After publishing my book and attending the Kāpiti Writers Retreat, I thought I’d be riding a wave of inspiration. I was full of ideas, and thought I’d be writing every day — hence my self-imposed challenge of posting on Medium twice a week. That’s not exactly how that worked out. …

Writing to fight climate change — “People think I’m strange because I know all the names of plants, but I think that’s just the natural state of being.” I’m standing by the Waikanae river, notepad and pen in hand, staring at a tree. M. is behind me, talking to K., and when I hear her say…

A weekend at the Kāpiti Writers’ Retreat — I’m at El Rancho, the last place on earth I thought I could ever feel enlightened. When I first arrive and park my van outside the main office, I am welcomed by a horde of screaming children. The space is huge. Behind the office, there’s a campground where all the…

People have been shitting on Medium a lot recently, arguing that if you want to make a living from writing, you should try somewhere else. This might as well be true. I have been here for less than two years, and the algorithm has already changed countless times. …

The truth about getting to where you want to be — Do something towards your goal every single day. There, I said it. I considered adding an elucidatory preamble, but fuck it. Do something towards your goal every single day. That’s how you’ll get there. There’s no way around it. Do it. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Even if it’s just 5 minutes…

It’s time to abandon that baby — It’s hard to let go of your work. You’ve spent all this time — months, YEARS– putting it all together, word after word, sorting and fixing, patching and adjusting. Why would you not keep on doing that, even once your work is out? Don’t. Your work is not your baby…

Writing (and the creative process in general) is like a recovery meeting. No one in there is doing great. No one is there to be their best, most polished self. …

And other tips to read more — Last year, my friend S. and I started our first book club. It’s called the Riot Book Club, and we meet once a month. Last time we met, S., who’s got a lot on her plate at the moment, asked: How do you find the time to read? First of…

When I first started sharing my writing, my main worry was that people would laugh at me. I worried people would think my articles were stupid, or pointless, or straight-up horrible. I worried no one would like my style, or that I would come across as pretentious and entitled. It’s…