SpideryWriting - Ghost Writer, SEO Writer, Content Writer & Storyteller

The Power of Words

When events spiral out of my control and the familiar, tried and tested is ripped away, then I find I always get comfort from words in some form or another - writing, reading, listening. The image of the tortured writer only able to get in touch with the muse when in emotional turmoil is a cliche, but there is little doubt that the most profound and most moving literature often comes from people going through personal pain.

At my mother's funeral at the end of December, all I knew waa that I wanted to write a poem about her - a funny poem that summed her up. That got me through the service. I felt compelled to write it, and to stand up and deliver it, because for me, creating a little piece of art was the only way I knew to honour her. It wasn't a great poem, but it said what I want it to, it was very personal, I think she would have liked it.

I haven't written my blog for a while because I just haven't felt like it, to be honest. I felt guilty, but now I'm being more understanding of myself. I knew I would be able to write again when I felt ready. As it turns out, this hasn't been when everything had settled down, as I thought would happen. In fact, things are currently more turbulent than ever. But words have always been my friends and words are all I have to make sense of things and record things. So I will keep putting one foot in front of the other and one word in front of the other and see where it takes me.

Write to Suit Your Personality

You may love writing but at the same time be stuck for what kind of writing to do. Should you go for the blockbuster novel, the non-fiction bio or be a killer blogger?

There are as many kinds of writing as there are personalities and the trick is to match your character and skills to the right category.

Writing a book, whether it's a novel or a non-fiction work, means you are in it for the long haul. It requires determination and discipline as well as the ability to just keep writing when you are fed up and bored and want to be doing something else. Sure, there is variety in writing the different chapters and scenes, but you have got to love the whole big picture too. It takes a long time - maybe even a year or more - to write a book and if you get boreed after chapter two, you are in big trouble!

So if you have the patience, self-discipline and passion to see a long work through, then a full length book could be an option for you. Of course, then you have to decide whether to go for fiction or non-fiction and that is another character/personality thing. To find out what you are best suited to, look at what you read. I know people who NEVER read "made up" stuff considering it a waste of time, something that leaves me scratching my head in bewilderment at what delights they are missing out on.

If you love learning new things, are easily bored, know that you can focus and give 100 percent for a day or two but not a month or two on the same thing, then article writing or blogging could be the kind of writing that best suits you. It allows you the variety you crave and the satisfaction of finishing something without having to stay with it for too long. Then you can be onto the next thing! For fiction, then think micro fiction or short stories. In other words, go with your natural tendencies and abilities, don't fight them, just because you may feel a "proper" writer has to write a book.

This is just scratching the surface and doesn't even cover the myriad other areas of writing: copywriting, technical writing, poetry, screenplays, essays... but you get the basic idea. Work with your personality and you'll stand a lot better chance of being a great writer.

To Hell With Nightclubs - Give Me a Book!

Whenever I go to people's houses I make a beeline for their bookshelves. Apart from telling me their real interests (unless they are doing the 'bookshelves-as-decorating-accessory' thing with colour co-ordinated volumes), I am constantly on the lookout for new authors, compelling biographies, fascinating facts and I hope that if I ask nicely they will lend me a copy or two, or ten.

On trips back to the UK the first place I head for is a bookshop. In charity shops (of which there is a real dearth in Italy) I go straight to the shelves at the back of the shop with their tatty treasures, waiting patiently until those already there move on, because selfishly, I prefer browsing freely with no-one breathing down my neck. My heart races with excitement as I scour the piles of books, hopeful for a gem that will keep me spelbound for a few hours.

Then there is the library - don't even get me started on the joys of the library! Yes, this former girl-about-town who used to party until dawn readily admits going weak at the knees at the sight of all those books waiting for me in one place. The fact they are handily divided into categories is even better. Oh yes, happiness is a sparsely populated,well-lit  local library on a winter's afternoon...

Books have their own smell too. New books give off that freshly printed, come-hither perfume, whereas old book shops have a musty and wonderful scent that is unmistakeable and evocative. Maybe someone should capture and bottle Eau de libre, except you might start getting followed by earnest middle aged men in raincoats with Tesco bags!

I once read about collectors of rare books. These tomes can exchange hands for many thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of pounds. There are special exhibitions, shows and trade fairs where people source new additions to their collections and exchange gossip. All fascinating stuff, but for me the most extraordinary thing about this group of people was to learn that they don't read the books. Sometimes they barely even open them, except to check no-one has ripped pages out or faked the age. For them the thrill is in the chase and the discovery. It's like those fine wine collectors who never open the bottles.

To me it is incomprehensible that you would own a beautiful book and never read its contents. Because the real value is in what you discover between the covers. The secret of a good book is what is can do for your mind and your soul,  not how much it fetches at auction or how rare it is.

So when it comes to three wishes or desert island possessions, birthday presents or Christmas gifts I am a pushover. Books, books and more books please. Because they can take you anywhere and teach you everything. What more could you want?

 

 

5 Top Tips for a Tidy Desk

There's this idea that if you are a creative person, then your desk will look like an explosion in a paper factory. I have seen some pretty crazy looking desks in my time; I remember a former teaching colleague whose desk was groaning under a collection of assorted detritus which he promised was all essential. I just wanted to clear off all that crap and put it in the wastepaper basket!

I'm creative, but I can't work in a mess. I just love having a clean, tidy desk before I start work each day. If you're like me, then here are five tips to help you:

1. Before you finish work at the end of the day, tidy up and bin any rubbish cluttering up that lovely desk top space.  It's great to start fresh in the morning knowing what you are doing.
2. Examine the top of your desk. (Makes a change from your navel!) How much stuff actually needs to be there? There comes a point where inspirational quotations, crystals, photos and CDs of relaxing music can actually start getting on your nerves, which rather defeats the object. Clean out drawers and filing cabinets too - it's still there you know, that clutter, even if you can't see it.
3. Get into the habit of acting on something, binning it or filing it as soon as it arrives on your desk.
4. Keep your 'wealth corner' (back left of your desk top) uncluttered and have a leafy plant or something else symbolising wealth on there, not your overflowing in-tray. (Thanks to a feng shui ebook I have just read for this tip - every little helps.)
5. Keep everything fresh,clean and polished. (I hope you can see enough desk space to polish.) Apparently your computer keyboard has more germs on it than a toilet seat, so keep that clean too and not full of crumbs from your mid morning snack.

A tidy desk has a strong subconscious effect on you, making you feel empowered and in control, even if it's just in that very small area. So go on, get the duster out. You know you want to!

 

 

Dear Mr Internet - I'm Sick of You!

OK, Mr Internet, I've just about had it with you. I know I may be biting the hand that feeds me, but you know what, sometimes you just really hack me off. So it's time we had a talk, you and me. 

What is it with the Facebook thing? Sometimes, I am so Facebooked-out I want to scream. And as for this new  'liking' palaver, well, I just don't want to do that any more. I'm not comfortable with it. I don't want to 'like' any more Facebook pages from people I don't know or  care about. OK?

Now as for Twitter. What were you thinking of? I don't want to tell the world the minutiae of my life in sentence-sized bites. In fact, while we're at it,  I don't want to join any more social networks or hear about the latest hoops you have to jump through to get noticed online. Why can't things just stay how they were? Maybe it's time we had a break.

I've been here before, of course. I expect you remember, don't you? I decide that I am never going to go online again. I will live a back to basics life and open an animal sanctuary in my garden, tend the vegetables and fruits in my thriving orto (that's Italian for vegetable patch by the way) and spend my days writing poetry...

The trouble is, that I'm a crap gardener. You know that too of course,  judging by the number of times I have Googled how to grow stuff.  This summer  I have managed to produce just eight tomatoes in a plot the size of Tuscany. And we both understand all too well that I would go round the bend writing poetry.  I don't think I have the stamina for an animal sanctuary as even my twice monthly stint volunteering at the  dog's home wears me out. What to do, what to do?

Well, Mr Internet. Having walked around the garden and admired my one remaining tomato, I am going to give you another chance. I am going to remember what you were like at the beginning of our relationship - exciting, surprising, captivating. I am going to remind myself of all those presents you gave me - the chance to work from home, a virtual library at my fingertips, one or two really good new friends, the ability to connect with people all over the world.

I am going to gloss over your more recent shortcomings and get back to what attracted me to you in the first place. Good content, great stories. Never mind your flirtations with social media and your need to get bigger and better and have more, more, more. That's just what you're like. The bottom line is that you are good at heart. I know that. You help people connect. That's good too.

So I will do my best to bear in mind your good points and not dwell on your 'dark side'. OK?

As I am being so magnanimous I would appreciate some effort on your side too.  It's not all one-way, you know. So if you can please send me lots of lovely visitors and nice comments, that would be really nice of you.

OK, it's been good having this little talk . I know you probably won't even read this as you'll be off inventing something else to wind me up or adding more complex bits to your already wonderful self. But the bottom line is that I need you and you need me too.  I couldn't live without you actually.

OK,  I think I'd better get back to work now. Thanks for listening.

Love Fionax

 

 

A Cure for Writer's Block

As a professional writer I never get writer's block when writing my clients' stuff. I can't afford it! It has been said many times before, but you don't hear about people getting builder's block or doctor's block, do you? 

But I do suffer from it sometimes when writing my own stories. My block takes the form of a kind of quiet but inexorably rising flood of panic at the thought of too many ideas and not knowing which to choose to work on. This can get so bad that I sometimes end up not writing anything, and that makes me feel worse than ever.

Well, I think I've just found a cure and every time I'm blocked I swear I will read this for inspiration. The following is not only a breathtakingly good piece of writing from Doris Lessing's Nobel Prize Lecture speech, but the content itself makes me realise how lucky I am to have the luxury of even contemplating writer's block when some people have so little at all.

You'll see what I mean when you read this and I defy you not to have tears in your eyes by the end. And to be reaching for your pen or pencil or keyboard ...

Doris Lessing Nobel Prize Lecture 2007

Could You Write a Novel in 30 Days?

Regular readers will know how big  a fan I am of the inspirational Ted Talks. I came acoss this one from Matt Cutts called Try Something New For 30 Days. The basic idea is that if you  devote just 30 days to making a small but significant change in your life, who know what might happen?Research has shown it takes between 21 and 28 days to instill a new habit and almost anyone can keep going for a month, can't they? 

In the video he mentions how he wrote a 50,000 word novel in 30 days when he took part in National Novel Writing Month. He says it isn't a brilliant one, but at least he did it! I found it very inspirational, I hope you do too.

 

 

So You Want to Write a Book? Free Ebook!

I have spent this week writing my new free ebook:  So, You Want to Write a Book? You can get your copy by filling in the form on the right of this page on the site.

The book was inspired by all the questions people ask me about ghost writing and getting published and so I thought I would gather all the information together in one place and compile what I hope is a useful guide. It includes information on how long typical books are, genres, writing a proposal, how to work with a ghost writer and more.

I hope you find it useful. If you do - pass it on!

 

 

 

Is It Always Good to Get What You Want?

You can personalise everything these days: music, tv programmes, films, ringtones, news stories... you need never read a word, see an image or hear a sound that you are not interested in or entertained by. But is that necessarily a good thing? To only be exposed to what you like?

I'm of the generation brought up in the UK with only three tv channels and limited radio programmes ( like Pick of the Pops and Two Way Family Favourites!). No internet. No 24 hour rolling news. What that meant was that in order to get to the 'good' bits, you had to be exposed to the stuff that you did not necessarily like.

That did two things. It made you even happier to hear your favourite song when you had waited a long time for it  - something like appreciating the sunshine more because of the rain if you know what I mean - and it exposed you to a variety of material that you would not have come across by choice. Some of that material would never be of interest (nothing could persuade me to like brass bands or Highland dancing), but some lingered and developed into a curiosity and then a genuine love.

Only giving people what they like is short sighted.  It doesn't allow for changes of taste or the possibility of persuasion, the chance spark of curiosity that could ignite a passion of interest. It is narrow and inward looking. It stifles imagination and weakens willpower.  

I guess things have gone too far now and it's a genie that can't be put back in the bottle. Personalised everything is here to stay. I just hope that sometimes people choose randomness and surprises instead of their tried and tested favourites, because it's  only then that you find out what you really like.

Six Ways to Speed Up Your PC

Sometimes my PC is so slow it drives me up several walls. I want to write and it freezes up. Over the years I have picked up a few tips and tricks about freeing up space and improving performance. Last week a friend emailed me to ask for help with her PC and I fired off an email to her with the ideas below. it then occurred to me that it might help others too, so here's what I wrote:

1 Start with your web browser. (I use three browsers  Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox). Open the browser, then tools and then delete all temporary files and cached stuff, cookies etc. 

 

2 Go to the desktop menu and go to 'Find' a file. Open the page and where it says 'insert name of file' cut and paste this exactly:

*.tmp,*.chk,~*.*

 

Look in hard disc C and then press advanced options and tick 'include hidden files', files of the system and temporary files. Then click "find".

 

It should come up with a very long list. Delete all the files you can. You can leave the ones you're not sure of.

 

3 Empty your trash file.

 

4 Delete all unwanted emails and empty the email trash file.

 

5 Delete all unwanted programmes by going to control panel : add/delete software and then go through and see what you don't use. Only delete what you are sure of.

 

6. Defrag your hard drive. Go to START - PROGRAMMES - ACCESSORIES _ SYSTEM UTILITIES -  DISC FRAGMENTATION UTILITY

 

This can take a bit of time so best do it when you're not busy.

 

Of course you can also buy software that helps you with this, but I always think with a little effort you can do quite a few things yourself on the computer!