and you just can’t tell what you need to do to move forward with it because you’ve lost your perspective and objectivity.

And you just don’t know if it’s any good, though you really hope it might be. Or perhaps deep down, you think it might possibly even be beautiful, but just aren’t sure because we’ve been conditioned to never blow our own trumpets.

Because sometimes you need someone who knows about writing to offer you that perspective and objectivity. You’re not sure if you’re ready for mentoring, but you need someone who isn’t just a friend who will tell you what they think of your writing. You need a writer who understands - someone who has experience, who has been where you have been, and who knows what makes for beautiful writing.

I’m Huma Qureshi, award-winning author of four books, writing across genres including memoir, creative non-fiction, short stories and a novel (literary fiction). As well as being an experienced author who understands the writing process, I’m an experienced teacher of creative writing, having taught courses both online and in-person for many years, here on my website but also via established writing institutions such as Guardian Masterclasses, Arvon and Curtis Brown Creative.