Is writing and editing a novel a process?

Yes and no.

Writing a novel is creative – you have to have a purpose, some characters and a setting which all interact. Throw in a triggering act to stir them all up and get the story going. Storytellers have known this since the year dot.

A modern novelist is basically a storyteller with a […]

What to do after your first draft is written

After a well-deserved lie-in or even a day off, I gird up, send the draft to my Kindle and read it through without interruption (apart from comfort breaks, food and sleep).

I jot down quick notes or chapter references and then motor on. This way, I get the flavour of the book and find […]

Using light and darkness in writing

We’re biological animals. Light is daytime and activity; dark is night-time and rest. However, since the age of artificial light, be it from an open fire in a cave, a candle through the ages or electrical light, we’ve attempted to counter that. Then there are the grey areas. Lightning blasts […]

Adventures in writing a spin-off with Charlene Newcomb

Banner for Rogue by Charlene Newcomb

I’m delighted to welcome to the blog Charlene Newcomb, aka Char who writes historical fiction and science fiction. Her Battle Scars trilogy is set in the 12th century during the reign of Richard the Lionheart. It’s filled with war, political intrigue, and a knightly romance of forbidden love. All three books are indieBRAG […]

Clare Flynn: The Colour of Glass

I’m delighted to welcome Clare Flynn back to the writing blog on the occasion of her (rather wonderful) new novel The Colour Of Glass. Clare Flynn is a well-established author – fifteen historical novels and a collection of short stories.

Having lived and worked in London, Paris, Brussels, Milan and Sydney, […]