Writing Articles

Writer’s block – Why it doesn’t really exist. Seth Godwynn Writer’s block is a dreadful affliction that catches us all at times. It’s a moment in the life of an author where he sits before his monitor as it glows back at him and his mind goes blank. It then stays blank and stubbornly refuses […]

Should I use a Pen-Name? A.P. Atkinson One of the many questions asked on forums, and one that is rarely properly answered, is about whether or not an author should use a pen-name. The reason this question is so poorly dealt with is that its an extremely personal thing and the answer varies for each

Why not planning your novel is a waste of everyone’s time Seth Godwynn Another debate we see these days is between authors who think that planning their novel is the best approach, versus the people who think they can just sit down in front of a laptop and pour out a best-selling novel. We all

Why do we Write? Seth Godwynn Novels come in all shapes and sizes, and from every corner of the mostly cornerless globe. It’s easy to look down our noses at cliché-ridden tripe filled with vampires, weird sexual fetishes, or any other flash-in-the-pan genre that was popular before, but hasn’t quite fizzled out yet. We might

Themes What they are and how not to kill your story with them A.P. Atkinson For some reason, people generally tend to be very bad at spotting themes. Although it involves complex abstract philosophical concepts, these are in essence just simple basic ideas that resonate with all human beings at some level. For this reason,

Glossary Seth Godwynn A writer must know many things, apart from how to write. In order to show off at parties, if you ever get invited to any, you will need to be able to drop some of these words into conversations. Luckily some of these are so obscure or overcomplicated that nobody else will

People Don’t Read Anymore! A.P. Atkinson One of the biggest complaints we hear today is how people don’t read books anymore. It’s a growing concern, and it’s one of the most serious issues facing the publishing industry and authors today. But, is it a fair criticism? Does it even make the slightest sense? The world

Show or Tell Seth Godwynn When it comes to writing, there’s one convention that generally holds true. It’s common wisdom that you should show and not tell. Of course sometimes you have to tell, but as sweeping generalisations go, this one does make rather a lot of sense. Telling is when the author, the narrator

How to Create a Book Title A.P. Atkinson A lot of people wonder how to come up with a title for their novel. It’s not like the names of a character, where you can just go online and look for names and check out the meanings behind them. Titles are largely unique and there’s no

So You Want to be a Novelist? A.P. Atkinson The most prominent message you see on the forums is the opening greeting from a new, starry-eyed poster. They say, ‘Hello, I want to be a novelist.’ Well, that’s probably the most misguided thought that’s ever existed inside a human head. I’ve been at this for