(Re)Finding Your Writing Mojo

 (by Hayley Jones)

 Losing your writing mojo can happen at any time, but living through a pandemic doesn’t help. Whether you are struggling to feel a sense of connection with your writing or can’t write anything at all, try these tips to rekindle your enthusiasm.

1. Take care of the basics
Taking steps to improve your sleep, nutrition and physical fitness may seem obvious, but it’s easy to lose track of the basics when you are worrying about other things. Make time for things you enjoy and keep in touch with friends. Ensuring your health (physical and mental) is as good as possible means you will be in a better position to get your writing mojo back.

Writing in Lockdown by Hayley N Jones

My original plan for this post was to explore the effects of lockdown on writing habits, refining it to a single question: has the Covid-19 pandemic improved or impaired productivity in relation to creative writing? Social media seemed to represent the issue in a very binary way, particularly towards the beginning of lockdown. There were “inspirational” posts suggesting everybody should use the extra time saved (whether from being furloughed or minimising other activities) to finally write that novel and produce masterpieces, citing the productivity of Newton and Shakespeare during plague years as encouragement. These calls to action were met by numerous writers sharing the opposite experience, pointing out the difficulties of focusing on anything when one is flooded with anxiety and uncertainty.

In the Kitchen

Exeter writer, Dianne Bown-Wilson is delighted to have a story included in a forthcoming new anthology: In the Kitchen.
Every kitchen has a story to tell, and the collection showcases the best of kitchen-inspired writing from UK and international authors, summarised as: ‘A surprising platter of delightful and peculiar short stories that allow you to lose yourself in their magic.’

Interview With 3rd Place Runner Up - Alexis Wolfe

Hi Alexis, 

Firstly can I ask… is Alexis Wolfe your real name or have you used a Pseudonym because it’s so cool!?

Hello, Alexis Wolfe is my real name.

You won the Third Prize in our competition this year with your story Cane Life. What were you doing when you found out? How did you feel?

I found out during the Coronavirus lockdown so I was at home. I was a combination of very surprised and delighted.