Identifying how power works in your world is important because, let’s be honest, power is what drives society. Who has it, who doesn’t have it, and what those in power do with that power impact swathes of society and the people within it. It constrains some actions and allows others, creating a complex web of … More How To: Power and Politics
So why are antagonists important? I think every writer ponders this question at some point during their creative project. I personally find myself pondering this during the editing stage, when the first draft is mapped out and now I need to work out why everything happens. Antagonists are important because they not only provide the … More How To: Writing the Antagonist
What is a writing goal? Have you set writing goals for yourself before, but never been able to stick to them? Writing goals each serve a different purpose in your writing journey. Picking the right writing goal for the place in your writing project will help you continue the momentum with your project, and carry … More How To: Writing Goals
Magic systems. Any good fantasy (in my opinion), needs a magic system. I love worlds with intriguing magic, and the ability to throw in a good few battle magic scenes. A good magic system, used well, can make a story stand out in the crowd of other books. Especially those with magic systems that are … More How To: Creating Magic Systems
I’ve previously written about choosing a POV for your story, and how many POVs you want to use in your story. This month, as my first topic for my new newsletter, I’m picking a key topic for any writing project: who is my main character? You can have more than 1 main character, and I … More How To: Choosing Main Characters
Any information contained in this article should be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute the appropriate legal or other professional advice in your jurisdiction. If you collect emails or names for your newsletters, then you will likely be aware of the numerous rules around collecting names and sending emails. … More How To: What is GDPR?
Points of View, or POVs, can be a powerful tool when writing fantasy or science fiction stories. Not only is it common across both genres, it allows you to explore aspects of a story that would otherwise be lost if you were to use one point of view. However, POVs also introduce an exponential level … More How To: Multiple POVs
You sit down, open up your current project and…. Nothing happens. You try to re-read the previous night’s work, working your way into the scene. But no ideas spark, and the words you try and write just feel boring. Dull. Ever had this? Then, like all writers you’ve had writer’s block! The topic of today’s … More How To: Beat Writer’s Block
Any information contained in this article should be construed as legal advice and is not intended to be a substitute the appropriate legal or other professional advice in your jurisdiction. So, writing a novel is one part of the process, but actually making it a living? That’s a whole other ballgame. Whilst I’m still working … More How To: The Business of Writing
There are hundreds upon hundreds of tools out there on the internet to teach you the fundamental parts of a story. However, I want to tell you a secret- Come closer. Closer still. Listening? You don’t have to follow all of those plot structures all of the time. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is … More How To: Basics of Plotting
