‘Often when readers come to self-help books they’re in a down spot, where some aspect of life isn’t working, be it home, family, work, health or romance. So, there’s a heightened need to pay attention to your language – not just that it’s accurate but that it’s empathetic, reassuring, yet practical too.’

‘“Voice” is not just about style and word choice, it’s about the kind of books you write, the aspects of character you explore, the issues and themes you return to and, in the end, the experience you deliver to your readers. It’s the “you” in the book.’

‘Far from hindering creativity, a strong grasp of craft liberates it by allowing me to turn raw material into something coherent and powerful.’

‘It took me years to realise something that’s ultimately simple – stories are about their characters so, if we examine our characters, we’ll discover where the stories might take us. Asking questions of our characters creates narrative possibilities, then we, as the author, get to decide which of those possibilities will make for the most interesting story.’

‘If you’re a ‘mid-list’ kind of author and not someone they’re specifically approaching to write a book because of having a huge following, a publisher doesn’t expect you to have huge numbers. But they’d love it if you have an engaged following of people who visit your social media accounts because they know what to expect and they know they like it.’

‘In developing our own self-awareness, self-connection, and understanding of what an authentic voice ‘looks’ and ‘sounds’ like on the page, writers can develop more refined judgement and become better skilled at writing.’

‘When writers open themselves to the full possibilities of setting, it can feel overwhelming, but everything comes back to perspective and story. What story are you trying to tell? What emotions are you trying to evoke? And crucially, what does your character notice?’

‘I think because the streamers are able to take risks and screen material that might not fit the charter of the networks, there’s more opportunity for writers to create stories that are fresh and original.’

‘Tension is what creates that beautiful anticipation in a reader and can be driven by both plot and character. When the uncertainty builds, the stakes are high, a threat looms and a reader is anxious about the outcome or about an unexpected twist, there is tension.’