a black and white photograph of some books

Write a better scene in 5,4,3,2,1

Incorporating the five senses into your writing A year ago, someone shared with me a grounding technique. We all have our methods to bring ourselves back to the present moment, and this exercise focuses on using the five senses to reconnect with the immediate environment. First, arrange yourself into a comfortable position. Relax your breathing. …

a photograph of numerous maps overlapping one another

Building a world where anything is possible

World-building appeals to me because anything is possible. Well… let me rephrase that. Anything is possible, so long as you can convince the reader it can be.  I love exploring the winding avenues world-building opens. What is more surprising (and interesting) is the many branches a single thing causes. I create a world with a …

a black and white photograph of some books

Ten ways to make your fictional characters memorable

Those who subscribe to my newsletter will have received one tool I use to create a memorable character. But how can we deep dive into our characters so the reader will keep turning the pages? 1. Look at the fictional characters you love and ask yourself why Writers are readers. Which fictional characters are memorable …

black and white image of a skull

Lady Howard and the Bone Carriage

It was a pleasant night to Edie Lockhart’s standards. Despite being Halloween, it was mild. A fat near-full moon cast its pale light through the beech trees. Their silvery limbs contorted into human-like figures whose stretched shadows scattered across the road. Not a breath of wind sighed through the branches. Not even an owl hooted. …

Four colourful books between a pair of white headphones

What do I listen to while I’m writing?

If you’ve ever wondered, read on. If you haven’t, but like ambient, electro and soundscapes, then keep reading. Cookies (not in a good way) I was born with mid-range hearing loss. On an audiogram, the line pattern looks like someone has taken a big bit out of a cookie, hence it’s more “fun” name, Cookie-bite …