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#writetip: Why “show, not tell” is such a hard slog
Image courtesy of Pixabay “Show, don’t tell” is one of the most well-known pieces of advice for writers – and maybe one of the most difficult to follow. I’ve been thinking about this advice this past...
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Romancing the Word – an event for book lovers and romance readers @TamLitFest
This weekend I made my way down south from my home in Yorkshire to the town of Tamworth in the West Midlands to take part in an event called Romancing the Word. This whole day devoted to romantic...
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Eccentric – but helpful! – writing practices #writetip
After spending the past few weeks in New Zealand – where I had a brilliant time with my family, exploring the lovely city of Wellington and the beautiful coastline – I’ve been sadly neglecting my blog....
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How important is a book’s title? And how do you decide on one?
A couple of weeks ago I started a competition on my blog to come up with a title for my collection of romantic suspense novellas. Lots of people got in touch. I was really excited with the response,...
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Prologues and epilogues – is there a point to them?
It’s the final Round Robin of 2016, and I can hardly believe it! Has someone put me in a time machine and zoomed me to the end of the year? It seems no time at all since I was opening the first page of...
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What does it take to actually sit down and write your first novel? #amwriting...
A very, very belated Happy New Year! It’s been a while since I last posted here. I love keeping this blog. I love the responses I’ve had to my posts and the people I’ve met in the five years since I...
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Writing is emotionally draining (and sometimes lonely)
I don't normally start a post with a negative headline - who wants to read about misery? - but this subject has been on my mind recently...and in any case, I have the perfect excuse! It's time for...
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags #writetip #amwriting
Ryan Lanz runs the excellent blog A Writer's Path - a great resource for writers, full of ideas and writing tips. I'm delighted to welcome Ryan here today with an excellent post on the do's and don'ts...
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Hooking the reader with a killer opening to your book #writetip
This month's Round Robin topic has been set by author Skye Taylor. Here's Skye's question: Has so much emphasis been placed by readers, publishers, reviewers, etc, on authors having a spectacular...
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Why writing an “easy read” is actually hard to do #amwriting
It's almost two years since my feel good read A Way from Heart to Heart was published. I was looking over some old posts I'd written around release date, and I came across this one I wrote for American...
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Blessings in Disguise – Finding Writing Inspiration and Romance in Unlikely...
This week fellow Romantic Novelists' Association member and Yorkshire lass, Rhoda Baxter, is releasing her contemporary romance Girl in Trouble. Rhoda has come up with a brilliant idea to celebrate,...
View ArticleChoosing the point of view for your story and keeping it consistent
It's the first authors' Round Robin of the year, and another thought-provoking topic for me, both as a writer and an editor. Whose point of view do you like to use when writing your novels? And do you...
View ArticleWhere do stories come from? The magic of writer inspiration.
It's time for another Round Robin, where a group of authors each post on the same topic on the same day (but not necessarily the same time zone :) ) This week's topic has been chosen by author Rhobin...
View ArticleWhat makes a writer write, when writing is such hard work?
It's June, which means the sun is out, my roses are in bloom - and it's time for another of our authors' Round Robins... This month the topic is: Why do you write or feel compelled to write, even...
View ArticleWriting is rewriting: how to be brave and persevere
I have to confess this month hasn't been a good writing month for me. I've started a new novel and I'm about 30,000 words in. A few agents have seen it already, and their comments have all been along...
View ArticleThree essentials for creating page-turning tension in your novel #amwriting...
Creating a page-turning read is the topic for this month's Round Robin... How do you develop the tension every story needs to keep the reader involved? This is such an excellent question. There are so...
View ArticleHow to Develop Characters That Live and Breathe #writing
Some books contain unforgettable characters. Those that spring to mind for me straightaway are Cormoran Strike in the Robert Galbraith novels, Lila and Lenu in My Brilliant Friend, Anne of Green...
View Article#Writing: How to keep focused on the central idea of your story, and why it...
When I'm editing fiction and making notes in the margins of a manuscript, there are a couple of comments I make more often than any others. One of them is 'show, don't tell', and another is 'focus on...
View ArticleHow to make a living from writing: some useful tips from the London Book Fair...
My first ever visit to the London Book Fair was an inspiring and thought-provoking day. One of the talks at Author HQ was on how writers can boost their earnings. The room was packed, indicating that...
View ArticleThree of the best books for fiction writers on the craft of writing
No matter what stage you're at with your writing - whether still at the first draft, or with dozens of books to your name - there's always something new to learn about the craft of writing. Besides...
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