Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

"Writing is a triumph of tenacity over common sense." That's what my mother says anyway. Her view is that any kind of writing is a "...very strange way of spending your time, Robert. Why on earth would anyone want to waste their energy doing that?" And this from a woman who reads like it's about to get banned. I've pointed this out of course. But though she loves reading, she thinks all writers must be a little weird to devote their lives to sitting alone and writing. She's a more sociable animal you see. Her idea of bliss is to be surrounded by any kind of people, all chattering and yammering over nothing in particular, simply enjoying the closeness of others. That, of course, is my idea of The Seventh Level of Hell. Not that I intend to be unsociable - or mean for that matter. I just prefer books and writing and creating, working on artistic projects - and if I do need to go out and communicate, I want it to be for a good reason - lik...

Are you struggling to achieve your dreams? Does it seem as if your perfect life is elusive? Does you feel you're never going to get what you want? If so, it could be you're missing something important. Here are some tips on how to create your perfect life by adjusting your inner perspective. You're Never Too Busy to Relax When we're stressed and caught up in the complexities of living our daily lives, it can seem as though there's never enough time to do everything. We're always chasing our tails, beating ourselves up over jobs not completed or done badly or tasks - like writing - that get squeezed out of our schedules. If you're like this, you have to stop. Literally. You must find time - half an hour to an hour every day, to unwind and get some perspective. I call it 'strategizing time' or more simply, 'time to meditate'. Meditation is not about assuming a lotus position and contemplating the universe in your navel. No, it's about delib...

What happens when you can't think of anything to write? It's funny because I've noticed this is quite a common problem - for the newbie and the professional alike, but usually for different reasons. Often the newbie will be flushed with the conviction that she's a writer. She feels it, she knows it in her bones. And yet when it comes to sitting down in her writing space, she wonders what she should say - exactly what should she focus on? What should she communicate - or at least commit to paper? The professional writer too can get stuck. He may have exhausted his current topics of interest and want to start on something fresh. Like the newbie, the professional may ask himself, what can I say that is of interest to my editor, my publishers or my fans? Both the newbie and the professional may get stuck on what to write NEXT. Create You Own Emergency Deadlines and external pressure work for the professional. Often working writers have no choice but to slog along on their w...

Many writers tell me the scariest thing they have to do is submit their work to publishers, magazine editors and agents. This is understandable. You may have poured your heart and soul into a piece of writing. You may have spent a very long time working on it - so much so that it feels like a part of you is somehow exposed. You fear criticism at best, ridicule at worst. Placing your work in an envelope can bring on palpitations and an overwhelming sense of panic. Writers ask me if this ever goes away. The short answer is no. It doesn't matter how long you've been writing, or how many times you submit material or show your work to others, there's always a nagging trepidation associated with the experience. It's akin to first night nerves. Actors, not matter how accomplished, still feel it just before the curtain rises. Musicians and singers still feel it, just before the song begins. Even great speakers - gurus - feel it, as they walk out to face the ...

Let me make a prediction. By 2015, based on current trends, 50% of the books available online and even offline, will be self published. How will this happen? Simple. Print on Demand technology has already progressed to the stage that even the big traditional publishers are using it - which means, yes, now we're all equal. Plus, distribution networks are now seeing that there is money to be made stocking and distributing self published books - as long as the writers are diligently involved in their promotion. Book marketing is now no longer the sole responsibility of a publisher's sales staff. More and more trade publishers are requiring, even demanding, that authors self promote their books. So, whichever way you go, you will have to get out there and sell your books yourself. But what does self promotion actually involve? Are there any special skills you need? Yes, but don't fret - you're a writer. Much of what you need to do is already within your skill base. Here are...

People are always asking me, "How do you manage to write so much?" It's funny to me because I never feel I have written enough! Each day I write a little more - an article, a chapter, a lesson or some fiction and each day I think, if only I'd had a few more hours I could have done 'this' or 'that'. There never seems to be enough time. We've just been asked by our movie producer to work on our Hollywood script - again - a new director wants some changes to it. For the next 4 to 6 weeks, we're intending to get stuck in to that script - and find time we didn't think we had. That's the writer's life. Just like everyone else, we have to find the time, whether we think it's there or not. People also ask me, "How do you write so fast?" Actually I don't think I do. I write slowly, considering every word and phrase as I go along. Just like the way I read. Okay, I get to write two to three thousand words a da...

We spend a lot of our time distracted by our daily chores and commitments. So much so we tend to ignore what our instincts are telling us. You know how it goes. You spend your time working or, unpaid and traveling to and from work. You spend time dropping off and picking up the kids. You use up invaluable hours of the day preparing food, eating, sleeping, relaxing with your loved ones, watching TV, socializing, caring, volunteering, whatever. All the time in the back of your mind you have this little voice that says: You really should be writing, you really should be writing... Your instincts know what you want but your activities are committing you to a lifestyle you don't want. There's the writer’s dilemma. How do you stop doing what you don't want and start doing what you do want? Simple - listen to your heart. I believe there's a reason why we have instincts - they are there to tell us what we really want. They are there to nag at you to deal with the things that ...