Bec writes
Bec started blogging about writing habits in 2013. At the time she was managing a writers’ retreat centre and was fascinated by what motivates people to write and what holds them back. She writes regularly for publication about writing process, productivity, publishing, innovation, side hustles and creativity. Here’s a selection of some of her favourite pieces. There’s a full archive available on Medium.
Make time to make your ideas happen
Lack of time is the often biggest barrier to making ideas happen. Find out how you can make time in busy schedules with these four approaches. I’m not going to sugar coat it. Making ideas happen is tough – that’s why it’s a hustle. It involves time, effort and energy,...
Don’t fall in love with your idea
I’ve always been deeply suspicious of passion. The calls to follow your passion left me bewildered. What was my passion? Did I have one, or many, and which one was best? As someone whose personal statement on my university application consisted of ‘swimming and...
All good things must begin: Octavia E Butler on visualising success
“I shall be a bestselling writer” wrote Octavia E Butler in 1988. She is not alone in fantasising about writing chart-topping books – I’d wager most writers have dreamed of such a thing. Visualising success can feel a bit woo-woo, but research shows that mental...
The Artist’s Way – kickstart your creativity
“Eat, Pray, Love would not exist without The Artist’s Way.” Elizabeth Gilbert isn’t the only one who credits their success to Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. With a variety of fans from authors Patricia Cornwell and Russell Brand to songwriters Pete Townshend and...
How to pivot
Learning how to pivot is a crucial skill when making your ideas happen. However, the advice to ‘pivot to digital’ during lockdown has become an unhelpful cliché. Here’s a guide on how to pivot which looks at the original problem you’re solving, the solution you...
The Bookseller’s Lockdown Diaries: The Publishing Entrepreneur
Boilers are the masters of timing — they know the exact moment to inflict maximum disruption. Mine decided to call time on Monday 23 March 2020 a day that saw the biggest highs and lows of my entrepreneurial life. That evening was the Business Book Awards. My book,...
Become a better writer by being Stoical
Writers from Shakespeare to Elizabeth Gilbert have been inspired by the works of the Stoics. Here’s a primer on the philosophy of Stoicism and some ideas on how it can help your writing. What is Stoicism? Being a Stoic is about living a good and purposeful life. The...
The Stephanie Scott Interview
Stephanie Scott's acclaimed first novel What's Left Of Me is Yours took ten years to write and publish. It's been quite a journey, including leaving her job and cancelling her honeymoon to make time to write. Her prize-winning route to becoming an author should...
15 ways to support writers, publishers and booksellers
If books are important to you, if they have taught you valuable lessons in the past, or give you comfort and escape right now, act now to support books. With a spare minute, or some cash, you can transform the lives of writers, publishers and booksellers during the...
12 steps to build your happy hustle
In How to Have a Happy Hustle I share the inside track on making ideas happen. The book runs through the process used by innovation experts and startup founders to increase the success of their products, services, side hustles and small businesses. But it’s not all...