Learn how to use your fictional settings not just to describe where events take place, but to build an atmosphere in words that draws readers into your world.
Using Settings to Create Mood and Atmosphere in Fiction Read More »
5 ways to meet your writing targets in 2026 (plus one crazy wildcard) Is your new year’s resolution to write more in 2026? Mine too. (I mean… I don’t do new year’s resolutions, as a general principle, but I definitely need to get my thumb out this year, which is resolution-adjacent, at least.) The thing
5 ways to meet your writing targets in 2026 (plus one crazy wildcard) Read More »
Learn how to build an author website to showcase your novels (even if you’re not tech-savvy), with advice on buying a domain name, web hosting, which pages to include, and more
How to build an author website: a step-by-step guide Read More »
Why your story needs visible and invisible narratives Stories are rarely just about what happens on the surface. The best narratives work on more than one level—they have an external plot that keeps us turning pages or glued to the screen, but underneath that is a deeper, often invisible emotional journey. This is what I
Why your story needs visible and invisible narratives Read More »
Discover how subplots enhance your novel and learn how to create secondary storylines that support the main plot without overshadowing it
The role of subplots in your novel Read More »
The unnecessary prologue: How to avoid the info-dump trap I keep hearing that the publishing industry is fed up with prologues. I keep seeing new novels with prologues get published. Clearly, the publishing industry is not so fed up with prologues that it won’t publish novels with prologues. So what gives? Well, I’m not a
The unnecessary prologue: How to avoid the info-dump trap Read More »
Keep your fiction writing fresh by cutting down on info-dump. Learn how to use exposition that holds readers’ attention and moves your story forward.
Dump the info-dump: How to do exposition without boring your readers Read More »
The importance of the narrative climax in storytelling Ever set off a firework and instead of soaring majestically into the air and exploding into all the colours of the rainbow it just kind of… fizzles? I mean… no, neither have I. I’m actually scared of fireworks. But I’m imagining it, and I bet you can
The importance of the narrative climax in storytelling Read More »
How much backstory is too much? You may have heard it said that prologues are falling out of favour in the publishing industry. Like just about every rumour of its kind (“Publishers and agents are fed up with first-person present-tense narratives!” or “Young Adult dystopian fiction is on its way out…”) this one isn’t really
How much backstory is too much? Read More »
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
How to make sure your protagonist’s character arc is doing what it needs to do Read More »
