‘When it comes to writing or creative flow, if your body is experiencing symptoms of stress (racing heart, short breath, lots of energy), it’s really challenging to just tell yourself to calm down or force yourself into flow. A flow state is a beautiful balance of energy and meditative calm so you can access all parts of self – thoughts, feelings, sensations.’

‘We all seek out professionals who are experts in their fields to help us accomplish things we don’t have the skills to do. Some writers are very comfortable working as ‘surrogate’ ghostwriters. Others prefer to be more of a coach – helping the client put words on the page themselves. I’ve done both and it really depends on the client and on the job. The most important thing is that the boundaries are clear, respected and negotiated in advance.’

‘I learn from reading in a very conscious and intentional way, paying attention to how other writers use craft. Other writers are simply the best teachers.’

‘Tropes can help “frame” the romance, but the tension comes from how you pace the reveals and the emotional turns, balancing lightness with deeper currents so the relationship feels earned.’

‘When you write for kids and teenagers, it is imperative you remember that your characters are on the edge of the rest of their lives, experiencing firsts, making mistakes, and discovering the world and how they want to walk through it. It’s less about teaching lessons and exploring themes, and more about letting your characters exist in the world as it is, and be moved by it.’

‘All the best writers were edited, and seeing how some iconic books differed in their original drafts from the finished books reminds you how crucial that polishing process is.’

‘Remember, children are curious and capable of exploring challenging concepts – trust their intelligence and don’t talk down to them. Difficult information shared in a caring, thoughtful and supportive way, especially with an attuned and attentive adult, can actually help children develop the emotional intelligence and resilience they need to manage difficult feelings.’

‘Every character and every scene – and every word, every piece of punctuation – should serve the story. If your reader tells you they were pulled out of the story because of a certain phrase or image, you owe it to your story to interrogate that phrase or image.’

‘But, honestly, the only reason one ‘studies’ narrative structure at all is to train the conscious self in possible (and optional) patterns of story-telling, so that the merging of the unconscious self (where stories truly begin) and the conscious self happens, all by itself.’