Behind the scenes of our Summer Storytelling Camp (and what’s next for your child)
What happens when you put a group of young writers together and tell them to let their imaginations run wild? A LOT of stories!
Our Young Writers Summer Storytelling Camp was filled with characters, imaginary worlds, plotting, creative challenges, laughter and, most importantly, young people discovering the confidence to tell their own stories.
We explored character development, setting, story structure and the all-important question: “What happens next?”
Summer may be ending soon, but their writing journey doesn’t have to.
Our Creative Writing Club for Kids and Teens returns this September, giving young writers a supportive space to keep creating, learning and developing their storytelling skills throughout the term.
Does your child love books, make up stories, fill notebooks with ideas – or simply have an imagination that needs somewhere to go?
Registration for September is now open. Come and discover what your young writer can create!
10 reasons your novel progress has stalled (and how to finally finish your book)
Every writer knows the feeling. You begin your novel full of excitement, only to hit a wall halfway through. Suddenly the words stop flowing, self-doubt creeps in, and finishing your book feels impossible.
In this article, I explore the 10 most common reasons writers get stuck, from perfectionism and imposter syndrome to the dreaded “messy middle,” shiny new ideas, lack of routine, plot problems, and research rabbit holes.
More importantly, I share practical strategies to overcome each obstacle and regain momentum so you can finish your book.
If your manuscript has been gathering dust, this guide will help you identify what’s really stopping you and give you the confidence to finally type those two magical words: The End.
How to support and encourage a child who loves writing stories
If your child is always making up stories, filling notebooks with ideas, or disappearing into books for hours, they may have the heart of a young writer. The good news is that you don’t need to be a writing expert to nurture their creativity.
This article shares five practical ways parents can encourage a child’s love of storytelling without turning writing into another school assignment.
You’ll discover how creating a dedicated writing space, providing inspiring resources, celebrating imagination over perfection, becoming an enthusiastic audience, and helping your child connect with other young writers can build confidence and develop lifelong writing skills.
4 Self-Publishing Options for Your First Book: Audio, Digital, Physical, and Interactive
In this practical guide, author, publisher and writing coach Tolulope Popoola explores the four main self-publishing formats available to today’s authors and explains the advantages and disadvantages of each. You’ll learn which formats offer the greatest reach, the highest royalties, the strongest credibility, and the best opportunities to grow your author brand.
The article also explains why you don’t need to publish every format at once, offering a simple publishing roadmap that helps new authors launch strategically without becoming overwhelmed. Whether you’re writing fiction, memoir, children’s books or business books, you’ll discover how to choose the publishing format that best serves your readers and your long-term goals.
5 steps to use creative writing for your child’s emotional intelligence
This article explores how creative writing helps children develop emotional intelligence alongside their literacy skills. Rather than simply improving grammar or storytelling, writing gives children a safe space to understand and express their feelings, develop empathy, solve problems creatively, and build confidence.
The article highlights that emotional intelligence is built through consistent practice, not perfection. By nurturing a child’s imagination and giving them the freedom to explore emotions through stories, parents help them become not only better writers, but also more resilient, empathetic, and emotionally aware individuals.
The Legacy Project: Why your children and grandchildren need you to write your memoir
This article encourages parents, grandparents, and older adults to preserve their life stories as a lasting gift for future generations. It challenges the belief that only extraordinary lives are worth writing about, arguing that everyday experiences, family history, personal values, and lessons learned are often the most meaningful stories of all.
The article explores how memoir writing helps pass down family heritage, wisdom, resilience, and identity. It highlights research showing that children who know their family history tend to have stronger self-esteem and emotional resilience. Readers are encouraged to see their book as a legacy project that preserves their voice, experiences, and values for children and grandchildren.
Six signs your child might have a writing talent
This article helps parents identify six often-overlooked signs that their child may have a natural talent for writing. While writing ability isn’t always reflected in perfect spelling, neat handwriting, or top grades, it often reveals itself through curiosity, imagination, observation, empathy, and a deep love of stories.
The article outlines six key indicators of writing talent, including being an avid reader, having a vivid imagination, noticing small details others miss, demonstrating emotional intelligence, using writing to process feelings, and showing a fascination with words and language.
7 Mistakes you’re making with a blank page (and how to fix them)
This article tackles one of the biggest challenges writers face: the dreaded blank page. The fear of the blank page is often caused not by a lack of ideas, but by habits and mindsets that sabotage progress before the writing even begins.
The article identifies seven common mistakes writers make. For each mistake, practical solutions are offered, such as embracing messy first drafts, focusing on progress over perfection, and trusting your natural voice.
The key message is simple: writing a book is not about brilliance or perfection. It’s about persistence, consistency, and showing up even when the page is blank. The only way to defeat the blank page is to start writing.
Creative indoor activities for book-loving kids
This article gives parents practical and creative ways to keep book-loving kids engaged during the summer holidays. Rather than simply reading books, children are encouraged to interact with stories through activities such as creating book trailers, designing character scrapbooks, rewriting endings, building fictional worlds, casting movie adaptations, and starting book review blogs or Bookstagram accounts.
These activities help children develop critical thinking, creativity, storytelling skills, and confidence while making reading more interactive and fun. The article also highlights how these projects can be a natural stepping stone from being a reader to becoming a writer.
My child loves writing: what should I do next?
This article is a practical guide for parents who have realised that their child has a genuine love of writing. It explains that once a child begins filling notebooks with stories, poems, or even their own comics, the next step is to nurture that passion without turning it into pressure.
Parents should take their child’s writing seriously, create a dedicated writing space, fuel their creativity through reading, and focus on storytelling rather than grammar in the early stages. It also highlights the importance of celebrating their work, entering writing competitions, and seeking professional guidance when appropriate.
Most importantly, it reminds parents that writing is a craft that grows through encouragement, confidence, and consistent practice. With the right support, a child who loves writing today could become a published author tomorrow.