When my character surprises me with breakfast in bed #WritersLife

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On a lazy Sunday morning, I wake up to find Nathaniel Lewis standing at my bedside holding a breakfast tray. There’s my favourite winter white mug etched with snowflakes, and the nutty fragrance of the Nespresso coffee filling the room. On a dark blue and pink floral plate there’s a freshly baked croissant with a dish of butter and raspberry jam. And on the centre of the tray is a generous bowl of Greek yogurt drizzled with honey. I can tell immediately that it’s the real thing–not the stuff that passes for Greek yogurt here in North America with all…

The importance of a good ending #writingtips

Categories: Writing · writing tipsTags: · · · · 4 Comments

This has happened to every reader. You find a book, the blurb looks amazing, the opening completely hooks you in and the writing is absolutely delightful. You’re glued to the page, completely invested in the characters and their troubles. You’re tearing through the pages, either that or lingering over them as though they were a great feast. This is easily a five star read, and you can’t wait to recommend it to your friends. But then you get to the end.

Creating Characters: An Author’s Inspiration #writingtips #creativity #writerslife

Categories: Creativity · The Severed Knot · WritingTags: · · · · 2 Comments

Ask a writer if their characters are real, and they will probably say, “Define real.” Characters are real in every sense, except being flesh-and-blood. They become a writer’s constant companion even when the writer isn’t hunched over a computer screen tapping furiously away. See that faraway look in a writer’s eye when you’re talking to them? They’re probably thinking about these characters and what they’ll put them through next. So how do these characters walk into a writer’s life and become as immediate as flesh-and-blood friends? Are they constructed through a writing exercise or is there an organic method to…

How the second novel is like a middle child

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Advice to the parent writer Works of creative fiction are really like children. The first novel, aka the debut novel, is a big miracle. It’s a wondrous burst of creative energy and an absolute marvel when you finally hold the finished product in your hands. It started out as a wee kernel of an idea, and it was just you and that kernel for so long (cough…seven years). Some writers share their kernel with anyone who will ask—baristas, busboys and the counter girl in the bakery—while others keep it close to their chest until it’s nearly ready. You can get…

Writing Historical Fiction: Make Sure You Write the Right Thing

Categories: Author Spotlights · Guest Blog · Writing · writing tipsTags: · · · · · · · · · 8 Comments

I had the pleasure of getting to know E.M Powell, initially when she was one of the co-editors of the English Historical Fiction Authors blog, and continuing through our work on the HNS Social Media Team for the Historical Novelist Society. She is a bestselling author of medieval historical thrillers and has always been very generous with her time and encouragement of other writers. I first approached E.M Powell to participate in a genre discussion about how historical fiction and historical romance often co-mingle in works not typically considered romantic. The result is this wonderful guest post about understanding one’s…