Get It Written, Brighton and Hove (2026)

01/04/2026

In my experience, one of the biggest mistakes self-publishing authors make is not setting a deadline. Without one, most books swing wildly from full steam ahead to the back burner. In the end, the whole project gets heavy and bloated by an increasing level of perfectionism. Far from being exciting and challenging, it just becomes another source of stress. That’s not fun.

I know this because when I worked at BBC Book, I'd been given one of a few non-TV tie-in books to manage. I ended up working on it for months because the schedule had a rare degree of elasticity. But strangely, this made it harder to get the book over the line. It was a nightmare! One day, when I was very close to the end of the project, I decided to work all night on it in the office just to get the blasted thing off my desk and finished. If there had been a harder deadline, that book would have got done sooner - and far less painfully.

In contrast to that project, I also worked on another book with a phenomenally tight deadline. In fact, it was so demanding none of the other editors wanted to touch it. This book was a total joy to produce. Everyone on the team was motivated by the tight deadline and the challenge of producing a great book in very little time. We were focused, invested and excited by the challenge.

So, if you’re planning to write a book, set a deadline - ideally one that’s both motivating and achievable for everyone involved.

31/03/2026

I've always been a real Word fan.

I trained on Word as an editor. I know it very well so I find it easy to use. But recently, I've started used Google Docs more than Word.

Documents created using Google Docs are not only easier to share, they can also be shared as editable documents. But there are frustrating elements... for example, it's harder to control tables and the header section is glitchy (I initially loved the ability to put a header image on every page, but that no longer seems to work and the header has a life of it's own when opened on a phone).

Little things... but little things that impact the experience of using the software and getting the work done.

But as far as I'm concerned, Word is far more sophisticated and there are tools on it that I love as both a writer and an editor, for example, the navigation tab that allows you to move whole sections of a document or even whole pages around without cutting and pasting. The styles and ability to save a template is easier too.

But maybe I just haven't really got to grips with Google Docs yet...

What's your favourite writing tool - is it Word, Google Docs or something else?

30/03/2026

The start of a new week and I'm busy cancelling subscriptions. I've decided that I no longer want to pay for services I don't use. Who else is going through their accounts and wondering why they're paying for stuff they've either never used or just don't use enough to pay for anymore? Maybe, like me, you've seen something better...

Of course, some businesses make it hard to leave - here's 50% off or you'll never get this deal again. Aargh! I just want to leave without angst or feeling bad. I find cancelling hard enough as it is.

For me, it would be better if they said 'Thanks, here's a voucher for 50% off if you decide to come back within the next 3 months'. Much kinder, leaves a much better feel and I'm far more likely to think, hmm, I might just do that...

11/11/2025

I’m off to the Barbican tomorrow for a concert. I’m lucky, I get to go quite often. And you know what? All the concerts are by a top orchestra and conductor. Yet some are a massive WOW!! and others are just very good. But every concert isn’t going to blow me away because there are so many variables that contribute to the experience. It used to disappoint me that every concert wasn’t a wow, but these days, I have a more laissez faire approach.

It’s the same with writing - not every session is going to be as productive as you want it to be. So what do you do when you’ve got a writing session in your calendar but you just can’t get going? It’s worth having some strategies in place because we all have times when we turn up to write and can’t get any words out. It’s frustrating, especially if your writing opportunities are limited or you’ve got an urgent deadline to meet. Here are three tips to get writing and alleviate the pressure.

1. Write down exactly what’s going on in your head - all the resistance, negativity and frustration. Get it all out. Have a good moan and indulge your critical voice. A few things happen when you allow your inner critic free reign: first, you hear from it firsthand and can hear the whining (you’ll probably lose patience and ‘have a word with yourself’ then move on to do some writing.
2. As for point one, let it all out. The other result might be that your ideas start to flow. You’ll hear the negativity and then the ‘yes, but…’ will kick in. ‘I’ve got nothing to say’ … ‘except I do!’
3. Allowing space for resistance takes the wind out of its sails. You release the tension and relax making it easier to get writing.

Bear in mind the simple truth that some writing sessions will go better than others. Shrug it off because it balances out in the end. Just keep turning up and you’ll get the book - or anything else for that matter - written.

10/11/2025

Would you use AI to write your book?

AI is a hot potato right now, especially when it comes to marketing. It can be enormously helpful to have posts written by an AI engine when you're busy. I do it myself (though I usually edit extensively).

But even if you use AI for marketing, are you attracted by the idea of using to write an entire book for you?

I know this is happening already - I even saw something about a ghostwriter using AI to write books for cleints - and it concerns me. Not because I'm a Luddite - I have a long association with AI going back to the 1970s and early 80s.

No, I'm concerned because I value the process of writing. It's hard, yes, but what you gain from doing it is priceless - it helps you develop your ideas, grow your confidence in your expertise and drill into the essence of your message(s).

AI is useful for working out ideas, producing draft content for parts of a book you're struggling with (it's sometime useful to have content to edit and adapt rather than a blank page), and for doing research. Every tool has its place.

Where would you draw the line in using AI for writing and is the prospect of producing a book quickly something that attracts you about using an AI bot to write your book - or are there other reasons you might take that path?

22/08/2025

Writing isn’t about just blurting words onto the page, it’s about crafting and shaping it until your sentences, paragraphs and chapters say what you want them to say. 😜

The problem is, you can’t edit a blank page and that means you have to write something to start with. I can tell you how to plan your book project, create a content plan and get your book written but you can start writing now.

In just 28 days, you can produce real content for your book. What are you waiting for? Let’s get cracking.

Get the 28-day writing challenge (link in the comments).

21/08/2025

The biggest reason books never get finished? Basically, they never even get started! They stay on the back burner because you’re waiting for ‘the right time’, looking for the ‘right’ idea and trying to figure it all out before you write a word.

Spoiler alert: there’s never a right time. The best way to figure out your idea is by writing and the fastest way to hold up your progress is by trying to get it all prefect at the beginning.

I’ve created a 28-day writing challenge to get you writing - fast. Pick one of the 28 prompts, set a timer for 10 minutes and just write. Yay! Progress 😃

Get the 28-day writing challenge at getitwritten.co.uk/writing-challenge (link in the comments).

19/08/2025

The biggest reason books never get finished? It’s not a lack of talent — it’s waiting for ‘the right time’. Spoiler alert: there’s never a right time. Start now with my 28-day challenge. https://f.mtr.cool/qjangkszno

15/10/2024

With Natasha's Menopause Nutrition – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

08/10/2024

Do you get tired of reading about other people's successes when your own are hard to come by? Like reading that someone has published a book when yours is still lingering on your hard drive?

It's easy to sink into a negative sprial of comparison and self-criticism when you're having a bad day/week/month... but remember this: things will and do change. I'm very much a fan of energetic sprints combined with an approach of chipping away.

How do you get things done? Do you work intensively on something to the exclusion of all else until that project or task is complete. Or do you chip away at it?

If you're working on a book, how are you approaching it and is it the same way you approach every project? I know, that's a lot of questions, but I'm interested in finding out how you achieve your goals, not least by helping me reassess how I work at achieving my own!

07/10/2024

It's Monday! What have you got planned for this week?

For me, it's all about making my exciting new coaching progamme ready to launch.

EXCITING!!!

Get It Written

01/04/2026

31/03/2026

30/03/2026

11/11/2025

10/11/2025

22/08/2025

21/08/2025

19/08/2025

15/10/2024

08/10/2024

07/10/2024

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