Sub-Plots are a key part of any story, especially a fantasy one. You have to keep a careful eye on how many you have and what purpose they are serving in order to keep a handle on your story. This month in my newsletter Writing on Caffeine, I’ll be looking at why Sub-Plots are … More How To: Writing Sub-Plots
Got multiple WIPs on the go? Struggling to get anywhere with any one project? Here’s my top three reasons why you need to pick a “focus” project – a WIP that you work on exclusively until you hit your next writing goal. … More Why you need a “Focus” Project
Consider how you would talk to your partner, your sibling, or someone at work. You might have different jokes that Having a unique world starts with the geography of that world. The geography of your world will dictate the climate of your world, your character’s homes and cities, and aspects of the way they interact … More How To: Creating your world’s geography
Endings of a story have a special place in my writerly heart. Finding the right ending to a story, especially a longer project that I’ve been working on for a while, is a large reason why I write. So, how do you write a good ending? I’ve got some top three tips to consider when … More How To: Endings
In one of my blogs last month, one of the reasons I said why writing is a Good Hobby is because you don’t need all the time in the world to sit down and write. Today, I want to talk about how to write when you’re busy, and my top tips on how you can … More How To: Write when you’re busy
Having a distinctive character voice for each character can help your reader understand their secret inner words. Not just through dialect, but the type of words they use and who they use those words too. Consider how you would talk to your partner, your sibling, or someone at work. You might have different jokes that … More How To: A Character’s Voice
The middle. The point of the story were the story finds its feet. It’s also the point where the writer of the story can lose their mind. Middles, I’ve found are always a tough nut to crack. They’re the point where your motivation is beginning to wane, the point where pacing becomes more than just … More How To: Middles
This month we’re on writing craft, and specifically exposition and description. Exposition and description is one of my favourite parts of writing, its my chance to reel in the reader into my world, show them the world of my characters and drop clues to the plot twists along the way. Exposition in the writing sense … More How To: Exposition and Description
Beginnings. The blank page, staring at you, almost mockingly. The cursor blinking. Write something. Write something. Write something. We’ve all been there, at the start of a new project or story, with no idea of where the road will lead us. Regardless of whether you’re an architect or a gardener, there will always be a … More How To: Beginnings
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
Alex.J.Cobalt 