The dynamics of a family always make for a good story. You probably think your own family is not very interesting and that you’re just like any other. But it’s the small idiosyncrasies of each family member and the relationships between them that never cease to pique people’s interest – and makes for excellent reading….
Tag: On Writing
On Writing: The Difficult Second Novel with Gillian McAllister
On the publication day of her outstanding new novel Anything You Do Say, Gillian McAllister tells us about the pressures of writing a second book after your debut novel was a Sunday Times bestseller… I remember the exact moment I had the idea for my second novel, Anything You Do Say. I had wanted…
On Writing: Scaring Kids with Helen Grant
Halloween may be behind us, but that’s not to say that the scary fun is over. I (Kristina) was one of those children who just loved being scared. It started with a book called The Finger Eater by Dick King-Smith. A book that had such an impact on my brother that he shoved blankets and…
On Writing: Characters in Love with Jo Platt
Love stories in literature continue to be some of the most enduring. They’re not limited to one particular genre or set up. While some, like a meet-cute, can make you feel warm and fuzzy, others make you weep and ugly-cry with grief and some love stories make you feel sick, worried and rooting for its untimely demise. So what’s the hardest thing about…
On Writing: The Power of Setting with Erik Storey
A sense of place is pivotal when writing a novel. It’s important to hook your reader but also to keep them, and immerse them in the world you created. From the haunting moors of Wuthering Heights to the expansive Middle Earth in Lord of the Rings, the environment can create atmosphere, drama and even, as many…
On Writing: The Magic in Storytelling with Polly Ho-Yen
Do you remember those stories that used to make you feel like you could do anything? The magic that was sprinkled in your world from the chapters of books like Matilda, A Little Princess, Tom’s Midnight Garden or the Chronicles of Narnia? Today’s instalment in our On Writing series is from Polly Ho-Yen and examines…
