Philosophy and Ethics was definitely my hardest A Level and sometimes I just didn’t get why. Other people in my class all got A grades without revision and even though I’d memorised the content, I often got Bs or Cs. I found out the hard way that all that knowledge doesn’t mean much without the … Continue reading
Editing is a process every writer has to go through. Most people I’ve met have a deep seated hatred of just the thought, but apparently I enjoy it more than most. That said, I’ve written a step by step guide so you at least know where to get started. Depending on the type of edit … Continue reading
Originally published as ‘Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda’, I initially watched the film then bought the book. This is probably the best decision I have ever made. To be honest, I found the film unsatisfying. While it was good at capturing the friendships between the main characters, I feel like it carried certain stereotypes/insensitivities … Continue reading
Whether real or fictional, cultures create a point of reference for your character’s thoughts and feelings. If you’ve ever been abroad, you’ll probably have spotted the differences in other cultures straight away. Even countries with similar backgrounds or origins will have developed clear differences. So how can you construct a culture that affects your varied … Continue reading
You’ve done it! You’ve written a novel and now all that’s left is to publish it! But suddenly that “all that’s left” begins to look like more effort than writing the novel itself. Time to share your book. Whether it’s an editor or a beta reader, they make it their job to go through your … Continue reading
OK, so we’ve always touched on symbolism in previous posts and nothing screams high-level writing better than by weaving in a subtle bit. A lot of authors do skip out on symbolism and being fair it’s difficult to write, but if you want your book to be an insightful masterpiece they use in English classes … Continue reading
And now it’s time for a very important topic, one that can transform any text; one where, for once, we won’t be beating you around the head with genre-specific tips. Themes. Thematic writing has a bigger message than its genre, its characters, and even its plot. Themes can range from the driving force of your … Continue reading
Like G said, this is a whole different article… But, just like being a Plotter or a Pantser, I’m sure we’re all divided on our habits whilst we’re writing, too. Some of us can write best in our pajamas at 4am, or whenever we feel like it; others wake up at 6am and write until … Continue reading
In April 2014, while waiting to find out if we had got into our chosen GCSE classes, G had a dream that a boy named Fate Andrews came into assembly. Three years later, and she’s emailing publishers begging them to help her publish Fate. Here’s a spoiler-free interview with Lydia of how she made it: … Continue reading
So you’ve thought up your characters personalities, names, and backgrounds, and are feeling inspired! But what do they really look like? Owch. Sometimes you come up with characters easily, but other times it’s a blank wall. You see your character through their own eyes and there are no mirrors in the action scenes. Not only … Continue reading
