Four steps for writing romantic relationships that make sense

Four steps for writing romantic relationships that make sense

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

Even if your story is not a historical romance, you may still want to incorporate a romantic subplot for that extra dose of spice and emotional depth. But you want to do it well. You’ve read your share of predictable, throwaway relationship subplots that left you...
How to hook your reader in chapter one

How to hook your reader in chapter one

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

The first chapter of your novel – or your prologue if you prefer – must contain a compelling opening hook, giving the reader a taste of what’s to come and persuading them that the rest of your story isn’t to be missed. Get it right and your reader will commit to your...
A guide to capitalising titles and ranks

A guide to capitalising titles and ranks

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

If you’ve ever had a hard time wrapping your head around when you should and shouldn’t capitalise words like ‘sergeant’, ‘doctor’, ‘queen’, and ‘sir’, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re not alone. Probably about half of the manuscripts I edit contain...
Four ways theme can help you write with meaning

Four ways theme can help you write with meaning

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

Despite being a highly neglected element of storytelling, theme is in fact one of the most powerful tools at your disposal as you plan, write, and revise your novel. In school, many of us learn to identify a theme as a single word or phrase, a broad topic explored in...
Five ways to fix a sagging middle

Five ways to fix a sagging middle

Last updated Dec 12, 2023 | Blog

No, I promise I’m not moonlighting as a personal trainer. When I talk about a sagging middle, I’m referring to the way some stories lose their momentum as they reach the halfway point. It’s a common problem – affecting perhaps 10 per cent of the manuscripts I edit –...
When (and how) to use documents in historical fiction

When (and how) to use documents in historical fiction

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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...