Early September is a great time for me.
Regular subscribers will have heard me speak about a place called Swanwick many times. It’s a village in Derbyshire, UK, but in writing circles is has different connotations. Every August since 1949 (bar one), writers have met for a blissful few days of creativity, coaching, socialising and generally having a blast. And they do it at a place called the Hayes conference centre in the village of Swanwick. Long-term attendees like myself, therefore, just call the conference Swanwick, and everyone knows what we mean.
Coming back from this incredible writers’ conference coincides with the period just before La Rentrée in France (first week of September, where children go back to school after the long summer holidays, and many workers go back to work after having had most of August off). I don’t have my own children, but for me it’s also a chance to reset, to check in with the goals I set for myself at the beginning of the calendar year and resolve to make the final push to see them over the line.
This year, there have been a couple of goals I have set aside. I have bitten off more than I can chew in 2025, and it’s been crazy. One thing I am so glad I did NOT set aside, however, is to publish another two of my Wordsmith’s Guides: Creating Compelling Characters and Planning the Perfect Plot are now available in ebook format, with paperbacks to come soon.
Let me tell you something about publishing books as an indie author – it’s hugely nerve-wracking. Until the first review comes in, you never know whether or not you’ve done a good job. Until you have an objective opinion of a stranger, you sit there biting your nails and wondering if perhaps you should give it all up because you’ll never be any good. This despite excellent reviews for all my work in the past, both fiction and nonfiction. It’s crazy, really. But we all need reassurance from time to time in our lives, right?
Well, I am thrilled that the nail-biting is over, and the first reviews for my latest book, Planning the Perfect Plot, are in.
I am blown away by the comments people have made:
“As an author focused on refining my craft, I love seeking new techniques and personal insights to enhance my process. Liz Hurst’s guide proved to be an exceptional gem — a comprehensive resource by a perceptive teacher in her field. In sharing her expertise and personal experiences about plotting, this book hit the sweet spot for me.” [Sharon Payne, UK]
“You know the story you want to tell, you’ve taken that brave leap and begun to write it. Your word count is mounting nicely, everything appears to be going well, until you realise you’ve written yourself into a corner, that your story just isn’t working and you’ve no idea how to fix it. You can avoid that gut wrenching moment and save yourself countless wasted hours by taking the time before you start writing by reading and absorbing the brilliant advise in this latest book in Elizabeth M. Hurst’s excellent Wordsmith Series.” [Heather Swash, UK]
“…there’s one reason to buy this book—and one reason alone: chapter five. The concept presented there is so simple and effective, you’ll wonder how you ever missed it. I’ve been working on my own novel for over three years, and Hurst’s guide may finally provide the missing ingredient to complete my first draft.” [Martin, UK]
“Another cracker in this series. Liz manages to make things very accessible whilst covering such a lot and with such detail. One thing I really love about this whole ‘Wordsmiths’ series is that Liz constructs the books in a way that makes it so easy to re-read and find what it is you’re looking for at the time you need it. It means they really are constant companions as opposed to books you read once and never revisit.” [Alison Yates, UK]
Having people say such nice things about my work makes it all worthwhile: all the late nights and super-early mornings, the evenings and weekends of rewriting and editing, to make sure the book conveys exactly the thing I want it to. And I’m so pleased that so many people are finding these Wordsmith’s Guides so useful in their writing. I’m a firm believer that every author deserves for their voice to be heard, and to be heard well. My sincere hope is that everyone who buys one of these writing guides finds it useful and informative.
From what I’ve seen so far, that is surely turning out to be the case.
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