What ails you? Medical treatment through time

What ails you? Medical treatment through time

Jun 27, 2022 | Blog

The astonishing intricacy of the human body is wondrous, yet sometimes it malfunctions and we fall ill. This blog post will look at how Western medicine and treatment – particularly in Britain – was influenced by religion and superstition, the printed word, war,...
How specificity can elevate your writing

How specificity can elevate your writing

Apr 21, 2022 | Blog

Specificity in writing is about using precise, sharply defined words that convey your unique story. It is particularly useful in historical fiction because being specific, rather than general, conjures vivid settings and character, with economy of words. Here is an...
You are what you wear: the role of clothing in historical fiction

You are what you wear: the role of clothing in historical fiction

Mar 18, 2022 | Blog

Oscar Wilde suggested that ‘You can never be overdressed or overeducated’, but the first part of that statement is wrong, especially if you’re a character in historical fiction. As an English Literature graduate, I have spent the past few years jumping between...
Foreshadowing: what it is and how to use it in your writing

Foreshadowing: what it is and how to use it in your writing

Feb 21, 2022 | Blog

If you’d met her that day, you too would have thought her a good person. There was nothing to suggest otherwise. Welcome to foreshadowing: a literary device that’s used to hint at what’s to come. It’s designed to increase tension and keep us turning pages. As a...
Five tips for eliciting emotion from your readers

Five tips for eliciting emotion from your readers

Jan 27, 2022 | Blog

When we pick up a novel, we do so because we want to feel something. We want to have an emotional experience – to go on a journey alongside the characters, and within ourselves. The stories that stay with us long after we close the pages tend to be those that speak to...