Miranda Writes 29 - Overcoming The Fear...

All this year, I am keeping a video diary about writing and publishing my sixth novel, I'll Take New York. This week, I have another #getinvolved challenge for Book Seven and talk about facing The Fear as a writer...

I'm getting back to work after a few wonderful months of new-mum-hood and this week have been checking the page proofs for I'll Take New York - which has been lovely and scary in equal measure. It made me think about The Fear - a phenomenon known only too well to writers. How do you keep writing when the doubts creep in? When the inspiration won't come and you're staring at a blank page? In this week's vlog, I talk about how I tackle The Fear.

Talking of finding inspiration, have YOU booked your ticket for one of my WriteFoxy! Writers' Inspiration Days in November and February yet? They're going fast for both dates, so don't miss your chance to be inspired, fired up and have your love of writing rekindled by an amazing line-up of speakers. All the details are HERE...

So, here's this week's vlog - enjoy!

p.s. This week's YouTube-nominated freeze-frame is entitled, 'Si-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ing!'

2014 is the year to... WRITE FOXY!

Well, we're at the beginning of a new year and all around me people are making resolutions. Personally, I love setting goals for the year ahead and I'm always surprised at the end of the year by how much I've achieved or how much my priorities have changed. For 2014, I have only one resolution - to WRITE FOXY!

Lots of things are about to change in my life this year. Bob and I are going to welcome a new baby into our lives in March (ten weeks and counting - eek!), I have some major decisions to make about my writing career and there are certain things I'm working on that may or may not happen during 2014. It feels like a year of possibility - and, as anyone who reads my books knows, I love the allure of possibility...

After the challenges I faced with my writing last year - and the crisis of confidence that almost made me quit - I have decided to spend this year pursuing one thing: foxiness! By this I mean I want to write stories that thrill me; that I bounce out of bed in the morning to write; that make me happy. I want to be known as a writer who adores what she is doing. A writer who takes risks. A writer who appreciates the importance of fun in everything she does. Even if I'm the only person to read it, I want my words to exude foxiness: to be sassy and brave and unafraid.

I've learned the hard way that achieving a writing dream is just the beginning: the key to continuing to live the dream is to never lose sight of why you started dreaming about it in the first place. If you don't love what you write - and constantly reconnect with that first love - you simply won't survive.

I'm excited to see where my foxy writing resolution will take me and what stories will emerge from it, during this year and beyond. There could be zombies. Or thrills. Or quirky tales that make me smile. There will definitely be new characters who want to welcome you into whole new worlds. It could be crazy and some of it might lead nowhere at all - but it will definitely be one heck of an adventure!

So, there it is: in 2014 I'm starting as I mean to go on. No matter what else happens, I'm going to WRITE FOXY!