How do you find your writing voice? What is an authentic voice? How can you communicate your content in a heartfelt, convincing way? Who is listening? Who will read your work?
I have kept a journal since I was eighteen years old and just starting university. Everything goes into my journal: emotions, relationship dramas, small joys, big challenges, dreams, poems, story fragments, sketches, doodles, lists, plans and designs.
The focus and form my writing has evolved over the decades. My writing voice has altered from that of an anguished teenager, to questing young woman, to philosophical (but still questioning) mature woman. My first journal was an old bank ledger that my father gave me. Now, I write in beautiful, specially selected books – my current favourites are Paperblanks journals, with exquisite covers based on antique designs and thick, creamy paper. I always choose unlined pages, so that I can draw, doodle, or write in any direction I choose.
I have published articles, interviews, short stories and a novella, written a novel, screenplays for film and television, courses and marketing material. I do write direct-to-digital (I’m doing it now), but the heart of my writing practice is my journal. Writing has been a journey for me. I see it as a friend, rather than an end. A lot has been written about writing techniques, but little about the soul of writing. This gap is what led me to create The Writers’ Cauldron, a group for women to practise and reflect on their writing. As well as information on technique, there is guided meditation, inner work, creative writing exercises and discussion that gets to the heart of how writing works for each one of us, with the opportunity to work on personal projects, whether private or intended for publication. For more information, contact me.
7 Gateways to Inner Wisdom 