J G Harlond and fantasising historically...

Today, I’m delighted to welcome J G (Jane) Harlond to the blog to tell us about writing historical fantasy stories.

Secret agents, skulduggery, and sea voyages… Creator of the infamous Ludo da Portovenere, J.G. Harlond writes page-turning historical crime novels set during the 17th Century and the Second World War. Each story weaves […]

The evolving writer

When I started this scribbling business in 2009, I sat down one morning in front of my computer and typed for ninety days.

As a professional translator, I knew I would have to edit anything I produced. I joined a writers’ group and survived the terror of reading my offering aloud for the first time […]

That Bloomin' Apostrophe!

Cartoon, apostrophes

Source: The Apostrophe Protection Society

Briefly, possession and omission. Yep, it’s that easy.

People get very hot under the collar about apostrophes, me included. First my mother, then my wonderful English teachers – Mrs Campbell and Miss Robson – eradicated any nonsense about misuse out of me at an early age. Like other […]

Across the sea to Dublin

I was delighted to be invited to speak at the International Dublin Writers’ Festival again. This year, the theme was the creative well, something essential to good writing, but a slippery one to grasp. In essence, it’s the part of you that feeds your imagination. If it’s kept at a healthy level, it will […]

Trust your reader!

When we write, we hope that somewhere, in some way, somebody will read it and embrace the message we are sending. When we receive an email from a reader saying they ‘get’ our concept and book world, or when a reader comes up to us at a book event and says it to our face, […]