Overused Words
As a writer, I’m more concerned with telling a story and taking characters and readers on a journey than I am with monitoring how many times I use certain words. However, once the first draft is set down and the…
What is a Sex Index?
There have been many great contributions to the world of literature. Gutenberg invented the printing press, Shakespeare invented romantic comedy, and J K Rowling invented Harry Potter. However, all of these achievements pale into insignificance compared to my contribution -…
Favourite Quotes from Highland Games
Highland Games is full of wonderful one liners and fabulous quotes. There isn’t enough room to have all of them here, but I’ve picked out some of my favourites for you to enjoy!
What does a book editor do? (And do I need one?)
When you can’t see the wood for the trees, an editor can bring out their chainsaw or clippers, cut out the dead wood, prune your sentences, and give your words room to breathe. Many editors also specialise in certain genres…
How to practise self-care as a writer
Never has it been so important to look after every aspect of my life in this current incarnation. I’m going to share some of the strategies that have worked for me and other authors in this blog. Hopefully it will…
150 Romance novel tropes
Tropes are everywhere. In Shakespeare, Austen, everyday language and your favourite TV shows. Tropes are common situations in narratives that help structure a story. ‘Enemies to Lovers’ is a very popular trope which can be found in The Taming of…
How to Write the First Draft of a Book
Every writer has their process, their way of getting from an idea in their head to words on a page. The first draft is one of the biggest milestones in the publishing process and I wanted to share how I…
The dangerous internet search history of an author
What does the internet search history look like for other authors? How weird could it get? How dodgy could it look? I asked around the writing community, and holy guacamole there are some good stories out there.
