I have written before about how to work historical detail into your historical fiction. It’s one of my favourite subjects, in fact. I love those sparkling, seldom known tidbits that make a book both educational and fun. So I’ve decided to write about them in a series of posts. I hope you like them as... Continue Reading →
We’ve all heard it before: if you want to improve your writing, you have to read. Read everything, read in abundance. Read, read, read. It makes sense, of course. To develop your skill as a writer, you need to expose yourself to as great a variety of writing as you possibly can. Books in your... Continue Reading →
I won’t lie: the historical romance sub-genre is not an easy one. Not only do you have to craft your characters, develop your plot and write a manuscript of anywhere from 50 to 80 thousand words, you also have to do your research on the historical elements. Working history into your novels is a two-pronged... Continue Reading →
No novel is truly complete without well-developed imagery. It’s the yin to the yang that is plot - without it, your novel won’t be balanced. Even the most gripping of action-adventure books, or the most gruesome of murder mysteries need at least some imagery to bring it to life. Imagery is how you engage all... Continue Reading →
Ah, Outlander. With the sudden explosion of the Starz television series starring the ethereal beauty Caitriona Balfe and the swoon-worthy Sam Heughan (sigh), the Highland historical romance genre is well poised to rake in some major popularity points. Just thinking of the throaty way that man says the word Sassenach … oh, swoon and swoon... Continue Reading →
Hi Everyone, I'm blogging at Romance Unversity today. Come check out my guest post, Reinventing the Cliche Write What You Know. I'm super excited about this post. In it, I ask the question, what does "write what you know" really mean, and suggest an alternative application of this tired, oft-repeated piece of advice. I'd love... Continue Reading →
We all know the two main problems that writers face when it comes to detail, right? Too much, and you’re going to either annoy your readers, or put them to sleep. Not enough, and you won’t be giving your readers the tools they need to reconstruct your scene in their heads. But did you know... Continue Reading →
I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching lately. I’ve been closely examining the world of consumerism and my place in it - particularly where cosmetic and personal care products are concerned. With all the hype surrounding the frightening underbelly of these products, and the industry as a whole (animal cruelty and potentially carcinogenic additives... Continue Reading →
At the outset of this post, I am throwing my hands in the air, and begging those fans of HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm to keep an open mind. I know you’re a passionate bunch, but remember … I’m not insulting you personally. Everything I say is just an opinion, it’s all in good fun, and is... Continue Reading →
Whether this is a well-known fact or not, I don’t know. But if you didn’t know this already, then here it is: writing from the perspective of third-person omniscient is the easiest way to write. It is the most versatile, the most flexible and the most widely used. This is the perspective of the disembodied,... Continue Reading →
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