Philippa Pride, aka The Book Doctor writes:
I have the seeds of several ideas but I don’t know which to develop as a book?
I hear it’s a tough market – is there any point in trying to get published?
How do I know when my book is finished?
I have had a couple of rejections from agents and I don’t have the energy to write to any more. Can you help?
I don’t know whether to write the whole book first, or to do the research as I go along?
Is it better to send to just one literary agent or a selection?
I have two toddlers and a full time job as a journalist and I just can’t find the time to write?
Should I publish it myself as an eBook?
I’ve written half and I’m ‘stuck’…how can I move forward?
These are just some of the questions I have answered in my role as The Book Doctor (R) where I offer all sorts of remedies for your books’ ailments!
Treatments to help you relax and approach your book revitalised include:
At the Writers’ Spa:
Hot stone treatments to iron out the plot
A jacuzzi for 2 so you can get to know and develop your lead character
Luxurious massage with organic oils to remind you about the joy in the process of writing
Reflexology to make sure the end of your book is as shipshape as the start
At the Surgery there is everything from laser treatment for legal issues, through booklifts to the occasional gastric band for those whose books need to lose at least 10,000 words
At The Book Doctor’s gym I offer special daily yogic writing exercises for flexing the mind, getting into flow, getting over block +writing pilates classes for strengthening the inner core, the main story, of your book
Alternative remedies include acupuncture for pinpointing the perfect agent and publisher for you.
I am lucky enough to have worked with wonderfully talented writers over the years, in my role as publisher for a major publishing house, writing coach, trainer and agent -
‘I have worked with Phil Pride for upwards of twenty years and I know of no-one in the writing and publishing business who is better equipped to talk about and teach the art and craft of writing’ – Stephen King, No. 1 Bestselling Writer.
I ran the first THE BOOK DOCTOR holistic writing course in 2006, entitled HOW TO GET PUBLISHED, FREE YOUR CREATIVITY, EVEN WRITE A BESTSELLER, combining my insider information about the publishing industry with my new skills as an NLP Coach. The course would combine a nuts and bolts approach to getting published with some inspirational coaching exercises for getting into flow. And the setting was Turkey’s Torquoise coast.
I arrived at Dalaman airport but my case did not…in it were all my notes, reference books, clothes, flipchart paper and pens. If ever there were a time for drawing on my coaching resources this was it so I asked participants to write the story of the case from the case’s point of view. OMG – the case had such wonderful adventures: one case had an amazing romance, one set off with an exciting celebrity designer bag, another had a raft of ‘backworld’ experiences. And the writers were off…
Since that course, I have worked with some wonderfully talented writers at every stage in the process – from those with just germs of ideas to those working on their second books, and I have even agented a wonderful book about dogs.
My advice to all writers is to write the book you want to read. Create characters we care about, story which hooks us and keeps us turning the pages, and use all the senses to capture the reader’s full attention. Combine the best of your creative self with the best of your professional skills. Get tough, get going and have FUN along the way (and start reading all sorts of books for pleasure.)
If you have any questions like the above, The Book Doctor (R) has some wonderful advice. Your prescription: Come to An Appointment with The Book Doctor at Noon on February 11 at Get Writing 2012
‘Philippa has a true talent for unlocking the hidden writer within you. Her unique approach means that you are sure to leave feeling truly inspired’ – Sabiha, former participant
Copy (c) Philippa Pride, 2012



