Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-onlyWhat You Should Be Reading As a WriterThere’s one kind of literature that‘ll teach more than any other — As a writer, you should read. You should read a lot. Reading in various genres is an unquestionably fundamental habit for healthy writing. That much is a fact. But there’s one specific type of writing you should pay more attention to if you want to improve your own. I came…Reading5 min readReading5 min read
Published inPredict·PinnedMember-onlyHydrogen Fuel Cells — Are They Here To Stay?Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology is about to set the world free; here’s what you need to know — Driving a Volkswagen E-Golf can be a sweet and sour experience. It drives really well, and it’s very comfortable. And silent. The throttle response is simply amazing. The more I drive electric cars, the more I wonder why aren’t we swapping all of our old gas guzzlers. And, to me…Technology9 min readTechnology9 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·PinnedMember-onlyWhat I Wish I Knew When I Started Writing NovelsTips to help you finish your first draft this November — Writing a novel requires a strong will and the kind of commitment that can move mountains. But it doesn’t have to be painful. Since November has come along, and with it NaNoWriMo, I thought this was a good time to tell you the most important thing you need to know…NaNoWriMo5 min readNaNoWriMo5 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·May 26Member-onlyEverything You Need to Know Before You Structure Your NovelWith detailed story structures and why sticking to one may harm your creativity — A few days ago, I went to get a super heavy fish tank my neighbour was giving away. Easy stuff. Borrow a trailer, load the tank and shake hands. Done. Except he lives on the other side of a small, wooden bridge. The kind of bridge built by a local…Novel17 min readNovel17 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·May 8Member-onlyHow To Start a New Novel and, uh, Fish TanksWhy starting a new story is easier than you might think — Last year my wife said she wanted a fish tank. I told her she had to be crazy; tanks are a lot of work just to watch fish randomly die, and we really didn’t need to add more chores to our busy schedule. Yet, mainly because of her beseeching puppy…Novel7 min readNovel7 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Apr 20Member-onlyWhat Can John Wick and Bart Teach Us About Writing CharactersWhy the best on-screen murderers work so well — Have you seen Dirk Gently’s tv series? Or read the books? I’m a big fan of the books (they’re great). But I also love the tv series. However, as far as tv adaptations go, the screenwriters took the following approach: they were handed lemons, but instead of making the usual…Character Development6 min readCharacter Development6 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Apr 18Member-onlyThe Expensive Reality of Self-Publishing and Why Books Don’t SellOh, you wrote a novel? That’s great! I hope you have some money saved — Remember that old business down at the corner? The one that keeps changing ownership every few years, and despite it all, the new owners decide to go along with exactly the same decor? Every town has a few of those. I have one just like it in my home town…Books9 min readBooks9 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Mar 27Member-onlyThe Difference Between Chefs and CooksWhat Brandon Sanderson Teaches Us About Cooking — In my third year as a professional chef, I headed a brunch house. I made fresh scones every day, plus porridge, all sorts of pies, sandwiches and pancakes. We had a fantastic menu, I can tell you that much. And it’s probably the food I most enjoyed cooking in my…Inspiration5 min readInspiration5 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Mar 10Member-onlyNeed Help To Improve Your Writing? Here’s How To Find ItLiterary Therapy — Where to Find It and Why It’s so Essential — Writing can be an awful lonely experience. Not only because you write alone but because after you stop writing, most of your friends and family have no idea what you’re on about. I’m no stranger to this, and to make matters worse, most of the time I spent writing, I…Insights9 min readInsights9 min read
Published inThe Writing Cooperative·Mar 9Member-onlyHow To Ride a Manta RayAnd Why Becoming a Writer Late In Life Isn’t a Disadvantage — For obvious reasons, you shouldn’t ride manta rays. But it’s definitely possible. So if you have an I-want-to-feel-like-Aquaman wish or are simply the kind of dare-devil who sees a crocodile and thinks, “hmm, I bet I could tackle that,” riding a manta ray might just be the experience you’re missing…Inspiration5 min readInspiration5 min read
