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Capitalising Made-Up Words in Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writing
Capitalising made-up words in fantasy novels – when is it necessary? And when is it problematic? Many of the authors I work with find it tricky to decide which words deserve a capital letter. When you’re building a world full of invented cultures, magic systems, creatures and political structures, it’s…
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Playing with Narrative Distance
Playing with Narrative Distance: Zooming In and Out for Dynamic Storytelling If you’re a novelist looking to bring your story to life, it’s important for you to learn about playing with narrative distance. Playing with narrative distance may sound like an abstract term, but actually you can just think of…
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Realistic Dialogue is Tricky!
If you are writing a novel, you will probably realise that realistic dialogue is one of the essential cornerstones. Good dialogue will drive your plot, engage your readers, and ensure your characters are three-dimensional. But it’s really hard to get dialogue right! Many authors are advised to “observe the conversations”…
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Point of View in Fiction: A Guide for Novelists
When you sit down to write a story, one of your first decisions needs to be which character(s) will be telling the story – this your novel’s point of view (POV). This decision will shape every word on the page. Get it right and your readers will sink happily into…
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How to Tell If Your Novel Is Ready for Professional Editing: A Guide to Novel Editing
So, you’ve just written the words “The End” on the final page of your novel, and are now wondering if your manuscript is ready for professional editing. Firstly, give yourself a huge pat on the back. Getting to the end is a huge achievement. Many people dream of writing a…
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How to Write Grunts, Groans, Ums, Ahs and Ers in Your Novel
When writing dialogue, it’s tempting to focus solely on the words your characters say – but sometimes, what’s not said (the grunts, groans, ums, ahs and ers in your novel) can communicate just as much as the actual dialogue. These small, seemingly insignificant sounds, called vocal tics or filler words,…
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How to Add Emphasis to your Writing
There are various ways to add emphasis to your writing, which will bring importance to the words and phrases in your novel. Italics, CAPITAL LETTERS, Capital Initials, exclamation marks (!), interrobangs (?!), bold and underline will all add emphasis to your writing. But which way is best? And are there…
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When your Point of View Character is Absent
When you are writing a novel from one character’s point of view, it’s important that everything being said on the page has been experienced by that character. We can only smell what they smell, see what they see, hear what they hear. If you suddenly start describing something that happens…
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Pacing and Flow: Editing Tips to Keep Readers Engaged
Have you ever read back through your manuscript and felt something wasn’t quite right? Possibly your dialogue drags, or perhaps a scene that felt great when you were writing it now feels too short, with missing details. You’re probably bumping into issues with pacing and flow. If you want to…
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Compelling Characters
Creating compelling characters is one of the most crucial aspects of writing fiction. You want to write characters who leap off the page, characters who you’d like to meet in real life, characters who truly resonate with your readers. But this is not easy! The Heart of Your Story: Why…
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When to Use Section Breaks in Your Novel
Writing a novel is a journey filled with plot twists, character arcs, and countless cups of tea. One of the key elements that can make or break the readability of your novel is how you use section breaks. These often-overlooked tools can enhance pacing, clarify narrative shifts, and give your…
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Final Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
When you’ve finished the first draft of your novel, you might like to review my final self-editing tips for fiction authors. There are twenty-four tips in total. Below are the last four – including the most important one! See part one and part two for more suggestions. If you take…
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More Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
If you’ve just finished the first draft of your novel, and reviewed my original list of 10 self-editing tips for fiction authors, please read on for the next 10. (There are 24 tips in total, and 24 is the best one of the lot…) Of course hiring a freelance editorial…
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Self-Editing Tips for Fiction Authors
If you’ve just finished the first draft of your novel, now it’s time to look at my list of self-editing tips for fiction authors. The better your manuscript is before you send it to a fiction editor for some professional attention, the better your final, published book will be. Authors…
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Character Names
Writing a story gives you the freedom to create wonderful, imaginative characters – but have you thought about character names? Character names might need to reflect the setting of your novel. For example, a novel set in Victorian London will have different names from a novel set in contemporary New…
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Writing Flashback Scenes
Writing flashback scenes can be tricky – particularly when a novel has been written in the past tense. In this article, I outline my three top tips for ensuring that your flashback scenes work, and that your readers don’t get lost along the way. Past Tense in a Novel Many…
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Five Common Writing Mistakes
Being able to write well is a gift – but it’s not without its challenges. It doesn’t matter how good your writing is, there are always things that you will miss, and below I have listed the five common writing mistakes that I see most frequently. A copyeditor will help…
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Balancing Showing vs Telling in Writing
Many (many!) new writers are confused about balancing showing vs telling. As a writer, you strive to create immersive and engaging stories that captivate readers from beginning to end. One essential skill to master is finding the right balance between showing and telling. In this blog post, we will explore…
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Writing Compelling Dialogue
Writing compelling dialogue will elevate your novel from good to superb. Dialogue is one of the cornerstones of a novel – writing it well will gift your reader with an immersive experience. Dialogue can add depth to your characters, giving them individuality and personality. But many authors find it hard…
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How to Find a Trustworthy Book Editor
How to find a trustworthy book editor is a question I see repeatedly on social media. Finding an editor you can trust shouldn’t be difficult, but I know a lot of authors are concerned about being scammed. They are worried that an editor is going to take their money and…
