Rachael

I’m a sci-fi author from Northern Ireland. My debut novel, Edge of Heaven, was shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award and the ESFS Award for Best Work of Fiction. The sequel, On the Brink, was longlisted for the BSFA Award for Best Novel. I’ve been writing since I was old enough to hold a pen, published since 2003, and helping emerging authors find their creative path for almost a decade as a writing tutor and mentor.

how to make sure your protagonist's character arc is doing what it needs to do

How to make sure your protagonist’s character arc is doing what it needs to do

Leave a Comment / characters, technique /

How to make sure your protagonist’s character arc is doing what it needs to do When writing your story, one of the most crucial elements is your protagonist’s character arc. Readers want to see growth, transformation, and evolution—it’s part of what turns a series of interconnected events into a narrative.  So… how do you make […]

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getting published, author, novelist, literary agent, publisher

Stop Self-Rejecting: How to Get Past Self-Doubt and Start Submitting Your Novel

Leave a Comment / getting published /

Stop Self-Rejecting: How to Get Past Self-Doubt and Start Submitting Your Novel Once upon a time, I was an unpublished author with a story that meant a lot to me, but wasn’t getting any traction no matter how many places I submitted. Then one evening, my mother handed me a page she’d torn out of

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editing, novel writing, submission trenches, novelists

The Final Read-Through: A guide to catching sneaky typos before hitting “submit”

editing and revising /

The Final Read-Through: A guide to catching sneaky typos before hitting “submit” So, you’ve finally done it. You’ve completed the final draft of your shiny new manuscript. You’ve fought off self-doubt and writer’s block; you’ve conquered plot holes and procrastination. Your protagonist’s character progression forms a perfect arc, your narrative beats are as tightly choreographed

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