#15: Marketing your books as an introvert – what actually works
Episode 15 Marketing your books as an introvert – what actually works 15 April 2026 Marketing your books can feel uncomfortable, especially if you’re an introvert who’d much rather stay behind the scenes. In this episode, Carol Amorosi shares her journey from avoiding...
#14: The writing method that finally worked
Episode 14 The writing method that finally worked 8 April 2026 What if the problem isn’t your creativity – but the way you’ve been trying to write? In this episode, Robert Dempsey shares how years of frustration with the ‘conventional’ way of writing left...
#13: When writing feels impossible: time, self-belief, and getting unstuck
Episode 13 When writing feels impossible: time, self-belief, and getting unstuck 1 April 2026 Why do so many writers tell themselves they ‘just don’t have time’ – and what’s really going on underneath that? In this episode, Emma Strangwayes-Booth talks...
Pockets of personality: what might your characters choose to carry?
I’m a proud pocket devotee: I refuse to buy clothes without pockets. But what do I put in them? A quick check of my jeans reveals fairly prosaic items: my phone, lip balm, a handkerchief, an old bus ticket – but in a coat I find shells, a pinecone, and a rather...
In the trenches: writing realistic war scenes in historical fiction
Ultima ratio regum. The last argument of kings. King Louis XIV of France liked the phrase so much he had it on his cannons. Wars mark big turning points in history, so they naturally serve as the ultimate form of conflict and drama. So much historical fiction focuses...
To chaperone or not to chaperone? Building tension in historical romance
Romance is perennially popular in historical fiction. The genre demands obstacles to the path of True Love, and history offers so many: stricter socio-economic segregation, tribal loyalties, wars, dynastic feuding, etc. etc. Furthermore, throughout history, with...
The six days of Twixmas: festive writing prompts for the holiday lull
In our final blog post of the year, we invite you to give yourself the gift of time and imagination after the holiday rush. Here are six quick, low-pressure writing prompts inspired by the traditions and customs of Christmases past during Twixmas – the period between...
Obscure historical jobs for your characters
Have you ever thought about the jobs your characters do? Paid or unpaid, their occupations are more than background details – they reveal skills, shape personalities, drive motivations, and can even influence your plot and themes. Several factors come into play when...
Using myths, legends, and folklore to inspire historical fiction
For a writer, inspiration is everywhere. If you’re looking for ideas for your next historical fiction novel, myths, legends, and regional folklore are a great place to start. But there’s such a wide expanse of motifs and archetypes that it can be a little intimidating...