In the new year, many people think about new beginnings, perhaps having a go at a long-held dream. And for some, that dream is to write. It might be to finally write a specific book they've had in mind for years. Or maybe it's just starting to write full stop. Whatever you want to do,... Continue Reading →
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and A Hopeful New Year
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 →
5 Signs You’re A Writer
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 →
3 Things All Writers Can Learn From… Sci-fi
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 →
3 Things All Writers Can Learn From… Crime
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 →
3 Things All Writers Can Learn From… Horror
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 →
3 Things All Writers Can Learn From… Romance
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 →
3 Things All Writers Can Learn From…Fantasy
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 →
This DIY Mini Study is Awesome (and Annoying)
Books are obviously a thing I love, but so are miniatures. I've loved dolls houses ever since I was a kid and had a well-loved bunch of Sylvanian Families playsets along with various collections of small things. So perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the things on my 2020 writing Christmas gift post was a mini DIY... Continue Reading →
5 Ways to Describe Your Characters
Your characters guide your readers through your writing. They're who they like, love, hate, or puzzle over. So you need to dedicate a bit of your book to describing them. But your character descriptions shouldn't just be a list of attributes - you're not a witness to a crime! So how do you effectively and... Continue Reading →
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