Writing skills | Alison Morton Author

New week, new stuff

Keeping abreast of new developments is important, but so is gathering information now to use later, as is thinking about how how you dealt with challenges and what inspired you. Today, I’m giving you one of each.

The new development Now I’m really pleased with my publishing services provider SilverWood Books who do the whole […]

How do you know it's a thriller?

Would you recognise one on a dark, deserted bookshelf at midnight?

Generally, thrillers contain the following:

The hero(ine) faces death, or destruction of their way of life or sanity, either their own or somebody else’s, sometimes by accident, sometimes because it’s their job. The ‘bad guys’ whether the mob, sinister government enforcers (see INCEPTIO 😉 […]

The place where I work

I hope you didn’t expect a tidy and sleek office?

My office is a place full of paper, books, notes, pens, files, cup of coffee, lights, noticeboard, etc. Our super-tough birchwood work stations came over to France with us, plus the IKEA office cupboards which used to adorn […]

(Im)plausibility and telling whoppers

Now I’ve started telling people about my first alternate history thriller coming out in March, one person said, ‘Oh, you’re lucky, you can make up anything!‘

Er, no.

It’s about plausibility. Merriam Webster gives one definition: ‘appearing worthy of belief <the argument was both powerful and plausible>‘. Synonyms include credible, creditable, likely, believable, presumptive, […]

Grammar Nazi or dilettante?

I’m reading a book at the moment full of “prithee, varlet” language. It’s as irritating as Hades, but maybe that’s just me. The atmosphere of fear is building, the characters are forming and the plot slowly emerging.

But despite the over-elaborate language, the author’s grammar is spot on. And that’s what saves it.

Writing is […]