TFOTK: Chapter One – Josiah

Gareth looked at me with such tenderness, I was almost undone. When he reached across the table and grasped my forearm in an act of silent solidarity, only the iron discipline forged as Overseer held back the floodgates of emotion. Never mind Gareth was the longest serving of the twelve Kings of Gallea, and I …

I had an Idea…

I thought I might serialise my book. Four years, no new content, and if anyone is still following this blog - I bet you didn't see that one coming. The book in question is 'The Fall of the Kings'. I've partly written it, but thought this might be the momentum to get it across the …

Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up

I feel like I've woken up, and I'm kind of mad at myself. I hadn't realised I'd fallen asleep. I started this blog because I love to write. It's my happy place. Yet after a while it became a place of apology, excuses why I wasn't the writer I thought I should be. Word count …

Unleash the Mischief

I'm a great believer in writing what you know. Because even as a fantasy writer, inspiration often comes from real life in all of its glorious forms. And if this post is a little later than I would have liked, it's because I had a real life reminder that when mischievous minds are given free …

A World of Backstory

As a budding fantasy writer I remember rushing off to George R. R. Martin's blog to glean some advice from a master. As luck would have it the very first questions on the FAQ page was: 'I want to be a writer. Can you give me any advice?' I devoured his response: Read widely young …

Gaining Perspective

It's hard to admit you've lost your way. It's even worse when you knew where the signposts were, but you turned a blind eye and wilfully cut your own track anyway. The problem is, if you are going the wrong way eventually you will have to get back on track, or be forced to an …

Heady Days of Optimism: NaNoWriMo is back!

It's been a few years since I succumbed to the siren call of NaNoWriMo, and a few more since I managed to produce 50,000 words of semi-readable prose; yet ever since that first crazy angst-ridden effort, November for me, has become synonymous with writing. So although I got on my soap-box on this blog and …

Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

I am thrilled to share the very exciting news, that my writing buddy (and person who introduced me to the big wide world of blogging and social media), Aimee L. Salter's new book Every Ugly Word has been released today. And not only released, but launched with an almighty great fanfare as part of a …

How to Choose an Unforgettable Title for Your Fantasy Novel

You may have noticed the tumbleweeds blowing through this blog for a while now. It’s unlikely I’ll be posting regularly for the foreseeable future, but I thought I’d share this little gem; one of my most popular from my time over at There & Draft Again. Enjoy!

There And Draft Again

The perfect name is hard to find. It’s the principle of first impressions. Get it right and your title will be the first step in enticing a reader (or agent) to pick up your book. Get it wrong and your work of fantastical brilliance will be overlooked as readers skim through the wide variety of competing titles. However with a bit of focus (and a flash of brilliance from the creative muse), you can give your title a fighting chance to stand out from the masses.

Don’t get attached to your working title:

Very rarely is your first idea your best idea. I often think of the working title as a childhood nickname. It’s fine when you’re nurturing it through the development phase, but is it really the best way to present it to the world? And bear in mind, if you’re heading down the traditional publishing route you…

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Taking a Dip – WIPpet Wednesday

What do you call a writer who hasn't been writing? I wish this was a joke with a great punchline, but sadly it's been a miserable reality of late. My highly anticipated writing weekend fell through, and a new volunteer job has been more of a time-suck than I anticipated. So I'm doing a big …