blogs

Edgy and entertaining insights from the dangerously-talented writers in the Colony…explore at your pleasure

To receive an occasional summary digest by email, simply click below

Experimenting

Claire Gallagher

Be Brave I’ve been writing seriously for years. The more I wrote (and read the work of other authors), the more I experimented with different…

Read More about Experimenting

Journeys and the Importance of Writing Communities

Claire Gallagher

My Writing Journey During my formative years, I had spells when I thought I’d like to be an author when I grew up (if we…

Read More about Journeys and the Importance of Writing Communities

And Another One Gone…

James Charles

Donald Sutherland is gone. I saw him on stage at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles years ago in a play. What can one…

Read More about And Another One Gone…

Pride Weekend, Part 2.

Jason Locke

I’ve never liked my voice. I’m not alone. People, in general, hate their voices. We are simply not biologically intended to hear our voices the…

Read More about Pride Weekend, Part 2.

Pride Weekend

Jason Locke

This year, for the first, time, I noticed the absence of something in June: rainbows. I’d never been particularly in love with them. The fact…

Read More about Pride Weekend

Bad Writing

Jake Joy

Lately, I’ve been hearing lots of complaints about awful writing. Not mine – people aren’t saying it to my face anyway – but some movies…

Read More about Bad Writing

AI at the G7 with the Pope

Eva Ulian

Originating from an informal meeting of finance ministers in 1973, in Washington DC, two years later the G6 established at its first meeting in Château…

Read More about AI at the G7 with the Pope

Forest bathing

Matt Schofield

A long-lost friend dropped by recently. Myka was in Berlin for a conference, and found herself with a free evening. We offered her a barbecue,…

Read More about Forest bathing

Play to Your Strengths

Claire Gallagher

Be Up-Front Agent Pete often says that writers should play to their strength and put it front and centre in the opening of their novel….

Read More about Play to Your Strengths

Titles: What’s in a Name?

Claire Gallagher

A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet, Right? The Silence of the Lambs, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Elinor Oliphant is Completely…

Read More about Titles: What’s in a Name?

I like this. You like that.

James Charles

Food, travel, books, movies, television shows, and on…and on… A family member of mine doesn’t like avocado. Won’t dip his chip into guacamole. YUM. A…

Read More about I like this. You like that.

Think Like A Reader

Lyse Beck

I always find Beta reading such a great opportunity to learn. I discover things that I’m sure I do myself as a writer that I…

Read More about Think Like A Reader

What’s the deal?

Jake Joy

My experience with deal sites. This one is for the writers. Last week, I ran a promotion for my novel The Trouble with Prophecies. I…

Read More about What’s the deal?

Padre Pio and I

Eva Ulian

I’ve always had a sense of affinity with the Mystic Padre Pio and the fact that he was born the same day I was, May…

Read More about Padre Pio and I

Writing ‘Rules’

Claire Gallagher

Don’t Start with a Character Waking Up, Looking in the Mirror, or with a Hangover On Pop-Up Submissions, we received a lot of openings like…

Read More about Writing ‘Rules’

Writing Disability

Bev Dalton

(Disclaimer: although not politically perfect, I’m going to use the familiarity of the term ‘disability’ rather than, say, ‘differently abled’ in this post.) I’m gonna…

Read More about Writing Disability

Self-Publishing

Claire Gallagher

I decided to self-publish my contemporary romances after unsuccessful attempts at the traditional route. There are pros and cons to making this decision and lots…

Read More about Self-Publishing

Skimming Stones

John Duffy

The pebble skimmed the surface ten times before running out of momentum, then seeming to flounder for a split second, sank into the dark still…

Read More about Skimming Stones

Hide and Seek

Michael James Treacy

“I’m home, darling! Early finish today. Hurrah!” The masculine voice echoed through the house, and fell on the ears of Mrs Brown and the insurance…

Read More about Hide and Seek

Italy: Liberation Day

Eva Ulian

The 25th April is a national holiday here in Italy and it’s called Liberation Day.  I had noticed, however, as the years went by, the…

Read More about Italy: Liberation Day

Get The Digest

Subscribe to our occasional email featuring all the best writing from the Colony.

Free to subscribe, unsubscribe whenever you want (but we don't think you'll want to!)

Basic Membership Is Free.

Explore the net’s original writers’ colony. Get your work critiqued in our Writing Lab. Learn how to get an agent – or dive into the burgeoning world of self-publishing. We’re with you every step of the way.

Full Membership Is Only $149.95 For An Entire Year

Everything in Basic Membership plus unlimited access to all our writing seminars and unlimited access to our weekly live Writers’ Huddles for mentoring & coaching… Simply the best value on the ‘net.