Why the best ideas often come after you’ve started writing
It's time for our monthly authors' Round Robin, and today we have another thought-provoking topic, chosen by author Rhobin Courtright... What unusual situations have occurred in the writing process of...
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...
View ArticleCharlotte Brontë’s ‘Little Book’, written as a teenager, to come home to Haworth
I'm lucky to live only half an hour's drive from the home of the Brontë sisters in Haworth, West Yorkshire, one of my favourite places in the world. (If you're a Brontë fan, you might like to visit my...
View ArticlePrincess Mary, Downton Abbey and images of Harewood House at Christmas
Last Christmas I visited Harewood House in Leeds, West Yorkshire, to see their Christmas decorations. Harewood House is one of my favourite places to visit in Yorkshire. It's always stunning at any...
View ArticleDo you have a story to tell? Author J.Q. Rose shares advice and tips on...
One of my most treasured possessions is a type-written account by my granddad of how he saw in New Year 1900 as a child. My great-grandfather lifted him aloft onto his shoulders and they walked through...
View Article‘Fallen in Love’: a heartwarming story for Christmas
It will soon be Christmas. Time to forget the shopping and the eating and the (sometimes) stressful gatherings. This is the season of hope and goodwill. Many years ago two of my friends had a long...
View ArticleContemporary romance and love stories in the age of instant messaging
How can contemporary fiction cope with the rapid changes of today’s world? This is the topic of this month's authors' Round Robin, set by author Dr Bob Rich. Since I write romance, I've taken the...
View Article5 library books I’m looking forward to reading in #RomanceReadingMonth
This year the Romantic Novelists' Association celebrates its 60th (Diamond) Anniversary, and I'm looking forward to sharing in a year-long round of festivities. Our recent RNA newsletter says: 'The...
View ArticleRomantic passages from The Book Lovers, by Leon Garfield #RNA60
When I was a teenager, I loved Leon Garfield's books, and I still do. It's very sad to see that a lot of them are out of print now - titles such as the fabulous The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris,...
View ArticleWhat draws you into a story? How to create a great opening #amwriting
It's March 2020, and time for one of our authors' Round Robins. When author Rhobin Courtright set this topic a few weeks ago, we didn't know then that we'd be plunged now into the middle of a pandemic...
View ArticleEditing Tips: How to Focus Your Story and Keep Readers Turning the Pages
In my work as a fiction editor I often give writers the same piece of advice: focus, focus, focus on your core story. There, I said 'focus' three times. And here's an image of someone focusing, too....
View ArticleCelebrating some exciting news with a paperback #bookgiveaway!
I have some exciting news today, and news of a book giveaway below... If you've been following my blog for a while, you may have heard me mention Miss Moonshine, the mysterious and redoubtable owner of...
View ArticleAre you a racist writer? On the difficulty of recognising our own prejudices…
I'm a member of three writers' bodies in the UK - the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists' Association and the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders. I've been to numerous writers'...
View Article6 of the best charming and sympathetic literary villains
It's almost the end of June already and time for this month's authors' Round Robin. I've based my post on a topic set by author Dr Bob Rich. Something that comes up quite often when I'm editing for...
View ArticleGood to meet you…author Zoe May (@zoe_writes)
It's been a while since I invited an author round for a chat, and so it's a great pleasure to welcome author Zoe May today, to a blustery and showery Yorkshire. Hang your brolly up, Zoe, and I'll make...
View ArticleThree tips for finding inner calm, with author Heather Brainerd (@HFBrainerd)
I've known American author Heather Brainerd ever since we had our first books published around the same time with the same publisher, and we've remained friends ever since. I hope to meet in real life...
View ArticleHow do you develop realistic characters who are different from yourself?
It's time for another of our authors' Round Robins, and this month the topic is... How do you develop a character who is different in personality from all the other characters you have developed, or...
View ArticleHappy Yorkshire Day! Celebrating with some photos and a novel set on the...
August 1st is Yorkshire Day, so today I thought I'd share some photos and a post about my county. White roses, emblem of Yorkshire (Image by Wendy Priest from Pixabay) Many years ago I spent a week in...
View ArticleGood to meet you…author Ruby Moone (@RubyMooneWriter)
I'm delighted to welcome author friend Ruby Moone to my blog today, on one of the hottest weeks of the year so far. We're not used to these hot temperatures here in the north of England, but I've got...
View ArticleHow do you develop the theme of your novel? And does theme matter?
It's time for another of our authors' Round Robin posts, and this month we have another thought-provoking topic set by author Rhobin Courtright... 'Most novels have an easily understood point to make...
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