Plot Twists That Defy Genre Expectations
Nicola Alter
Most of us love a good plot twist. We’re always trying to predict where a narrative is headed, but we’re usually thrilled when it takes an unexpected turn, surprises us,…
plotting
Plotting – What Happens Next?
Aaron Miles
“What happens next” is a question that has the power to freeze a writer’s hand over the keyboard, paralysing them with potential issues. Which route should your characters take? How…
Is Fantasy for Gardeners?
Stephen Deas
At some convention in the distant past on some panel about something or other, someone once asked me whether I was an architect or a gardener. I had really no…
Writing Multi-Layered Narratives
Adam Christopher
Ideas Are Easy There’s a joke about writers: never ask them where they get their ideas from. The question might be met with a roll of the eyes, and the…
Plot Holes and How to Fix Them
Victoria Hooper
whWhatever kind of fantasy you’re writing, sooner or later you’re going to come up against the dreaded issue that can bring your whole book to a screeching halt. That is…
What Photography Teaches Us About Writing
Nick Clark
Before a photographer takes a photo, a lot of considerations run through her mind: composition, metering, white balance, light sensitivity, aperture size. She does this because she knows it will…
I Hate Info-Dumps
Geoff Matthews
You’ve all thought it, haven’t you? Come on, be honest. You’ve had that heart sinking moment when you are reading a book and a new character appears in the narrative…
How To Liven Up Your Story
Character A goes to location B, takes action C, and achieves event D. This sentence might have the minimal elements of a plot but it’s not a story. A story…
So What’s The Fuss About Scribbleton?
Adrian Faulkner
One of the things we all love about great fantasy novels is the worlds they create. Indeed, for many of us, great worldbuilding is one of the major factors in…
Story Openings
The blank page faces you, whether it’s the page in your hand or the one on the screen, the question is always the same – how do you begin? Do…
So What’s The Fuss About Evernote?
Writers are always being reminded that inspiration can strike at any time. It could be during the bustle of a busy work day or in the middle of night. And…
Plotting The A-Team Way
< Dum Dum Du Du De Dum (you’ll just have imagine the tune) > In 1972 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a…