Nicole J. Simms's Blog, page 5
April 5, 2020
10 Ways Writers Can Make the Most of Social Distancing / Self-Isolation
Are you tired of staying in the house? Do you fear you’ll lose your mind like Jack from The Shining? Fear not, for I have some tips to help you survive the COVID-19 Lockdown. While being on lockdown can be stressful, it can be beneficial to writers. And even if you have to work from […]
March 29, 2020
May I Take Your Order?
Your stomach rumbles. Hmm, what shall I have for dinner? You think, leaning back against the sofa. The week has been tough. Your boss has insisted on you increasing your workload. ‘I’m sorry, but it’s not fair to the others if you don’t do the same amount of work,’ she said, dropping the files on […]
March 21, 2020
True Crime and Paranormal Podcasts I Listen To
Last year I was introduced to the podcast world when I was researching mindfulness. I found an interesting podcast called The Mindful Kind, which offers great tips and advice on how to be more mindful. However, I didn’t stop there. I soon discovered different podcasts on a range of topics. And the ones that gripped […]
March 8, 2020
January to February 2020 — A Writing Journey Update
So, we are in our third month of 2020. What? How did that happen? Yeah, those were the questions I asked myself when I changed my calendar from February to March. So, since it’s March, I thought it would be a perfect time to share what I’ve been up to. Well, I had some deadlines […]
February 29, 2020
Wolfric the Wolf
Once upon a time, there was a young wolf called Wolfric, or Wolfie as his Ma and Grandma used to call him. Wolfric was a kind young wolf, so when he heard his Grandma was poorly, he asked if he could do something to help. ‘Well, Wolfie, it would be helpful if you could take […]
February 22, 2020
My Visit to the Steelhouse Lane Lock-Up
On the 8th December 2018 (yes, I know, this was ages ago, lol), my Oldbury Writing Group pals—Julian, Angela and Heather—and I went to the Steelhouse Lane Lock-Up Open Day. Steelhouse Lane Lock-Up is a Grade II listed mini prison that operated from 1891 to 2016. Originally the Lock-Up had three floors with roughly 70 […]
February 9, 2020
Listening to Ambient Music While Writing – My Experience
What is ambient music? If you’re new to ambient music, this will be the first question you ask. So, what is it? Well, ambient music is a type of instrumental music that focuses on creating atmosphere and mood rather than the traditional rhythm or musical structure. While watching Brooke Passmore’s (the AuthorTuber) videos on YouTube, […]
February 2, 2020
Exploring AuthorTube – My 10 Favourite Writers on YouTube
‘Wow, I got to check out these writers on YouTube.’ This is what I said when I found The Write Life’s ‘YouTube Channels for Writers’ article. I found this article at the perfect time. I was too ill to work, write or go to my writing group meetings, so I was bored and lonely. Then […]
January 27, 2020
My Latest Shopping Victim
‘I saw it first,’ said the woman, grabbing the last size 16 red duffle coat. ‘No, you didn’t.’ I snatched the coat from the woman’s hand. ‘Hey! Give it back!’ She pulled. I pulled. And before I knew it, we ended up in a tussle. Fists flew. Slaps stung. She screamed. I screamed. ‘Surrender!’ I […]
January 19, 2020
Dead Good Books Reading List — 16 Books Guaranteed to Scare
In October 2019, I received an email from Dead Good Books. This email contained a link to a list of 16 books guaranteed to scare. Horror is my favourite genre to read and write. And as a writer, it’s important to read as many books in your genre to learn how best to write in […]
