Category: Jacqui Lofthouse

Day 2230 mins editing + 15 mins planning + 1hr 15 mins planned writing I am so happy with the task this week. I * love * writing dialogue. My lead sense is audio and I take great interest in the sound of speech and what it reveals about people. I enjoy mimicking others and… Continue reading Day 22: How to write great dialogue

Day 21x mins exercise + 30 mins editing + 15 mins planning+ 45 mins planned writing Today we are looking at reading habits. Jacqui’s view is that writers in a particular genre can get stuck reading only in that genre. She recommends thematic rather than genre reading. Read across different types of books (history, autobiography,… Continue reading Day 21: Reading ‘outside of the box’

Currently, my only aim is setting myself up for survival as a writer, so let’s see if I can raise my ambitions. Part III has some nuts n’ bolts (dialogue, reading, editing) but mainly suggests personal development (self-love, confidence). And of course, by the end of this, we will have a 30k first draft. So,… Continue reading Part III: Setting Yourself Up for Success as a Writer

Reflection Part II: The Foundations of the Writing Life  At the end of Day 20, Jacqui asks us to reflect on what we’ve achieved so far. I am not feeling very positive, although I have followed every step and been diligent about incorporating the suggestions, even when optional. I do not necessarily think my negative… Continue reading Part II: Review

Day 2030 mins journal + 30 mins editing + 15 mins planning + 1 hr planned writing Today we are invited to consider writing integrity, which Jacqui interprets as being true to ourselves. Because we are human, that doesn’t mean being whole and knowing exactly you are. It means being true to the questioning and… Continue reading Day 20: A Writer’s Integrity

Day 1930 mins editing + 15 mins planning + 1 hr planned writing Make editing a regular part of your routine. Jacqui acknowledges that this week’s advice may be at odds with what she’s said previously about creating freely and never looking back, like some Thelma-and-Louise-themed writing drive. But that was just to trick us… Continue reading Day 19: When is the right time for editing?

Day 1815 mins planning + 15 mins exercise + 1 hr planned writing So far, Jacqui has advised against plotting your draft novel in advance. This is a course for people who find it hard to sit down and write, after all, and spending a long time plotting is an excellent way to avoid writing. … Continue reading Day 18: The plot thickens

Day 1715 mins planning + 1 hr planned writing The topic today is how signposting (non-fiction) and foreshadowing (fiction) can pull the reader’s attention in. Jacqui explains that foreshadowing is “the art of the well-placed intriguing comment”, such as ” . . . but little did I know then, how much I was to lose… Continue reading Day 17: The importance of the Signpost

Day 1615 mins planning + 1 hr planned writing This week invites us into the Right brain. The side of creativity and free-association. The Left brain, by contrast, being the side of logic and planning. And criticism.  This discussion reminds me of t-shirts I saw in my youth saying “only left-handed people are in their… Continue reading Day 16: Which side of the brain are you working on?

Day 1530 mins planning + 1 hr planned writing Today we look at how to find a sense of direction within an “organic” writing practice such as these 30 Days. The 30 Days is an organic method because the draft novel is not pre-planned or pre-researched; we are making it up as we go along… Continue reading Day 15: Write with a sense of direction