September always brings with it a sense of new beginnings. Students haul their bags back to universities, sharpen pencils (or, more likely, plug in laptops), and brace themselves for another year of learning. It’s a reminder to us, as writers, that education doesn’t end with graduation. Writing is a craft that demands constant practice, a lifelong apprenticeship to the blank page.
It’s tempting to imagine that once we’ve written a book, mastered a technique, or even secured publication, we can finally rest on our laurels. But the truth is, laurels wilt quickly if you sit on them too long. Writing is like singing – you can have natural talent, but without warming up, stretching your range, and practising regularly, your voice will falter. Writers too need to keep limber, trying out new forms, revisiting old drafts, and learning from every sentence we put down.
One of the great joys of writing is that there is always more to discover. Every story teaches us something about ourselves, our world, and our craft. Originality doesn’t come from chasing trends but from honing the unique lens through which we see life. And yes, there will always be those maddening moments when the words on the page fall short of the dazzling vision in our heads – but that’s normal. Every writer, even the most celebrated, wrestles with that gap. The trick is to keep showing up anyway.
So this month, let’s embrace the “back to school” energy. Read widely, scribble daily, pay attention to the world around you. Try writing the sort of book you’d most love to read. Find a trusted writing friend or two who will give you honest feedback. And, if you’d like some company along the way, join us for The Book Whisperers Writers’ Surgery (last Wednesday of the month) or our Big Voices Author Marketing Meeting (second Wednesday of the month). Both are early evening Zoom gatherings where writers and authors connect, ask questions, share passions, swap tips, and simply chat about this strange and wonderful life. The conversations always spark fresh ideas, restore focus, and send people away reconnected and re-energised.
Because writing, like life, is never finished. It is a continual act of learning, refining, and growing. And isn’t that the most exciting part?
Mary Turner Thomson is an international best-selling author, writing coach and publishing consultant. She specialises in helping people tell their stories, and is passionate about not victim shaming – including not victim shaming ourselves. She’s also the author of two true crime memoirs and a novel about resilience.