧧🎍🧨 I’ve just read your recent email letter (dated January 24, 2025) and have some comments about the article: Using Your Pseudonym, by Alex J. Coyne. What I want to share: it is totally fine to get paid in the pseudonym and it can easily be […]

Do you want to hear how an author got published after five years? Do you want to hear how many times they were rejected? Do you want to hear the pros and cons of how they chose their agent, indie publisher, or self-publisher? Do you want to hear about the pros and cons of how […]

The Dark Half is one of my favorite Stephen King books, because it’s the one where an author’s pseudonym comes to life. Pen names like Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling), Anne Rice (Howard Allen Frances O’Brien), and Stan Lee (Stanley Martin Lieber) are common. However, why use pseudonyms or pen names — and how? Here’s why pseudonyms […]