Whereas a setting provides the physical environment for the scene, world-building adds the abstract. It encompasses the setting while also

The industry panellists in the crime writing master class: Oli Munson, literary agent; Alex Saunders, Fiction Editor at Pan Macmillan; Vikki

I always go into a submission with an open mind, but lately, when time travel becomes the obvious subject matter, I find myself groaning...

Have something happen in your story. Seems obvious, yes? And yet, we receive so many stories at the mag where this is not the case.

But the other thing a stereotype does within a reader is to trigger their prejudices without them even realising it, and you can play on tha

What is the most important point to consider when writing a mystery? How do I create a three-dimensional character? What is the purpose of a

It’s a question every writer asks themselves and yet it can be one of the most elusive answers to obtain. Why? Most of us can string a...

If you haven't explored who your characters are, how do you know what decisions they will make? How will you know what markers to use? H

Your climax is what your whole story should be building towards, and the conflict and tension should be rising up like a wave ready to crash

Sticking to a writing routine at Christmas is probably the hardest thing. Well, who around here is busy, busy, busy? In all honesty,...

So, here’s an approach that might help you if you are uncertain on what your Nano project should, or would, look like, or if you’ve never wr

Have you ever thought about writing? Dreamed about writing a book or a story? Create something out of nothing? Writing is one of the most li

One of the ongoing raging debates in fiction writing is about whether to use passive voice. The general rule is to not use it, opting for mo

...Without spending a packet. *Free online resources to improve your writing.* First of all, let’s get poetry out of the way. For you...

Just a quicky this week -- I've been super busy with various deadlines and I haven't had the time to write a juicy blog article. I was...

Backstory is almost a swear word in some writing circles, sometimes to the point of actively campaigning to banish it. It bogs down the...

However, you might not want to reduce those fans to tears. Maybe you want them to fall in love, or shit themselves with fear. So, how do you