It happens to many of us. But having a group with the same goals can make it less lonely.

That’s why I started my membership group – Storytellers Elite – as a place for writers to connect. It combines three key elements to support your progress with your writing projects and your development as a writer – Accountability, Development and Motivation. We support each other, and share both the good and tough times.

A virtual community for Writers

This group is for writers who know the basics like showing and telling, plot, and character development, but want to improve further. It’s for those with some writing experience who are considering writing as a career. We meet online to help each other through tough spots in our stories, find what’s missing, and get inspired. Our writing sprint sessions help you set aside regular time to write, so your word count grows naturally. Paired together, it helps you get back on track.

Storytellers Elite is for people with some writing experience who are considering writing as a career

When you have some ideas for writing, but you’re not familiar with the fancy words that writers use. 

Have you ever felt intimidated when you hear writers talk about their craft? I know I have. When I was hosting a live event recently, I realised that I was using some jargon that might not be clear to everyone. Maybe I was confusing them, or worse, making them feel like they don’t belong! Sometimes writers use words that you don’t know, and you start to doubt yourself. That’s not a good feeling!

Learning how to write… as you write!

Sometimes you might feel unsure about your writing skills. Maybe you don’t know when to use an apostrophe, or what some words mean, or how to spell and punctuate correctly. But that’s OK. You don’t have to be perfect to write well. Or maybe you don’t know the technical word for something in writing, simply because you’ve not encountered it before – that’s fine. Even I have to check things sometimes when I forget or get confused. And then there are those days when you have a great idea in your head, but you can’t find the right words to express it. That happens to everyone. Don’t let that stop you from writing, or make you feel bad about yourself. No one is judging you.

Practice makes perfect!

Think of it like this: you get a Marvel comic book as a gift. You don’t have to know everything about the characters before you open it. You just dive into the story and have fun with it. Maybe you’ll get curious and want to learn more about them later. That’s how writing works too. You don’t need to study it first, you just have a go at doing it. You learn as you go along. Don’t they say, every day is a school day?!

There are some things you should learn all about before you start doing them. There are certain jobs or tasks where you will of course need some background knowledge, qualifications – situations where someone might get hurt, or your actions affect others. But writing isn’t like learning to drive, at least not in that way. You’re not going to do any harm by having a go at writing. Maybe you will do it badly to start with, but you can always get better with practice. You can improve the ways you did it the first time around, but by playing about with ideas and making a start, you have already given yourself a great start.

Write what you want to write

So, just ‘doing the thing’ – in this case, writing fiction. If you want to, you can try to do everything by yourself – just start writing and learn as you go, improve your skills, solve problems along the way. Or you might want to join others who are also writing and get their feedback and help – my Book Forge community is a good option, which is all about sitting in the chair, spending time writing, and achieving your writing goals. It’s nice to have people who share your dreams and can give you advice and support. 

Whilst it can be helpful to learn some of the common terms, especially if you want to communicate with other writers, editors, or readers – it’s not a requirement. The important thing is that you are actually doing it. Don’t worry too much about writing jargon. It can be useful, but it’s not a must-have. Write what you want to write, how you want to write it. That’s what matters most.

Perhaps you have ideas for novels that you’ve started but put away saying you’ll come back to them when you’ve got more time. Or you’re making painstaking, stop-start progress on your book. People keep asking how it’s going and you feel a bit embarrassed or guilty that you don’t have much to report. Maybe it’s not you that’s the writer but your nearest and dearest and you’d like to know how to help them.

Meeting your writing goals in 2024

Here is the solution. More than the awareness of the problem of your time shortage. You know that. You also know that the book will only get written if you write it. Hazel Hitchins Author and I have a brand new offer for you that supports you to actually write it. You can carve out the time, get your head in the right space, and develop the habits that will see your writing progress take hold. You can be one of our founding members. There are loads of writing groups on Facebook. You’ve probably joined some (or your writing friend has). They’ve got their good points but they don’t help you sit in the chair and write. They don’t help you carve out the time to put words on the page.

Support, guidance, accountability and community for new writers

Fiction Academy is an end-to-end programme to help you get a novel into the world. It is ideal for new writers and those who have written short fiction.

Long-form fiction writing – typically novels – requires particular knowledge and skills. You also need support, guidance, accountability and a community that wants you to succeed.

You also need honest feedback so you know when you’re ready to publish. Then comes the challenge of publishing – cover design, manuscript formatting… and the tech side, such as adding categories to KDP.

I have teamed up with Authors & Co., a fabulous partnership publisher. We would like to offer you Fiction Academy to take care of all those needs.

First, you will learn all the essentials of writing a novel through a full digital course. How to write a scene, character creation, plotting, narrative perspective and voice are some of the lessons you will get to grips with. This will give you confidence and a whole range of lightbulb moments to help you begin creating your novel.

Then, you receive twelve months’ membership in my Storytellers Elite group. This is a supportive community based on hivemind learning and support, including monthly group sessions and one-to-one sessions, writing challenges, feedback and writing sprint sessions, all with the aim of keeping you focused on making progress with your project.

How do you become a successful novelist?

Perhaps you expected me to say ‘talent’. You hear authors being praised for being talented. It’s written in buyers’ reviews and newspaper reviews, it’s said when awards are being given out, and it’s mentioned when someone recommends a book to a friend.

Writing talent is overrated. In fact, the word ‘talent’ is unhelpful. Talent suggests that a particular author can ‘just do it’ naturally, almost without thinking. It makes new writers think they can’t become authors because they aren’t good enough.

The writer who is willing to learn and who sticks with it will do better than the writer who tries to get by on talent alone. Every single time.

A writer with a little bit of natural ability with words, plus a willingness to learn and keep at it will do better than someone who imagines fantastic scenes but hardly ever writes them down and never seeks to deepen their understanding.

That little bit of natural ability lives in all of us because we are all people. That means it lives in you too. Telling stories is fundamental to being human. The difference between those ‘talented’ authors with fantastic stories on offer and the rest of the human population is just those two things: learning and practice… unglamorous as that might sound!

How do you become a successful novelist?

You can do it too if that’s what you really want. You can put a novel (or several novels) out into the world. Perhaps you’ll read reviews about how ‘talented’ you are!

By working with a fabulous publisher, I can offer you something that gets you from beginner fiction writer to published author. First, a full digital course teaches you all the essentials of writing a novel. You’ll understand structure, character creation, and how to write a scene that speaks to your readers’ imaginations. You’ll develop confidence and experience lightbulb moments of understanding.

Then, you continue your journey with me in my small, supportive community of writers, learning in a hivemind manner through monthly group sessions, weekend writing challenges, feedback sessions, writing sprint sessions, as well as monthly one-to-one sessions with me to discuss your project and keep you on the right lines. This is a whole year of support.

Many writers stay with me much longer than twelve months. You have the option to continue if you wish – but there’s no obligation.

By then, you could have your manuscript ready to begin the publication process. You receive a copyedit of your manuscript from me to make sure it is the best it can be. The wonderful team at Authors & Co. take care of your book’s professional formatting, beautiful cover design and publishing.

Teaching writers to write fiction

Did I ever tell you that I’m not only a writer, but I’m also a teacher? That’s important. I help you from all directions. Let me explain.

No doubt you’ll be seeing adverts for various experts offering help for writers. When you’re using social media, does the algorithm show you tons of stuff about writing? You’ll see loads of courses that teach you how to finish writing your novel. Or mounds of masterminds about the craft of storytelling. Scores of memberships and Facebook groups that promise to help you along the way.

You’ll read about Killing your Darlings or Showing not Telling – and are probably sick of seeing the same thing again and again. Here’s the thing. They might have great content. They might be friendly groups. They might offer accountability. I can do ALL those things. But I can also do more.

Learn to write fiction

That’s how I help you from all directions. That’s why my teaching experience is so important. Don’t think you just need to see what your favourite writer did and copy that. It might not work for you.

Discover what works for you. Get in touch today to find out more about how I can teach you to become a better writer.

Helping writers to write

Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers tells us what makes someone an expert at what they do. It’s the ten thousand hours rule. Practice makes someone brilliant at something… ten thousand hours of practice. I’ve been thinking lately about what makes me the person who’s best placed to help writers. I mean… why me? I read Outliers a few years ago and it should have dawned on me before now.

I asked myself, what exactly do I do? I help people to write the best book they can. I teach people to write novels that other people will want to read. I mentor those people to become more confident in their writing.

A teacher for writers

I was a teacher for fifteen years. Do I have ten thousand hours of practice at that? Hell, yes.

I have written for years. Do I have ten thousand hours of practice at writing? Totally.

And what is a teacher other than a kind of mentor? Not only a mentor of students but of other, newer teachers… I mentored student teachers for years.

Writing fiction with confidence

I love to help people grow in confidence, to express the stories they have within them, and to help them see that they already have the potential and power to become the writer they want to be. I help budding authors write their first book, and emerging authors prepare their manuscripts for publishing.

So if you’re dreaming of becoming a published author, then I can help. I can help you gain the clarity you crave regarding what you want to achieve with your writing. My coaching helps you see how you can get there, and to help you experience those ‘light bulb’ moments regarding your writing style and structure. My membership community for writers –  Storytellers Elite – gives you direct, regular access to me plus other benefits. Even my book helps people learn to tell stories!

And that book by Gladwell… you should definitely read that.

Some people are born knowing they are a writer. Others follow suggestions made by friends and family to write more. Some fall into the job ‘by accident’, with an idea that dominates their thoughts until they express every last word. More confident writers attempt bigger projects that end up as articles, short stories and novels. However, just like any tale, there is a tragedy. Some of these creative minds never reach their potential. What holds them back from becoming a writer?

We’re all storytellers.

We seek connection with others by sharing our thoughts with others – to make them laugh, make them sympathise with us, or make them feel our outrage. We recount events with edited highlights which make our tales more entertaining, funny or memorable. If we can speak about these things, why not write them too? If ‘Writers Block’ does indeed exist, here it is, holding a potential writer back from exploring their skills. This fear is not of using an incorrect word, or dodgy spelling – that can only be considered for something actually written. Not writing is the first hurdle. Perhaps it’s the fear that they won’t do it well enough for someone else to connect with their story. This is also common to new writers, who keep their early works hidden away from judgemental eyes.

Perhaps the main differentiator between a writer and non-writer is the action of writing itself. The former unleashes their words onto a page or screen, and the latter keeps those words locked up in their imaginations. Without writing, they may think like a writer, but they can’t call themselves one. Yet.

To be a writer, one must write. Instead of a spoken conversation, it can be likened to a written account of a story – words that convey a story to a reader.

Dream of being a writer?

If you are new to writing, position yourself as a hero, just like any would-be hero of a story. A hero’s path is never straightforward, but they rise to the challenges. Before a hero can reach greatness, there are villains to defeat and problems to solve. Remember that the fear of committing words to form your first story is one of these challenges, but one you can overcome.

Also understand that you won’t get it right the first time – or the second, or even the third – because you are learning a new skill. Just like riding a bike, there’s a few grazed knees before we find balance. Experienced writers take lots of attempts to get story ideas out of their head, into some kind of order. Crossing out, re-writing, killing off characters and introducing new ones for the reader to root for. Follow the same route and your story grows, along with your writing skills. 

And your story? It can be anything you like. Inspiration can strike when you’re watching tv, or chatting with friends, or washing the dishes, or walking the dog. Since ideas can pop up at any moment, the vast array of story plots can be overwhelming – which one should you choose? Just choose one to start. Make a note of that idea, however crazy or outlandish, or seemingly ill formed. Then sit at your desk and explore that idea more. Begin by putting words together which expand on your story. Keep at it and the story unfolds, word counts rack up… and now you’re a writer!

Of course, you might find that your story has new problems. Holes in the plot, or its characters need different personalities, or scenes need a more dramatic ending. But that gives you something else to work with – heroes always find a way through, don’t they? As a writer, you’re moving forward. Aim for progress, not perfection – now you’re learning to write well. Even the most admired authors began their career in the same way.

If you want to develop your story idea into your first short story, you’ll be interested in my online course. In it, I teach the fundamentals of keeping the action building in your story to engage your reader.

My course is delivered in three easy stages which offers practical advice on getting ideas out of your head into words on a page. It can save you when you lose the story thread, or run out of steam, too.

So – to be a writer, you must write.

To write a story, you have to start putting words down which tell a story. And you can learn to tell a story well, if you practise. That’s the secret to becoming an author. Time invested in writing is a gift that helps you become a better writer. What is stopping you from picking up a pen today?