Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

  A student contacted me the other day to say that she'd been reading some bestselling books to inspire her - but that unfortunately it was having the opposite effect! She said she was feeling very intimidated by the way these bestselling authors spun words, described everything so beautifully and really got her involved in the story. She came away from reading feeling depressed that she could never compete, that she would never be as good as these other writers. She asked if I might read one of these authors, dissect their style and tell her how she might emulate these great writers. I flinched inwardly. I couldn't help myself. Because I make it a rule NOT to read great authors when I'm writing a novel - for exactly the same reasons as my student! A long time ago I discovered that reading writers like Stephen King, Robert Harris, Michael Chrichton and James Patterson stopped my writing in its tracks.  These guys write with such flair - they make it seem so easy that yes, I...

  This must be the single most fascinating issue amongst new writers - and non-writers alike. Throughout their careers, authors are consistently asked the same question: Where  do you get your ideas from? As though there is some secret locked store-room full of them, hidden away, and that only the best writers are mysteriously given the key. If you're one of those people that has apparent trouble coming up with  ideas, let me reassure you right away. You already hold the key to the  'idea store'. Just like any other writer or creative person, the ideas are inside your head - and all you need is an easy way to tap into them. Something I'm just about to give you. You may not be conscious of it now but your subconscious is a swirling mass of ideas just waiting for your attention. The problem for most long term writers is not 'Where do I get ideas?' but  'Which one of the thousands I have am I going to work on next?' The  dilemma then becomes 'When am...

  Scientists studying nature are getting increasingly good at working out how things work. From the Big Bang Theory to DNA. From the evolution of species to how chocolate can make us happy. We now have a pretty good idea how life works from the smallest chemical action to the largest atomic reaction. It seems as though one day we will know how everything in our Universe works... but there is one crucial element missing. The why. We know that sunlight makes plants photosynthesize carbon dioxide into oxygen. We know that when an electrical spark is applied to gasoline it explodes. We know that when water boils it turns to steam. We know these things and a host of others because we can prove them - every time. But do we know why they happen? Scientists say that these reactions are 'coded' into the makeup of the elements. That these reactions are inevitable, given the right circumstances. We know that during the Big Bang, for instance, certain elements came toge...

  First off, let's get one thing straight. A lot of people search the term 'writing style' when they're actually looking for 'writing fonts'. I know. I regularly get Google visitors who've typed in 'tattoo writing styles' or 'graffiti writing styles'. Clearly, they're not looking for 'writing style' at all but rather a collection of fonts they can refer to, copy, or learn from. 'Style' is different - more aligned to technique than anything else. There are various official writing styles - but these are more specifically ways of constructing essays or theses rather than referring to what most writers regard as 'ways of writing'. The APA style is set by the American Psychological Association and is basically a way of organizing information for reports and social science documents. Hardly of use to the average creative writer. The MLA style dictated by the Modern Language Association is favored for college essays and ...