Free-writing: An Itch of Writing Guide

What it is, why it works, how to do it, and all the ways you can use it to develop your writing self and your work in progress

Oct 3 • 

Emma Darwin

12

September 2025

Itchy Bitesized 40: The Six Ps of Revising and Editing

By asking your story six Q's

Sep 26 • 

Emma Darwin

37

4

Just Because "Real Readers Don't Notice" Doesn't Mean They Don't Care

And why good writers learn to know, notice, take notice and care

Sep 19 • 

Emma Darwin

14

4

Do You Want To Change Places?

When Should You Disguise the Place You're Writing About?

Sep 12 • 

Emma Darwin

24

5

In Cold Blood: Why You Don't Have To Rely on Inspiration

And what kind of perspiration will best serve your writing instead

Sep 5 • 

Emma Darwin

11

4

August 2025

Darwin's Twelve Tools (Not Rules) of Writing

From my many, many years of teaching, and even more of writing

Aug 29 • 

Emma Darwin

48

REJECTION: An Itch of Writing Guide

It's a fact of the writing life, but it can feel like death.

Aug 22 • 

Emma Darwin

14

5

Q&A: Dialogue, Experimenting during Revision, and Stopping (or Not Stopping) to Fix Pace.

The pick of the Itch of Writing Ask Me Anything Chats

Aug 15 • 

Emma Darwin

14

The Fiction Doctor's Pharmacopoeia

Diagnosing and treating the most common ailments in novels and short stories

Aug 8 • 

Emma Darwin

13

12

You Do Not Have to Apologise for the Writing You Chose to Write

Riffing on Bruinilda the Librarian's post, because as a mentor, teacher, writer and reader, there's something I want to say to you...

Aug 1 • 

Emma Darwin

64

4

July 2025

Prepositions and Syncopations: wrangling short sentences

And why it's worth it

Jul 25 • 

Emma Darwin

11

4

Memoir: Truths, Facts and What's "Allowed"

The perennial questions about Life Writing and Creative Non-Fiction that the Salt Path controversy has highlighted - and some possible answers

Jul 18 • 

Emma Darwin

26

10