When (and how) to use documents in historical fiction
In historical fiction, it’s common for writers to include documents, such as letters, diary entries, and newspaper reports, in their stories. These can be real documents from the period they’re writing about, or they can be fictional documents they’ve created...
How to write flashbacks
Flashbacks are an important part of storytelling, enabling writers to connect the events and actions of the present to things that have happened in the past. They’re a particularly useful tool for demonstrating character motivations and introducing plot twists. If...
Five common comma mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Most manuscripts I edit contain some grammatical errors, and most of these relate to commas. Good comma usage can improve the flow of your story, add dramatic tension, and give the reader confidence in your writing abilities. Bad comma usage can make your writing seem...
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
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
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.
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
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,...
Mysteries, secrets, and lies
Why do readers keep turning the page? The answer is simple – they want to find out what happens. But how do we seed the questions that they want to know the answers to? Mysteries, secrets, and lies are excellent ways of doing this. When used alongside conflict and...