What makes a great villain?

What makes a great villain?

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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

Sweet dreams – how to write dream sequences

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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

Five writing rules to break

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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

Narrative distance: what it is and how to control it

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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

Going to the toilet in historical fiction

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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

What’s so funny? Giving your characters a historical sense of humour

Last updated Sep 5, 2024 | Blog

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...