writing – Page 3 – Jo Cotterill

Tommy V Cancer blog tour: Review of 13 Steps to Beating Writer’s Block!

June 6, 2016

Hello there! Welcome to my blog, if you’ve come from the truly awesome massive #tommyvcancer blog tour! Today I’m reviewing Tommy’s ebook 13 Steps to Beating Writer’s Block: Free your creativity today! I picked this because, as a writer, reading about other people’s writing problems is immensely comforting, and also because you never know when … More Tommy V Cancer blog tour: Review of 13 Steps to Beating Writer’s Block!

Happy Lemony Publication Day to Me!

May 5, 2016

Whew, it’s finally here! A LIBRARY OF LEMONS publishes today, hurrah! And really, you don’t know QUITE how relieved I am, because this has been possibly the hardest book ever to write. Well, the first draft was easy. But the many, MANY drafts that came after that…well, they weren’t all easy. And they got harder … More Happy Lemony Publication Day to Me!

World Book Day and Ox Comic Con – whoosh!

March 6, 2016

It’s been a CRAAAAZY week! I started my events on Tuesday, when Cathy Brett and I did some Electrigirl workshops at Burford School (where I’m patron of reading) Then on Thursday, I spent World Book Day itself with the students of Rye St Antony in Oxford, who were fab and really enthusiastic. Huge thanks to … More World Book Day and Ox Comic Con – whoosh!

ELECTRIGIRL is here!!

February 5, 2016

You know how when you’ve been anticipating something for SO long that when it actually arrives, you find it hard to believe?! Well, that. ELECTRIGIRL IS PUBLISHED! And I have been blogging extensively about its process. If you’ve got a spare five or ten minutes, grab a cuppa and click on these… A fabulous Happy … More ELECTRIGIRL is here!!

Lemons in foreign languages, and encouraging teens to write bad language

November 26, 2015

I have been in full-on ‘Get Through To Do List’ mode recently! Latest crucial things have been edits on Electrigirl 2 (Electrigirl and the Deadly Swarm, out next Aug) and trying to come up with an idea for 5-7 year-olds as I’d been asked to pitch for a specific range by a publisher. Also I … More Lemons in foreign languages, and encouraging teens to write bad language

Sarah McIntyre re-draws Star Crossed

November 12, 2015

I love social media. Where else could you get an award-winning illustrator to re-draw one of your own book covers in under five minutes for a laugh? Thank you, Sarah McIntyre, for this wonderful re-imagining of my first Sweet Hearts book, Star Crossed! And here’s the original, designed by Helen Huang and the team at … More Sarah McIntyre re-draws Star Crossed

When I went on the telly

September 17, 2015

On Tuesday, I was on TV. Well, all right, I was on local TV. Which isn’t quite as grand as the BBC, but still it was my first time in front of the cameras, and although I knew roughly what to expect (I chaperoned a girl to BBC Breakfast back in 2007 – random fact), … More When I went on the telly

Summer Story Makers at the Story Museum

July 30, 2015

I’ve just got back from a full day’s creative writing workshop at the fabulous Story Museum in Oxford, with thirteen 8-12-year-olds – and it was BRILLIANT. We did story starters (trying to identify which are real book titles and which are made up is HARD!), asking the endless questions that start WHAT IF…? (…buildings had … More Summer Story Makers at the Story Museum

Lots of Stuff: Charney retreat, UKLA awards and YALC!

July 24, 2015

AAARGH school holidays have started and my time is DISAPPEARING and loads of brilliant Stuff has been happening, and there is NO TIME to blog about any of it!! And I have DEADLINES! So, here’s my quick round-up of the past three weeks: Charney retreat with the Scattered Authors’ Society I love Charney. I think … More Lots of Stuff: Charney retreat, UKLA awards and YALC!

Introvert At A Party

July 14, 2015

Last night I went to a party. A big publishing party, hosted by Penguin Random House. At some point, I asked my editor how many people they were expecting. ‘Five hundred,’ she said. Here’s the thing. Parties frighten me. I’m uncomfortable facing big noisy groups of people I don’t know. I like it even less when … More Introvert At A Party

Jo Cotterill

Writer for children and young adults

Category: writing