An ode to overlooked sources: using ballads and poems for research
In my work as an author of both factual history books and novels, I like to make the background details and the lives of my characters as authentic as possible. Official contemporary documents can provide some evidence – who did what, when and where – but they don’t...
What do you do for fun around here? Entertainment throughout history
Every generation thinks it’s the one that knows how to have fun. After the past year, we’ve all come to appreciate how entertainment is a necessary part of a happy life. Changes to the form and venue of entertainment continue to come and go as they’re affected by the...
What makes a great villain?
No matter how great a hero, no matter what they can achieve, what separates the good stories from the great is the quality of the antagonist. Look at Star Wars – Darth Vader was so popular George Lucas went and made three films about him specifically. Whatever your...
Sweet dreams – how to write dream sequences
Along with flashbacks, dream sequences are one of the most controversial writing techniques out there. Done well, they can add an extra layer of depth to your writing and provide amazing insight into your character’s motivations and fears. Done badly, they can...
Five writing rules to break
If you are new to writing, or feeling a little fragile about whatever you’re writing, you will probably be surfing the internet for help. You may be relieved – or alarmed – to know that even published authors do this. Writing ‘rules’ are out there and we, desperately...
Narrative distance: what it is and how to control it
Whether your story is plot-driven, character-driven or somewhere between the two, there will be times when it’s desirable to draw your reader deep inside a character’s consciousness, and others when it’s better to pull back for a broader and more objective view of...
Going to the toilet in historical fiction
Why does no one go to the toilet in historical fiction? Well, of course they do, but we don’t mention it. Writers are happy to offer detailed descriptions of wine, tea, and coffee consumed, water scooped from streams, juice squeezed from fresh oranges, et cetera, but...
What’s so funny? Giving your characters a historical sense of humour
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that you’ve got to laugh. Laughter is a fantastic coping mechanism, a chance to bond with fellow humans… and one of the best ways to create memorable – and relatable – characters in storytelling. Giving your characters a sense of...
In medias res – what it is and why you should use it
If Homer and Virgil sat down to watch The Sound of Music, they might take umbrage with a certain singing nun. Apologies Maria, but the beginning is not always a very good place to start. In medias res is the literary technique of jumping straight to the heart of the...