Category Archives: writing tips

🏃🏻‍♀️How Following Athletes on Social Media Turned Me Into a Motivated Writer #MondayBlogs #writer

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For years, my social media feed has been a stream of writing advice, trending writer quotes and hacks on how to write more words. I have followed countless authors and writing coaches. I have spent hours celebrating their book successes, admiring their book covers, and appreciating their writing practices.

One day over the summer, I found myself spending more time scrolling through their feeds looking for motivation to write, but I wasn’t actually writing.

So, I made an odd decision. I started following professional athletes and filling up my social media feeds with their training vlogs. I still followed the authors, but I shifted my focus.

In my youth, I was a long-distance runner, so watching athletes train for the 800m and 1500m events felt like reconnecting with that younger version of myself. I started following GB athletes like Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter-Bell, Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie. I also followed American sprinters such as Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

I began watching their training vlogs on YouTube and their Insta reels, where they discuss discipline and the mental battles they face. I admired their physical dedication, the way they tracked progress, and their calm acceptance of failure as part of the growth process. I admired them for showing up to train in the pouring rain, the suffocating heat, and the times when they faced personal issues off the track. They persevered through the training despite the challenges.

Soon, something shifted inside me.

Athletes made me view discipline in a new light. Watching athletes train reframed discipline for me. They don’t just “feel like” going to training, they go because that’s who they are. Their discipline isn’t glamorous; it’s about repetition, consistency, and patience, in all weathers. Writing is not glamorous. I write books, and they often feel like marathons. My books require me to show up regularly, not when I feel like it.

Progress became about progress, not about perfection. Athletes celebrate small milestones, such as shaving off a second or two, achieving a better sprint, overcoming the little things in the finish, and improving their running style. I started celebrating the little wins with my writing. It became less about the outcome and more about the process.

The power of training. I have started viewing my writing sessions as my own form of training with adequate periods of rest afterwards. Instead of searching for motivation, I have begun building discipline. Instead of waiting for creativity to strike, I have trained for it.

Writing is a sport of endurance and a test of patience and mental toughness. It’s about showing every day and trusting that repetition makes us stronger.

📔 The Surprising Writing Tool I Didn’t Expect: A Gratitude Journal #mondayblogs #writingcommunity

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On Friday, I announced on social media that I am represented by Intersaga Literary Agency.

It has taken me a year to find someone who believes in me and my work.

During my year of querying, I wrote a book and rewrote another, queried numerous agents, and received a range of responses, some positive and some not so much.

Through all this, I kept a gratitude journal.

I have never kept a gratitude journal before. I never believed in them, until I heard this phrase, when you start appreciating the good, the good gets better. No idea where it came from but it was linked to a post on gratitude.

I am sitting here, flicking through my gratitude journal, and I think this has been a surprising writing tool for me. I am grateful to it because I believe it kept me sane and kept me focused.

Keeping a gratitude journal shifted my mindset. With my writing I focused on progress and not perfection. Every word written became something to celebrate. I am looking at the page where I drew stars and hearts after giving thanks for 1,567 words.

I even celebrated the rejections. They were medals of honour. I had been brave and taken a risk. Despite being hard to write, I thanked the universe for each rejection, and I thanked the agent too.

If the rejection had been received within twelve hours, I thanked the agent for their promptness in redirecting me.

One agent mentioned that even though she was rejecting me, my query had made her snort with laughter a few times. That, for me, was a small win, and I gave thanks for her honesty.

The big thing was that I thanked myself for showing up when life outside of writing was tough. The act of doing this was powerful. I gave thanks to myself for getting words down on paper when there was a giant hole in my kitchen ceiling and water coming through, when I had an allergic reaction and my face went bright red for days, when I was going through a challenging time at work and when my kids were going through difficult episodes in their lives.

My gratitude journal has become a writing habit and a mindset practice.

Sometimes the best writing tools aren’t the fancy ones we expect – they’re the ones that remind us to notice what’s already working.

Do you keep a gratitude journal?

If you want to learn more about me click here

🐶 The Benefits of Adding Pets When Writing Romance Books 💖 #MondayBlogs #WritingCommunity

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There’s something magical about a good romance book —the spark, the tension, the swoony happily-ever-after. But you know what makes it even better? A wagging tail, a judgy cat, or even a diva of a parrot chiming in at the wrong moment.

🐈 Whether it’s a loyal dog, a mischievous cat, or even a naughty hamster, animals can do more than create some comedy moments. Pets become catalysts for character development and drive your plot forward.

Here’s why adding pets to your romance books works:

  1. 🐾 Instant Relatability
    Most readers either have pets or have fond memories of them. Including a dog curled at a heroine’s feet or a cat demanding attention mid-conversation creates a moment of recognition. Those little details make your book’s world feel grounded and familiar.
  2. 🐶 Revealing Character Traits
    How a character interacts with an animal speaks volumes. A patient hero who adopts a rescue dog shows compassion. A heroine who spoils her cat reveals her nurturing side. Even a character who struggles with a pet can highlight flaws, growth arcs, or hidden softness beneath a prickly exterior.
  3. 🐈‍⬛ Natural Icebreakers and Plot Devices
    Pets can help two characters meet or reconnect—think of the classic “dog-walking encounter” in the park. They also create organic reasons for repeated interaction: pet-sitting, vet visits, or a runaway animal who keeps bringing two people together.
  4. 🦜Adding Humour and Lightness
    Romantic tension often benefits from levity. A cat knocking over a wine glass at the wrong moment, or a dog interrupting a kiss by jumping onto the couch, adds warmth and laughter without derailing the story.
  5. 🐕 Emotional Anchors
    Pets embody unconditional love. They can comfort characters through heartbreak, loneliness, or self-doubt, reflecting themes of loyalty and devotion. A pet’s presence often mirrors the growing bond between the romantic leads, offering a symbolic thread through the narrative.
  6. 🐱 Expanding the World
    Animals naturally expand a character’s circle. Dog parks, vet clinics, pet stores, or animal rescues all provide new backdrops and opportunities for character interaction, giving writers more variety in setting and pacing.
  7. 🐭 Building Reader Investment
    Readers often become just as attached to the fictional pet as they do to the main characters. That extra bond deepens emotional stakes, making the story more memorable and engaging.

    In romance, every detail matters—especially those that reveal heart. By weaving pets into the storyline, authors don’t just add charm; they enrich character depth, heighten emotional stakes, and create moments of humour and relatability that resonate long after the final page. 🐶🐾❤️

Here’s my latest book: The Christmas Dog Sitters – Humphrey the mischievous spaniel is the star of my book ❤️

Find out more about me and dog – click here for cute dog pics

📚 How To Survive Comparing Your Unfinished Draft Novel to a Successful Author’s Bestseller #MondayBlogs

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Here are the stages of comparing your unfinished draft to a successful author’s bestselling novel:

Reading euphoria. Your favourite author’s latest book is hard to put down. You haven’t surfaced for food, drink, or some basic form of interaction with another human being for most of the day.  Their book is AMAZING.

As you reach a juicy bit in the book, you get a rush of what can only be described as reading euphoria.

Panic. During this intense spell, you become aware of a helpful little voice inside you saying, ‘You couldn’t write anything like this’.

You start to think about what the little voice said. You place the book in your lap as a dark cloud of writer’s doubt passes over you.

In a panic, you glance at the pile of papers making up your unfinished draft novel. It’s taken you months to reach this stage, and the project is not even finished. Up until you read this book, you thought your draft novel was pretty awesome.

Comparison Hell. You enter what can only be described as a form of writer comparison hell.

Your mind starts to unpick your draft whilst replaying the amazing bits of the book that you are reading back to you.

The helpful little voice returns and gives a handy running commentary on:

– how your draft does not have this author’s engaging tone

– your draft does not contain the plot twists that this author’s book possesses

– your draft does not have the amazing characters which bring this author’s book to life.

You reach out for a box of tissues. All those loving feelings for your draft novel are washed away with your tears.

Gigantic cloud of self-doubt. After some careful consideration, you decide that the best thing all round will be for you to…quit writing. You could never come up with something as good as this book.

There is no hope for you so why put yourself through anymore misery?  

The literary dream is over.

STOP!

Your successful author’s book has been through NUMEROUS revisions. It will have been changed, edited and rewritten a LOT before it hit the shelves. It has been polished so much, the damn thing shines!

Your draft hasn’t, and more importantly, it’s still not finished.

Your draft is still at the ‘ugly duckling’ phase. All draft novels go through this stage.

Your successful author’s book even went through the unfinished draft stage and probably looked nothing like what it does today.

Behind every great book on sale are hours, days, months and in some cases years of hard work.

So, how do you learn to survive this?

  • Make notes on what made their book so good. Use this insight to feed into your own work.
  • Read book acknowledgments more. This is where an author documents their struggle, pain and journey to publication. If you read these you will see that the journey to a published bestselling novel is long and arduous.
  • Take out an old project you wrote a few years ago and compare your current draft. Look at how far you have progressed. This is the comparison we should all be doing.

Keep writing and finish your book!

🦋 What Taylor Swift Can Teach Writers About Symbolism

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Help – I have fallen down the rabbit hole of symbolism in writing! Last week’s post on the symbolism of doors sparked something within me.

I wouldn’t say I was a Swiftie with regards Taylor Smith but I do have an appreciation of her music especially her albums; Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department. Both of these albums contain songs which are forever playing on my playlists.

I do think Taylor Swift is more than a singer / songwriter. To me she’s a master storyteller. The way she uses objects, colors, numbers, and repeating motifs to make her songs come alive, boggles my fiction writing mind.

When it comes to symbolism I think we can learn a lot from Taylor Swift:

Signature symbol. I love how the number 13 follows her across her albums, eras and performances. The number 13 needed Taylor Swift to take it under her wing as up until she came along it didn’t have great street cred. What can we learn from this? Give your protagonist or story a recurring object, number, or phrase that becomes uniquely tied to them. This could be a piece of jewelry, a meaningful song lyric, or even a personal superstition that appears at key moments.

Use of colours. I love how each album has a distinct colour palette and there is always meaning behind it. Her album, Lover, is bathed in a soft pastel pink which represents love and warmth. Grey and neutrals for her album, Folklore, to me were about nostalgia and Midnights was dark blue and lavender signifying introspection and mystery.

Small objects carry big meaning. This is my favourite part. Taylor does this very well. She gives small object so much emotional weight. Here are a few examples:

A scarf becomes a symbol of love and loss (All too well).

A mirrorball represents fragility and self-reflection (Mirrorball).

A cardigan is comfort and memory wrapped in one (Cardigan).

What can we use from this? Pick one or two objects in your story and let them evolve with your characters. Maybe a chipped mug follows your character from their old life into their new one, symbolizing what they carry with them.

Symbolism turns Taylor’s songs into things that linger in your mind long after they have stopped playing. It gives her songs a narrative emotional texture — that extra layer that makes listeners pause and say, “Ohhh, I get it.”

We can learn from her.

Things I am learning from Taylor Swift:

Choose one object, one color, and one repeated idea.

Plant them early in my story.

Letting them grow in meaning as my characters change.

I can’t leave this post without giving you my top 5 Taylor Swift songs:

  1. Mastermind (Midnights)
  2. So, Long London (TTPD)
  3. Look what you made me do (Reputation)
  4. My tears ricochet (Folklore)
  5. The Prophecy (TTPD)

Would love to hear your thoughts and your top 5 Taylor Swift songs 🦋

🎤 ❤️

If you want to know more about me click here

🚪 5 Things About Using Doors in Your Writing #MondayBlogs #Writers

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I have been reading about how doors can be used as writing devices, and I am obsessed. You’re probably reading this and thinking, Lucy Mitchell needs to get out more…

But…I am not the only one thinking about doors…

A few days ago, I listened to Taylor Swift on the New Heights podcast, and she talked about her dramatic exit through an orange door during the final Eras Tour show, which was no accident—it was what she referred to as one of her carefully placed Easter eggs. Unlike her usual exit via elevator, this one symbolised both an ending and a beginning. I was writing this blog post at the time and suddenly felt Taylor Swift and I were on the same wave length. Sigh!

Useful article on Taylor’s orange door here.

I didn’t realise how doors can be used as powerful symbols.

In my writing, I have never thought about using doors as symbols or tools. In my stories, characters are constantly slamming them shut when they are having a temper tantrum or an emotional outburst. But I have never intentionally used them.

But now after my research I think doors offer us so much more:

Symbols. Doors can have lots of symbolic meanings which we can use in our writing. Symbols can convey things to your reader

  • A closed door can mean opportunity denied or hidden secrets.
  • An open door can suggest freedom, an invitation or vulnerability.
  • They represent a choice or the act of making a decision.
  • Doors can represent escape.
  • An open door can mean hope.
  • Doors can represent barriers that need to be overcome.

Character insights. How a character interacts with a door can show a number of emotions. What doors do they keep shut and does this show avoiding confrontation?

Symbols of Opportunity and New Beginnings. A door opening and entering a new phase and chance for change. Think Alice in Wonderland. Alice stepping through the small door into Wonderland.

Plot catalyst. Doors can move your plot forward. They can be used to act as portals to other worlds, revealing secrets or a forgotten past or trigger events,

Internal reflection. Hesitation at the door can show fear, doubt or anticipation. Forcing the door open can show urgency, desperation or defiance.

Passageway between two worlds. This is probably my favourite. I am a huge fan of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this the door is used as a passageway from isolation to connection. On one side you have Mary’s old, stifled existence and on the other a works full of possibilities and connection. The door is also a passageway between the old world of death and neglect to healing and self discovery.

Doors in Romance and Relationships
Metaphor: “opening the door to love.” Great way to use physical space to mirror emotional journeys.

The next time your character approaches a door, ask yourself what it means – not just where it leads…..🚪

Learn more about me here.

Door pics from Canva

💔 10 Things Not To Say To A Romance Author Writing a Breakup

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I am currently crafting the emotional wrecking ball part of my draft romance novel – the breakup 💔

It’s a tense and my emotions are all over the place.

This is not the time for witty comments from loved ones who have never written or read a romance novel in their life.

Here are some things not to say to a romance author writing a breakup:

  1. “Can’t you just let them stay friends?”
  2. “Didn’t you write a break-up in your last book?”
  3. “Can’t they break up via text?”
  4. “Didn’t they just get together two chapters ago?”
  5. “Is he based on me?”
  6. “is this based on us?”
  7. “You seem really into this – should I be worried?”
  8. “Why are you crying over something that is made up?”
  9. “I thought romance books were supposed to be fun?“
  10. “You know it is not real – don’t you?”

I am going to carry on writing the heartbreak 💔

Learn more about me

📚 10 Lessons I Learnt With 5 Published Books

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Back in 2017, I decided to write my first full-length romance novel. Before this, I had written a dodgy space rom-com and a romance series, which was written via thirty-four weekly blog posts, called The Diary of Roxy Collins. One day I must turn her into a book.

The thought of being published back then felt like a pipe dream. It was something that happened to other people, not to someone like me.

After much daydreaming and procrastination, I had to set aside the dream of being published and focus on learning how to write a romance novel. This book would become “Instructions for Falling in Love Again.”

My first book was published in 2023 with Bloodhound books.

Here I am today, with five published books behind me, and I am ready to share the lessons I have learnt.

  1. Every book teaches you something different. It could be plot, character, setting or something about yourself. Book ideas don’t always come to you because they are meant to be turned into books. Most ideas come to teach you something.
  2. Every book will break you in some way. It’s true. They will either break you emotionally or mentally. At some point you will want to lie down by your desk, curl up in a ball and weep. Every book of mine has done this to me. Some break me at first draft stage, some second draft however most break me when I have to make harsh changes like deleting characters, large chunks of my plot and my book no longer feels like the one I first wrote.
  3. Editors are wonderful people. They are the unsung heroes of the book world,
  4. A book is never finished. I still think about my 5 books and what I would do to improve them.
  5. Promoting books never gets easier. To be an author you have to find new ways of promoting your book and you will have to be okay when your carefully crafted social media posts don’t perform.
  6. Reading is your rocket fuel. If you can’t write – read!
  7. Writer’s block is more likely to be due to tiredness/exhaustion/stress/burnout. Always try resting or taking a break first before you try and alleviate your writer’s block.
  8. Honest beta readers are invaluable. If you can find honest beta readers you are onto something good.
  9. Rejection never goes away. This is true. Rejection still happens even when you are an established author.
  10. Conflict. It’s all about the conflict. This is the secret sauce for any book. If you want to write a good book – add a good spoonful of conflict,

And I still feel like a beginner when it comes to writing a book 🤣

Learn more about me here

😳 Sliding Door Moments: How To Nail Alternate Reality Plots

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Have you ever wondered what would have happened if… You had turned down that job, stayed with that love interest, gone travelling instead of going to university, or taken a different life path?

Would you love to glimpse at what I refer to as the road not taken?

I am reflecting on the crossroads in my life and the roads I didn’t take;

What would have happened if, at seventeen, I had stayed with the handsome lifeguard who was great to look at but didn’t talk much? When he did talk (not that often) it was one maybe two word type answers. I couldn’t cope with the lengthy silences…

What would have happened if I had not gone to university and remained a till girl in the teenage clothing department of C&A?

What would have happened if I had self published my first ever novel – a space romcom which defied the laws of science but was like – Bridget Jones in space – and I had become famous because of it? Plus the famous scene where they are doing saucy things whilst passing by the rings of Saturn would be like a legendary film clip.

My mind is boggling.

There are lots of good examples of alternate reality stories. In one of my favourite books, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, Nora steps into a library filled with books representing different versions of her life. She gets to glimpse at the roads she didn’t take in life. In the film Sliding Doors, Gwyneth Paltrow’s character misses or catches a train, leading to two different life outcomes.

I love how small moments can have a profound impact on your life; the text message you didn’t send, the bus or train you missed, the party invite you declined or the notebook you didn’t buy – the one which you would have taken to a writer conference and as you proudly waved it about you would have caught the eye of someone significant (my notebook addiction coming through here – sorry).

Can you imagine being able to see what would have happened if you had got on the bus or gone to the party?

Why do we love these types of stories? I suppose they tap into deeper emotions, such as regret and curiosity, and they make us ask whether there is such a thing as destiny? Or is everything down to chance?

Here are some things to consider when writing stories where the character gets to see an alternate reality:

  • What lesson is the alternate reality TEACHING your character? It’s not about how things could have been; it is about what the character needed to LEARN.
  • Think about why your story needs alternate realities. It is a tool and it must be used to explore a character’s inner journey. It’s not just a gimmick.
  • Think about what your character will think by the end? How has it changed them?
  • Don’t go alternate reality crazy. Limit the number.

Good Luck …

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🪞 Writing About Magical Mirrors

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Mondays have become a lot more interesting for me now that I can share my writerly thoughts on cool topics like time loops, curses (future posts), and now, magical mirrors.

I need a magical mirror in my house. One that guarantees me a reflection where I look 10 years younger and two stone lighter – ha! Waking up and gazing at my reflection would be such a wonderful experience. There would be no more groans, sighs, counting of new wrinkles, grey hair spotting, gasps or screams (when I am in my allergy season).

Let’s talk about magical mirrors and adding them to your stories.

Mirrors can bring tension, symbolism and wonder to your tale. With a sprinkling of creative magic you can do all sorts of fun things using your magical mirror. It can distort reality, explore a mysterious part of the person gazing into it, reveal hidden truths or act as a doorway to another world.

If you looking at add a magical mirror here are some things to think about:

  • Decide the mirror’s primary function is: is it a portal or a doorway to another world? Does it reveal hidden truths about a person’s character, or does it show something about the future?
  • Use it to explore interesting things: Shame or regret (oooooh!) or who I could have been? (Oh gosh!) Characters who are lying to themselves are so much fun to write. Use the mirror to show them things they don’t want to see or accept.
  • Cracked mirror fun: Let the mirror crack to signal the end of something or someone – gasp! For me, as a romance writer, it could signal the end of a relationship. Cracked mirrors are so unsettling as well so you will be building tension.
  • Shake things up a bit: Maybe it could show someone else? Or another place or time? This is a common theme amongst magic mirrors generally: mirrors don’t lie – well maybe your mirror could lie?

💖 Now I do love a spoonful of romance so here’s some considerations:

❤️ Does the mirror show a future love?

💔 Does it show a romantic betrayal (oh gosh!)

👰🏼 Does it show their wedding day but they are not marrying their love interest

🙈 A mirror that shows what your love interest dislikes about you (enjoy! 😜)

😱 It cracks to show the love is over

Get those magical mirrors in your stories 🪞

I am off to search for a magical mirror which makes me look like a supermodel – sigh!

I am going to add the link to a fascinating post from my friend Icy Sedgwick – called Spells & Scrying: Mirrors in Magic, Mythology & Folklore. The Mirror Superstitions section is fabulous!