https://www.curiousview.co.uk/blog daily 0.75 2026-03-15 https://www.curiousview.co.uk/blog/no-such-thing-as-writers-block monthly 0.5 2026-03-15 https://www.curiousview.co.uk/blog/sentence-hacks-for-punchy-prose monthly 0.5 2026-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/e77d7d0f-e5e6-47ed-bf58-3c9b68728130/Handwriting+over+shoulder.jpg Blog - Don’t bore your reader: sentence hacks for punchy prose - Make it stand out It’s the sentence that holds the key to spellbinding writing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/abba7aa1-9aec-4336-9d84-b438e090cb7c/Sam+Parsley+Brand+Photos-153_websize.jpg Blog - Don’t bore your reader: sentence hacks for punchy prose If you’re not sure if your writing packs enough punch, why not book a Draft Doctor session with me? Friendly, inspiring, real-time critique on your work during an online call. Or if you’d prefer asynchronous feedback, developmental editing services start from as little as £40. https://www.curiousview.co.uk/blog/four-lessons-research-led-writers-can-learn-from-poets monthly 0.5 2026-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/1768941534234-UCKYKJBCSOIMDNN037R1/Screenshot+2025-11-30+at+14.53.35.png Blog - Four lessons research-led writers can learn from poets. - Over the last couple of months I’ve been listening to the audiobook version of Dear Writer by Maggie Smith, which promises on its cover ‘pep talks and practical advice for the creative life.’ In the book’s blurb Maggie cleverly neglects to say she’s a poet who will be talking a lot about her poems. I say cleverly because If I’d seen that, I wouldn’t have bought the book, and I suspect I am not the only one. In fact, when I heard Maggie say this in her introduction, I must confess to a mild eye-roll and a micro-sigh as I mentally consigned Dear Writer to my ‘unfinished’ list on Audible. https://www.curiousview.co.uk/blog/taming-the-inner-critic monthly 0.5 2025-10-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/797de5bf-1109-4ddd-b180-ec30baa697f6/Mark+Shipton.jpeg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion - Hello, I’m Mark Shipton I’m a Registered Therapist - from Mind & Meaning Therapy in Epsom. In this article, I aim to offer insights from my work with my clients, and my training as a therapist around the subject of the inner critic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/6b3db349-9fa6-453a-b352-dad1023483c1/unsplash-image-bw6KWl4KaFg.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion - Make it stand out The inner critic likely has evolutionary value. Human beings are social creatures and having an inner voice that monitors us and keeps us ‘in check’ could help us avoid social isolation by evaluating our behaviour and avoiding rejection - increasing group cohesion. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/1761812596697-JIGN037XACVHMSHY9XFR/unsplash-image-54VAb3f1z6w.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion Imagine looking at a child’s first attempts at art, do you think that is the peak of their potential? Probably not. And over time the child will naturally want to get better at their skills so they can feel a sense of accomplishment and change - this is a healthy drive and desire - and they will look to their caregivers to help (you, in this example). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/0d3cf640-9e0a-4142-8c20-909847076ca9/unsplash-image-2TzSuQZOHe4.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion - Before starting any of these exercises, I have a hard truth to tell you about your inner critic: Resistance is futile. Throughout any of these exercises, remember that we are not trying to resist or fight our inner critic, we are trying to be observant and curious at all times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/1761812404286-MQMOFW336ADJEQNJUCNY/unsplash-image-POMpXtcVYHo.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion Take some time to write down the words and phrases that your critical voice uses when speaking about you, then rephrase them in a way which could be seen as objective and helpful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/ca4fe09c-615f-4ac8-a5c5-69046c3fd07c/unsplash-image-zYdYz7JlevE.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion - Make it stand out Humans have thousands of thoughts a day; studies show anything from 6000 - 60,000, but the number isn’t too important. What’s important is understanding whether you believe every thought to be true or not. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/677a385a5417123adf052d16/1761811880299-IPHJI6MO64NX7U4I15UT/unsplash-image-6FpGIdn45_A.jpg Blog - Taming the Inner Critic: A Therapist’s Guide to Authentic Writing and Self-Compassion - I recommend writing this on physical paper, rather than a digital device. 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