Category: How To and Tips
Something Wonderful: The Ripple Effects of Publishing a Novel
Something Wonderful: The Ripple Effects of Publishing a Novel From the time I was a child, I’ve had a notebook in front of me and a pen in my hand. The first time I thought about publishing a novel was in high school when I wrote my first full-length story of about two-hundred pages. When […]
Writing Dialogue
The best way to write realistic dialogue? Become a champion eavesdropper. Dialogue should flow from the page. Here are my three must dos. Listen to everybody, all the time and everywhere. Concentrate on voice and tone. Take in the rhythm of real life conversation. Bestselling Irish author, Maeve Binchy freely admitted that she was a […]
If We Are Being Honest
“If We Are Being Honest” stands as more than a book; it’s a profound reflection of my journey towards breaking free from the suffocating grip of perfectionism and embracing authenticity. Through its pages, I share the raw, unfiltered truth of my experiences as a woman and mother navigating the complexities of modern life. From early […]
Laughing About it One Day By Courtney Deane
Laughing About it One Day By Courtney Deane Ask most of today’s top comedians – Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock – and they’ll tell you no topic is off limits. That’s there’s no such thing as “you can’t say that” or “that’s not funny.” In fact, one could argue they’ve made entire careers (or […]
The journey from Self-Published to Traditionally Published author by AJ Campbell
The journey from self-published to traditionally published author by AJ Campbell I often get asked why I decided to self-publish my books. It all started in the summer of 2019 when I attended the Winchester Writers’ Festival, submitting the first three chapters and a synopsis of my debut novel Leave Well Alone to four literary […]
Five Things Grief Taught me about Writing
Five Things Grief Taught me about Writing When grief hits you, it brings along with it a plethora of emotions. Someone, a well-intentioned person, said to me the other day, “Grief goes away in some time. You should write a book on happiness.” I smiled, “I am glad you have theoretical knowledge, not the practical […]
How To Approach Researching Historical Fiction
How To Approach Researching Historical Fiction “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” When I first embarked on my debut novel THE TOWER, I wasn’t thinking of L. P. Hartley’s famous opening line of The Go-Between. But when I reflected on my first early stages of research and writing, I realised […]
How to Create Adult Characters in Young Adult Fiction
How to Create Adult Characters in Young Adult Fiction Young Adult (YA) literature isn’t only for young adults. A 2023 study by WordsRated indicates that 51% of book purchases in the YA category are by those who are between 30 and 44 years old, and 78% of those buyers plan to read the book(s) themselves. […]
HOW TO WRITE UNLIKEABLE CHARACTERS YOUR READERS WILL LOVE
HOW TO WRITE UNLIKEABLE CHARACTERS YOUR READERS WILL LOVE When I wrote my first novel at the age of twenty-three, I really thought I had the whole writing thing nailed. Oh the naivety! You can imagine the shock I felt then, when an editorial company told me in no uncertain terms that my book was […]
Writing tips: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough
Writing tips: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough KI was writing and submitting for years – finished nine complete novels! – before I got published. Since then, I’ve had fourteen young adult novels published and my shiny new thing is a psychological thriller for adults, The Patient, out with Bookouture 13th February […]
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