2021 was as unpredictable and uneven as the year-that-must-not-be-named that came before. Whilst some things have changed, others have stayed the same. Personally, I'm grateful for my health and the health of my friends and family, and that I've been able to get out a bit more than I did last year. Book-wise I finished... Continue Reading →
If you're new to writing you might be thinking "hm, how do I know when I'm actually a writer?" I mean yes there's the whole writing stuff malarky but there are also some other tell-tale signs you're a writer that you should be on the lookout for. 1) Your search history is... interesting Also potentially... Continue Reading →
It's my annual Christmas gift post (you can check out the lists for 2018 here, 2019 here and 2020 here). Whether you're buying for a writer, a reader, or both, here are some great ideas for Yuletide presents. 1) Writers Keyring charm A small but perfectly formed gift for any writer, these keyring includes charms... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the next "3 Things". This week we're getting speculative with science fiction. Read on to find out what all authors can learn from this genre. 1) How to ground your writing in reality One of the main features of science fiction is that it's often based on theories and possibilities we have now... Continue Reading →
The headline refers of course, to the crime genre, not what writers can learn from committing crimes themselves. Don't do that. Anyway, here we go with the next in my "3 Things.." series (previous posts linked at the bottom of this one), and this time we're getting all suspicious with crime and mystery. 1) How... Continue Reading →
Number three in my "3 Things..." series and it's all getting a bit scary. We're delving into the horror genre to see what writers can learn from the mysterious and terrifying. 1) How to generate suspense Horror thrives on suspense. Horror writers must build and sustain an atmosphere, something that prickles at the sense of... Continue Reading →
Young Ivy explores a mysterious building in the middle of a field and meets its ghoulish resident in “Feed the Little Children”.Lee and his friends dare each other to travel down “Creek End”, a street no adult can see.David faces deadly temptation in a parallel universe in “Mr Spectors' Circumstances have Changed”.“Effigy” tells the tale... Continue Reading →
The second in my "3 Things" series about what writers can learn from various genres and today we're onto romance. I'm not much of a romance reader specifically but as you'll see romance informs a lot of books out there. 1) How to write relationships Relationships are at the heart of romance books. Romantic ones... Continue Reading →
Chances are if asked to imagine a castle, you'd think of something like Arundel Castle. Towering above the small historic town it gets its name from, the castle has it all - towers, slit windows, a portcullis, moat, ginormous walls. It's the kind of castle where it's easy to imagine medieval knights and ladies. But... Continue Reading →
Here's the first in a new series of blog posts I'm calling "3 Things". The idea is simple - I'll be going through a series of genres identifying 3 things that ALL writers can learn from them, no matter what your particular preference is. So without further ado let's start with one of my favourite... Continue Reading →
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