Word Count

Word Count 41: When not to submit, creating well-rounded characters, why do so many action heroes have names that start with J?

March 28, 2023

Plus advice on structuring non-fiction, The Pembrokeshire Murders and a Grabbity burrito. Hi there, I’m now well into the third week of the worst cold I’ve ever had and my brain has been foggy to say the least. But let’s see if I can at least pull together a few coherent sentences for you! Suw’s […]

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Word Count 40: London Book Fair, the liberation of imperfection and binge watching Detectorists

March 21, 2023

Plus how using novel fonts can kickstart creativity, introduce yourself via Substack chat, and the Ambassador’s cat. Hi there, I didn’t get much writing done at all last week. I went to Brussels for the UK Innovation & Tech Show, where I was on a panel about women in tech. I’ve done a lot of […]

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Word Count 39: Opportunity for scriptwriters, Charlie Kaufman on writers, and Max Edwards on non-fiction agenting

March 14, 2023

Plus my first rejection of the  year, Top Gun: Maverick script, going to film school in your 40s, and writing good villains. Hi there, Lots of things to share this week, so let’s crack on with it! Suw’s news: Tag speedbump I’ve had my first rejection of the year, from the All3Media New Writers Collective […]

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Word Count 38: Upcoming extras, my editing process, how professional screenwriters outline, the importance of notebooks & James Henry’s The Cabinet of Curiosities

March 7, 2023

Hi there, You might have spotted that last week I sent you an extra email – a long read about the potential impact of AI-generated books on the publishing industry. Substack sometimes feels more like a blogging platform than a newsletter so it seems sensible to put additional material there. No doubt I’ll blog again, as […]

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Word Count 37: New prize for older debuts, tackling first line dread, the Big Comedy Conference and 35 newsletter lessons

February 28, 2023

Hi there, Welcome to the first Word Count on Substack! This week has been more of the usual: editing Tag, polishing off the ethics submission for Fieldwork, and going through Substack’s copious settings. I have a big meeting about Ada Lovelace Day this afternoon, so I’m hoping that by next week’s newsletter I’ll have some […]

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Word Count 36: Writing habits webinar TONIGHT, scriptwriting comp deadline TOMORROW, Will Storr webinar next month, plus taking out your head trash and more!

February 21, 2023

Hi there, I sent my second submission of the year off yesterday, to the Edinburgh TV Festival’s script comp (see below). But I’m going to need to step up the pace if I want to reach my target of 100 rejections this year! Event: TONIGHT! ‘Why productivity is personal’ webinar I’ve seen a lot of […]

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Let’s take out some head trash

February 15, 2023

Writing gets easier when you’re not talking yourself down.

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Word Count 35: Tag progress, are you in the mood to write?, why author newsletters are so important, new non-fiction prize for women, playwrights wanted, high list of opportunities for writers, and the enshittification of social media, plus young Grabbity under a blankie

February 14, 2023

Hi there, This week, I’ve made some progress on my TV series and written another post for my other newsletter. Coincidentally, it seems like newsletters are turning into the most reliable way for authors to keep in touch with their audiences now, because social media is a dumpster fire (we kinda knew that already). Plus […]

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Word Count 34: Productivity hacks, how to write a synopsis, book vibes, Not Too Busy To Write, Inception plot map, actual fishing rod cat toy

February 7, 2023

Hi there, We’re back to gloriously sunny but really quite nippy weather again, so I’m getting chewed out by Copurrnicus who really wants to go outside but there’s frost on the ground and he doesn’t like it. Grabbity’s chewing me out because she doesn’t like the food that’s down. And my subconscious is chewing me […]

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Word Count 33: Deadlines are good, ten tips from Neil Gaiman, Quenby Olson on self-promotion, Why Aren’t I Writing?, and the reintroduction of Grabbity and Sir Izacat Mewton

January 31, 2023

Hi there, January is finally over so it’s a good time to take a look at how the year has started. I don’t do New Years Resolutions, I do habits and, looking back on the month, I’ve done pretty well. I’m still practicing my Welsh and flossing daily, averaging 6,500 steps a day (1,500 more […]

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Word Count 32: Why ‘Just write!’ is terrible advice, The Dark Is Rising, Eli’s coming, finding joy in writing

January 24, 2023

Hi there, It was -7C when I woke up this morning and still hasn’t got up as far as 0 yet, so this week’s newsletter come to you from underneath a large pile of blankets, one of them electric. Suw’s news: Ethics applications and editing There can’t be many fiction projects that start off with an ethics […]

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Word Count 31: First submission of 2023, introducing Fieldwork, About Writing review, 100 rejections, the importance of word choice, and there’s no such thing as an empty box

January 17, 2023

Hello there, Last week I mentioned Discoveries 2023, the Women’s Prize Trust/Curtis Brown Creative/Audible literary competition for women. Despite having absolutely no faith at all that they’ll be interested in a pandemic novel, I have submitted anyway. It’s my first submission of 2023, but it definitely won’t be my last as I aim for 100 […]

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Word Count 30: Writing progress, Discoveries 2023, The Pat Llewellyn Bursary, hidden medieval name revealed & Netflix frustrations

January 10, 2023

Hi there {$name}, Happy New Year! I hope that you had a lovely festive season and are feeling refreshed and renewed, and ready to tackle 2023 head on*! I have three goals for this year: Secure a stable income, which means finalising the writing commission that’s in the works and, hopefully, finding a way to save […]

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Word Count 29: Festive greetings! Plus tiny books, The Sample, and a very young Grabbity under a Christmas tree

December 20, 2022

Hi there, Welcome to the final Word Count of the year! When I started this newsletter in May, I didn’t think I’d manage to keep a weekly rhythm going, but I’ve found writing this newsletter a real joy. I hope you’ve found it a joy to read as well! I’m taking a two week break over Christmas, […]

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Word Count 28: Download your copy of The Gates of Balawat now! Oh, and plus some podcasts and stuff.

December 13, 2022

Hi there, I’m very excited to finally be able to share The Gates of Balawat with you! It feels like an important milestone and one that I shall celebrate with delight. Suw’s News: Download The Gates of Balawat Yes, it’s the newsletter you’ve been waiting for, the one with the download link for my novelette, […]

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