It is with much excitement that I bring this interview with the author of the mysterious, pulse-racing YA fantasy series - Blackbirch. Having released The Collector, the final book in this four part series, I caught up with K.M. Allan to find out more about her writing journey and what comes next. First of all,… Continue reading Interview with K.M. Allan – Author of the ‘Blackbirch’ series
...does it work? I have written novel length stories in the past and always forced myself to write exactly in order, one chapter after the other. I mean, that's the logical approach, right? Yet this time, I haven't stuck quite so closely to that rule. I don't just mean I've been writing down ideas for… Continue reading Writing Your Novel Out of Order…
I've been thinking a lot over this last week about multiple perspectives in novels and stories. I am writing from two perspectives, (well, kind of three...I'll explain this another time!) and I've only ever written stories from one before. I've had to consider so much and have learnt a lot doing this so I'd like… Continue reading Tips for Writing Multiple Perspectives
Finding time to write can be difficult. We all know it. But I'm starting to realise that there's more time in the day than I'd allowed myself to believe before. Many artists are procrastinators and I think sometimes we writer's do it without even realising it. It could be because we want out writing time… Continue reading Fit Writing into your Busy Life
It doesn't matter how long you spend away from writing; a month, a year, several years; it's always going to be difficult to get back into it. Especially if you're returning to an 'abandoned' project. With that in mind, here are some tips to get you back on track. Please note; this post focuses primarily… Continue reading 5 Tips For Getting Back Into Writing
This week's post comes courtesy of Lucia's Fiction, and offers a great opportunity to get your work critiqued. Literary agents have various styles of working, and if you’ve been in the writing world long enough you must have heard of hands-on and hands-off agents. If you haven’t: A hands-on agent is one who is very editorial. To improve the quality… Continue reading Do You Need Critiques If You Have An Agent? Guest Post by Lucia’s Fiction
Over the last few weeks at uni I've been studying script writing, with particular focus on screenplays. It's a lot of fun, and very different from novel writing. Yet at the same time, there's a lot of skills that can be applied and strengthen your novel writing ability. I've discussed before how writing short stories… Continue reading 4 ways screenwriting provides you with novel writing skills
As writers, we are often consumed with doubt. We can be perfectionists, and it's easy to feel like you're not doing enough. In reality, the fact you feel this way shows how much you care about your craft, and that in itself is commendable. So, a simple post this week, with some affirmations for those… Continue reading Affirmations for writers who feel like frauds
There is little worse than reading a story with poor pacing. Whether it's too slow and dull, or everything happens in a blur, you'll find a lack of enjoyment. The key is getting the pacing just right, building tension, revealing information, holding back secrets, and ensuring suspense while maintaining reader interest. With that in mind,… Continue reading Pacing your novel – 5 essential tips
This week I've started reading my work in progress on kindle. It's not finished. I'm still on an early draft. But there's a lot to be said for printing out your book, or reading it on a different device to your laptop/computer. Here are some reasons why you should read your work in progress on… Continue reading Reasons to read your work in progress on kindle or tablet
M.L. Davis Writer 