Writing skills | Alison Morton Author

Unlock your secret writing weapon: your memory

Writing a romance, thriller, historical, whodunit, sci-fi adventure? Whichever it is, it’s a depressing thought, but all the stories have been done before. There are only supposed to be seven plots:

man vs. nature man and woman/man man vs. society man vs. machines/technology man vs. the supernatural man vs. self man vs. God (‘man’ obviously […]

Shorts

I write novels. Sure, I’m waiting for my big publishing deal, but I love the long fiction structure: the opportunity to develop characters at length; to weave sub-plots; to plumb the depths; struggle to the surface; heap mounds of stuff on my protagonist; the false climax; to be a master of the universe.

But short […]

Book3 and why I’m brutal to my heroine

Stories about the life of a well-off happily married woman with a sexy husband, three adorable, perfectly behaved children and a responsible, challenging, but enormously fulfilling job she adores would be tedious.

Who wants to read about Miss Perfect? Typical reactions would be: know-it-all, snooty cow and bor-ing; feelings would be envy, resentment and can’t-be-arsed […]

Reading allowed. Or not

Writers are encouraged to read their ms aloud. You arm yourself with a long drink, fend off all household pleas and settle down with the ms or screen in front of you and a notepad to jot down quick notes. Hopefully, the rest of your family hasn’t called the white coat men as you mumble […]

Christmas cake and childhood memories that make us… and our characters.

The minute I announced on Twitter that today I was going to make The Christmas Cake, memories of cinnamon, oranges, brandy and cake mix poured into my head.

I saw myself aged six or seven standing by my mother at the kitchen table. It was half-term and my mother, a teacher, had that precious week […]