On the Write Track is written by Bec Evans and Chris Smith, founders of digital writing tool and community Write-Track which is all about helping people to get writing, keep writing and finish what they start.

Bec, the brains behind Write-Track, has spent a lifetime reading, writing and working with writers. She has worked in publishing, digital project management and communications, and spent several years managing a writers’ retreat centre for Arvon. She’s obsessed with working out what helps writers write.

Chris is a general all round word smith who works in communications, content marketing and brand management. In his spare time, he writes comedy screenplays which he’d really like someone other than his mum to laugh at. He blogs for the Huffington Post, The Guardian and Life Hacker.

Five things we believe about writers and writing

#1 Tough love works

We think the writing muse is overrated and to get good at writing, you have to work damn hard. Sure, there are some rare examples of people who get struck with an idea and produce a work of genius overnight but for most of us – that doesn’t happen. We’re about giving writers the tools and systems to meet their writing goals.

Here are some top posts to help you keep writing:
How to keep writing after NaNoWriMo: 6 steps towards improving your writing habit
Oliver Burkeman’s top ten tips for a productive and happy writing life
What reading 100 books in a year taught me about writing
How to get past the first page and write your first book

#2 Anyone can write

Because writing is less about being a creative genius and more about putting the hours in, that means that anyone can do it. Isn’t that an exciting thought? We think anyone can and should give creative writing a go and we are about providing the down to earth advice, encouragement, examples and motivation budding writers need to get off the starting blocks.

Here are some articles to get you started:
Beta readers – the benefits of a critiquing partnership
Collaborative writing – the short story challenge
NaNoWriMo changed my life – interview with novelist Julia Crouch
Collaborative writing is an author’s best weapon

#3 Writing expertise matters

Some people enjoy writing for the sake of it whilst others want to improve. If you fall into the latter category then we think you need listen to the experts. Writers, novelists, scriptwriters, film makers, editors and agents - knowledgeable people who can help you grow as a writer and meet your writing ambitions.

Here are some sample posts on the topic:
10 tips to learn from creative writing lecturer and author Julia Bell
How to break into radio writing by BBC Radio 4 commissioner Caroline Raphael
How to find your first literary agent with Hellie Ogden from Janklow and Nesbit
Henry Swindel, BBC Writersroom: “If you want be a writer you need to write”

#4 Word-based geekery is good

We are self-proclaimed word nerds. We love books. We love writers and like nothing better than getting stuck into a text book about applying habit forming technologies to writing. Yes it’s sad and we have few friends but at least we have developed some great blog posts around writing research and other such geekery.

Here are some sample posts on the topic:
The master of habit-forming technology: interview with Nir Eyal
Thinking outside the book with Google’s head of creative labs Tom Uglow
Writing, tracking, goals and creativity: What’s it all about?
How to build a regular writing habit

#5 All writers are heroes

Whether they’re novelists, scriptwriters, bloggers, poets or playwrights we are constantly amazed at the creativity, dedication and downright bloody mindedness of writers. We love finding out about how they made it, what creative hacks they’ve used, what motivates them, what drives them and what their writing habits are.

Here are some sample posts on the topic:
How ‘Veep’ creator Armando Iannucci writes
Sally Wainwright’s writing life
Keeping going – novelist Rosie Garland on persistence and creative rituals
Alice Lowe interview: “Until you’ve made a film, people won’t trust you to make a film.”