Interview: Matthew Harffy

Interview: Matthew Harffy

I recently read Matthew Harffy’s excellent book The Serpent Sword – the first in his Bernicia Chronicles series. Below, I ask Matthew about his writing techniques, his journey from first-time indie author to here, and his new book, Warrior of Woden. __ Q1: Hi Matthew....
The anatomy of act one

The anatomy of act one

Creating a good plot structure is an important step in writing your historical novel. And within that structure, act one is critical. It’s your chance to pull your reader into your story and show them why it’s worth investing their time. In it, you have to 1) persuade...
The top five writing errors you don’t know you’re making

The top five writing errors you don’t know you’re making

Everyone makes mistakes, even seasoned and successful authors. Normally, you don’t know you’re making them until someone else – someone not quite so close to your manuscript – points out the glaringly obvious. So, to help you get a head start, here are the five most...
What kind of editor do you need? A short guide.

What kind of editor do you need? A short guide.

When you’re trying to find an editor for your novel, it can be hard to make sense of all the different specialisms. Content editor, line editor, copy-editor, proofreader? What do they all mean and which one do you need? To help you make sense of it all, I’ve produced...
Writing case study: The Scarlet Thief

Writing case study: The Scarlet Thief

Sometimes you read a book and, from the very first page, you know it’s going to be brilliant. Reading The Scarlet Thief, the first novel in Paul Fraser Collard’s popular Jack Lark series, was, for me, one of those times. For anyone not familiar with Paul’s writing,...