Five tips for eliciting emotion from your readers

Five tips for eliciting emotion from your readers

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | 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...
How we stayed in touch: communication through history

How we stayed in touch: communication through history

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

Since man first scratched his thoughts into stone, humans have found ways to connect with each other. From word of mouth to the written word and the telephone, here we will take a sweeping look at how people kept in touch through the ages (mainly in England) and how...
Five compelling ways to end a chapter

Five compelling ways to end a chapter

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

The phrase “page-turner” is synonymous with our idea of a good book. Go onto any bestseller’s Amazon reviews and I am willing to bet a fair few say, “I couldn’t put it down!”. Think of all the really good books you’ve read to which you found yourself saying “just one...
Five compelling ways to begin a chapter

Five compelling ways to begin a chapter

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

Deciding how and where to begin a chapter is an important part of writing a novel – but it can be daunting. As a writer, it’s your job to begin each new chapter in a way that grabs the reader’s attention, leaving them with no choice but to carry on reading because...
Head-hopping: what it is and why you shouldn’t do it

Head-hopping: what it is and why you shouldn’t do it

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

What is head-hopping? It’s when the point of view (POV) character switches abruptly in the middle of a scene. Take a look at this excerpt: ‘Something wrong with the food, Miss Annalise?’ Elias asked. Why was she acting all prim even when no one else was around, like...