I’m fascinated by stories and the different ways they can be told. By helping other writers find the best version of the story they want to tell, I’m often inspired and challenged to think about the way I approach my own stories so I’m always excited to discover what I can take away from a session.

I work with as many writers as my schedule allows. This means I won’t necessarily take on every writer who asks me to help with their work. Offering an initial chat for free helps me understand if, and how, I might be able to help you with your project or with deeper issues in your storytelling. Some writers might often only require a session or two to feel re-energised about their work or find a way of unlocking a story problem that means they can then progress on their own. In other cases we might spend more time discussing not only a project but also your storytelling craft, writing practice and life as a writer.

Yes, very much so and in my teaching at Cambridge I usually work with authors who are writing for adults. I would add that my books are written for anyone who wants to read them, young or old, and my aim is always to write a story that will entertain and engage a reader of any age. Some of the most popular books are crossovers that pull in all sorts of readers from different age groups. In my experience, writing for children and young adults demands a really good grasp of effective storytelling because readers at that age have so many temptations to draw them away from books (gaming, Internet, social media, Netflix etc.). It means an author needs to be aware of pace and economy in their storytelling and I think my background in screenwriting has undoubtedly helped me with this.

The Master’s at Cambridge University is a brilliant programme that challenges students to explore and experiment with different forms of writing in the first year before settling on their Dissertation in the second year, so it’s not designed to focus immediately on a single project as I am offering in my consultancy and mentoring approaches. The course also has an academic component designed to expand a student’s critical voice as much as their creative one. If you would like to know more about the Master’s to see if it’s for you then you can find further information here.

I know a number of agents, editors and producers through my own writing practice and because of the relationships built between the Master’s at Cambridge and the publishing and film industries at large. If I felt your work was of the required standard and you were ready to submit (I.e. you had a finished manuscript or screenplay) then I would be willing to make a recommendation if I thought your work was a right match for someone.

At the moment I only offer sessions remotely. Due to the pandemic the use of digital platforms for work has become much more of an acceptable practice. At Cambridge we have had to use remote learning over the past couple of years and the high standard of teaching has not been diminished in any way, judging by feedback from students, so it’s something I feel very adept at using for discussion. Offering sessions remotely means I’m available to help a writer wherever they are based.

No, I prefer to work in a more bespoke way, assessing and addressing what each client needs to work on to help them complete their specific project and explore how best to improve their craft. It might be that a writer only needs a session or two to help them address a problem they are facing or perhaps inspire them afresh about their work and storytelling in general. When it comes to mentoring there are certain tools I will use to help someone through to the end of a draft that I have refined in my teaching practice and have been proven to work. Ultimately, the best way to learn how to tell a story is to write one and I see my role as being supportive, empathic and enlightening, guiding a writer through the process of finding and telling their story.

Reading and creativity is vital for kids’ development because learning good storytelling can be so important in all sorts of roles later in life. I want to contribute in some small way to this and help inspire the storytellers of tomorrow, however they use their skills. I have a podcast series on my author website designed to encourage creative writing and storytelling in younger writers which you can find here.