About
‘Write It Sideways’ means to write boldly, to see the world from a fresh perspective. You might be a novelist, a short story writer, a freelancer, a blogger, an editor, a teacher, or a student. You might write fiction or non-fiction, books or articles, for print or online. Maybe you write in public, and maybe you write in private.
Whatever you write, however you write, you want to write better. As an experienced writer and teacher, I can help:
- teach you new skills
- define your goals
- increase your productivity
- encourage your unique voice
- prepare you for publication
Plus, I’ll try really hard not to be boring when I do it.
More About Me
I was born and raised in the cold Canadian North, but now see the world from the fresh perspective of sunny Australia. My family and I enjoy arguing over grammar, playing Scrabble, and chasing each other with deadly arachnids. I write. A lot. But that wasn’t always the case.
Where I Got Started
When I was 7 years old, I had to write a story for school. The other girls in my class wrote about ponies, princesses, and rainbows; I wrote a story called, “My Soul Has Been Murdered.” I didn’t know what a soul was, or what it meant to be murdered, but gosh, it sounded gripping—much more interesting than ponies.
I wrote more stories. I told myself I was a writer. When I grew up, I thought writers were supposed to get degrees in creative writing. It took me exactly one year to discover that a degree in creative writing wouldn’t make me a writer, and I ended up with degrees in English literature and education, instead. So, I became a teacher.
When I started teaching kids how to write, I stopped writing for myself, because it all became too hard. I stopped telling myself I was a writer. I forgot my dream. I became just-another-pony-girl.
Why I Created This Site
One day, a few years ago, I got an idea for a story. I picked up a piece of paper and stared at it for a while. It taunted me with its blankness until I got annoyed and started writing on it. The words came easily.
When I came to the end of the page, I started a new one. Soon, I had too many papers to keep track of, so I started typing on my computer. When I reached 100 pages, I looked at it and said, “This sucks. It’s really, really terrible. But there are a few good parts.” So, I forgot about the sucky bits and started working on the good parts.
Months later, I looked at everything I’d written and said, “You might be a writer, but I’m not sure yet.” I kept writing. I wrote stories, articles, blog posts, shopping lists, and nagging notes. Soon, people started telling me I was a writer. Writers started telling me I was a writer. I started believing them.
Today, I tell myself the same things—I am a writer, I am a storyteller. I need to write, and I get better at it every day. I created Write It Sideways so you can, too.
You write—you can’t not write. Don’t waste it.
Suzannah Windsor Freeman
