Writers' Narrative eMagazine November 2023

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EDITORIAL TEAM Wendy H. Jones - Editor in Chief - is also our Executive Commissioning and Features Editor. She is the multi-award-winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition, she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Editor in Chief and Commissioning Editor

Sheena Macleod is our Deputy to the Editor in Chief.

She oversees the day-to-day production and design.

She is author of the historical fiction novels, Reign of the Marionettes and Tears of Strathnaver, and co-author of the nonfiction book So, You Say I Can’t Vote! Frances Connelly.

Deputy to Editor in Chief

Eileen Rolland is our Graphic Designer. Eileen writes mainly contemporary women’s fiction. Her works include the Chrysalis Trilogy series and Isle of Somewhere.

Graphic Designer

Pauline Tait is our Editorial Manager. Pauline is a prolific novelist and children’s author. She writes both suspenseful romance and children’s picture books for 3 to 7 years.

Editorial Manager

Allison Symes is our Copy Editor. She is an award winning, published flash fiction and short story writer.

She also writes a weekly column on topics of interest for writers for online magazine, Chandler's Ford Today.

Maressa Mortimer oversees our marketing and our social media engagement. Maressa is author of the Elabi Chronicles, Burrowed and Sapphire Beach.

Susan McVey is our Copy Editor. Susan writes dystopian fiction and fantasy narratives, tailored for the young adult and teenage audience. She publishes under Marti M. McNair. Her works include Island of Ruin (Ruin or Redemption Book 1).

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Copy Editor

Marketing and Promotions Manager

Copy Editor

Featured Interview with Crime Author James L’Etoile

Find us at

Featured Article NaNoWriMo

Writing a novel — historical, fantasy, sci fi, sweet romance, writing steam and much more ...

writersnarrative@gmail.com

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Writers’ Narrative is published monthly by Scott and Lawson Publishing. Graphic Design by Sheena Macleod and Eileen Rolland. All contents Copyright © the individual authors and used with their permission. All rights reserved.

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Welcome to the November Issue Letters to the Editor 8 James L’Etoile Interviewed by Wendy H. Jones 14 NaNoWriMo

by Angela Watt 12 Face of Greed by James L’Etoile Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones.

13 The Devil Within by James L’Etoile Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones 19 The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman Reviewed by Louise Cannon 36 Recent Releases 16 Middle Grade and YA: Which One is Your Book?

by Jennifer Navarre 18 Everyone’s Got A Book In Them

by Ruth Leigh 20 Predicting The Taraffic Jam, Not The Car

by Andrew J. Chamberlain 22 Fantasy Fiction: Capturing Moonbeams

by Barbara Stevenson 24 Writing Historical Fiction

by Nick Mills

42 How I Transitioned From Writing Children’s Picture Books To Suspenseful Romantic Novels

by Pauline Tait 46 Writing With Steam

by Alexa Ryder 48 Serving Up Sweet Romance

by Nan O’Berry 50 How Do You Come Up With Ideas Big Enough For The Length And Scope Of A Novel?

by SC Skillman 58 Writing Novels

by Allison Symes 60 What The Font?

by Jenny Sanders 63 What A Surprise: Banned Books (Continued on page 65)

by Wendy H Jones 40 Writing Sonnets

by Lis McDermott Monthly Writing Prompts 54 Writing Prompts

by Wendy H. Jones and Tami. C. Brown 44 Thrill Me: Essays On Fiction by Ben Percy Reviewed by Priscilla Paton 45 Library of Congress, Washington DC

by Wendy H. Jones 53 Writer’s Critique Group

by Eileen Rolland

26 What’s In A Name?

by Eileen Rolland

62 The Printed Word Bookshop, Portsmouth, Virginia

by Wendy H. Jones

28 Setting As A Character: Making It Relevant

by Marsali Taylor

From The Desk of The Office Dog 56 Just What Is My Motivation?

by Peter Thomas and Sophie

30 Keeping It Not-So-Cosy: Writing Modern Cozy Crime

by Fiona Veitch Smith 32 How To Be A Winner

by Julia Thorley 34 Wild Winter Walks: Writing and Photographing Nature

by Linda Brown 38 Salem

by Marti M. McNair

From The Desk of The Office Cats 56 Some Advice for Authors Dealing With Distractions

by Jeanette The Writer, Wakka and Lulu Write in Time 35 Mark Twain 17 Subscriber News 66 Submission Guidelines 5 67 Monthly Themes

the event and successfully complete the 50,000 words.

The library of the month takes us to the magnificent Library of Congress in Washington DC and the Bookshop of the month is The Printed Word in Portsmouth Virginia. We truly are an international magazine.

I am confident you will enjoy the magazine and there is something for everyone whether an established novel writer or looking at writing your first novel.

Let the inspiration begin.

Wendy H. Jones Editor in Chief

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elcome to the November issue of Writers’ Narrative eMagazine, the magazine for writers everywhere. November brings us National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo) where writers all over the world will be writing up a storm in a bid to write 50,000 words in November. I am limbering up my fingers ready for it.

To help you along the way, we have articles on almost every type of writing. From sweet romance to Sci Fi, from crime fiction to historical fiction and all genres in between, we have you covered. Our featured author is James, L’Etoile, an award-winning crime writer.

Of course, no November issue would be complete without covering NaNoWriMo itself. We have hints and tips for you on how to approach

Wendy H. Jones Author, Publisher, Writing Coach 6

Dear Editor, October’s excellent 'horror' issue reminded me of a couple of incidents that took place in my personal life while I was working as a television/film 'extra'.

Letter of the Month

Audiobooks were a godsend during my long commutes, but, late one winter's night, I came to regret my choice of title. Driving along a country road, with tall hedges on both sides, I was obliged to stop at temporary traffic lights. Although no other cars appeared, they took several minutes to change to green, during which time had I imagined all kinds of horrors lurking in the darkness. Why, I’m not generally a person of a nervous disposition? Because I was listening to 'Dracula'.

Dear Editor, There are 4 billion search results when you type ‘How to be a writer’ into Google, and I’m sure there is a lot of really great advice amongst all those searches. One of the hardest parts of being a writer is fearing that you are somehow doing it wrong. You’re not writing enough; or not reading enough; or you’re writing in the ‘wrong’ genre, and nothing will ever come of your writing. I remember feeling like this when I started out a decade ago this month. I was scared I was writing wrong.

On a lighter note, a former star of Hammer Horror once told me, in detail, how the special effects in one particularly chilling scene were achieved. It was hilarious, and I haven’t been able to watch the film since without thinking about his comments.

The quality of this magazine its evidenced by its contributors. The worth of this magazine is not reflected in its price. But the value of this magazine is in how it bridges the gap between new writers, established writers, and the thousands of writers in between. The value of Writers’ Narrative comes from its kindness to all writers.

There is no gatekeeping here. No promises that can’t be fulfilled. It feels like a conversation between writers, each of us trying to make sure no one feels left behind. Reading the interviews of published authors gives new writers hope, and reading the tips of writers who specialise in their own field gives us all the skills to build that hope into lifelong dreams come true.

Maggie Cobbett Dear Editor in Chief, I want to congratulate you on your October edition, it was a fantastic and informative deep dive into the horror genre and will become an invaluable resource when crafting my next graphic novel.

Thank you also for introducing me to Tananarive Due, an author I was not familiar with. Her interview was so interesting and inspiring, and I’m looking forward to reading her short story collection The Wishing Pool, and her new novel.

Magazines like this are not common, and should be treasured. Writers’ Narrative does what I’m sure many amongst those 4 billion try to do, and dispels the fears that we might be writing wrong by celebrating what we are doing – writing.

Many thanks again for putting this fantastic issue together!

Helen Desai (Author Illustrator)

The only requirement to consider yourself a writer.

Every month, a £10 book token will be awarded to the selected letter of the month. Congratulations to this month’s winner. Please email letters to the editor to writersnarrative@gmail.com

Conner McAleese 7

Featured Author Interview - James L’Etoile Interviewed by Wendy H. Jones

This month’s featured author is award-winning crime fiction writer, James L’Etoile. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California's state parole system. He uses his twenty-nine years "behind bars" as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays.

Thank you for joining me here at Writers’ Narrative, James. I know you are always busy writing books, so I appreciate you taking time out to answer my questions. I am very much looking forward to what you have to say about writing crime novels.

James L’Etoile

What inspired you to transition from a career as a prison guard to becoming a writer of crime novels? Were there specific moments or experiences that pushed you in this direction?

How has your experience as a prison guard influenced the authenticity and depth of your crime novels' portrayal of prison life and criminal psychology?

I didn’t begin writing commercial fiction until after I retired. One morning, I sat with my coffee and a book—and well, the book wasn’t very good. I made some flippant comment like, “I could do better than this.” I took that as a challenge. Then came the work to learn story strucLisa Turleydialogue, is fromand West ture, character development, all Virginia.

She is on numerthe elements that go into a novel. ous ARC street teams and I didn’t have the confidence sit down genres. at the reads in tomultiple She passionate about keyboard and bang out aisnovel.

Then I recalled helping authors get theI one of the first jobs I had as a probation officer. word out about their books. would write pre-sentence reports for the sentencing judge. This meant reading all the police reports, interviewing the detective, talking to the

Working twenty-nine years in prisons, parole, and probation gives me a perspective on crime and those involved in that world I couldn’t have found any other way. When you live with convicts for eight hours a day, for years at a time, you begin to see them for who they are and not simply as “what they did.”

A great number of inmates were there because they made a bad decision. Others were more sinister and killed for the joy of it. This experience helps me develop unique criminal characters in my written work.

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victims, and meeting the convicted person in jail to get their version of the crime.

crime scenes and investigative procedures in your novels?

I cobbled all this information together into a narrative for the judge to prepare for sentencing. Years later, it hit me—I’ve been writing crime stories all along.

I’m fortunate that I can draw on my experience as a captain, hostage negotiator, and prison warden to bring some level of authenticity to my work. When I’m working on a subject that is outside of my wheelhouse, I call upon experts in that discipline to help me get the details down correctly.

Crime novels often delve into the darker aspects of human behaviour. How do you approach crafting complex and morally ambiguous characters in your stories?

Writing organizations are a great resource to draw upon—International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and the Public Safety Writers Association have hundreds of authorexperts who are willing to share their expertise.

For me, it’s all about character. Readers are willing to forgive a so-so plot, or overlook a plot hole if they have characters they can invest in.

I’ll spend a month or so getting to know the characters I’m going to write before I put a word on the page. I’ll start with their reputation, what they say as opposed to what they do, what they are concealing, and dig into the character’s moral code—what do they want and how far are they willing to go to get it.

Dialogue plays a crucial role in crime novels, revealing characters' motivations and driving the plot forward. How do you develop authentic and gripping dialogue that captures the essence of your characters?

Dialogue is a great way to reveal character. If I’m writing a new character and I’m unsure what they sound like, I’ve gone as far as writing a short story in that character’s perspective to help me get to know their speech patterns, slang, or words they might use in tense situations. By the time I’m ready to write, I’ve got a good feel for who they are and the dialogue sounds authentic.

In your opinion, what are the key elements that make a crime novel truly engaging and suspenseful for readers? How do you incorporate these elements into your writing process?

At the risk of repetition, I think one of the elements that engage readers is character. They don’t necessarily need to be likeable, but relatable on some level.

Switching from a career in law enforcement to writing fiction is a significant transition.

How do you channel your real-life experiences into your writing while maintaining the fictional aspects of your stories?

Crime fiction often puts readers into that mindset that “This could happen to anyone.” Or, “If it can happen to (character x) it could happen to me.”

Even though I spent nearly thirty years behind bars, I don’t write prison stories. The people I encountered and some of the situations do leak into the fiction work. It might be a specific crime scene, as in my upcoming Face of Greed, or working with undocumented migrants which inspired Dead Drop and Devil Within.

Often crime fiction is a mirror for what’s happening in our larger society. It provides us a way to take an introspective look at difficult social issues and hopefully make the reader think.

Can you share insights into your research process for creating accurate and compelling

There are bits and pieces that stay with you 9

long after they occurred—those are the moments ripe for harvest into crime fiction.

enforcement, often tend to dump too much into the narrative. All great accurate information, but it can get in the way of the story. And lots of police work is boring stuff no one wants to read.

Crime fiction often explores the thin line between justice and vengeance. How do you navigate this theme in your novels, and do your personal experiences influence your perspective on this matter?

Same goes for authors who do tons of research and believe the reader deserves to know every small detail they have uncovered in their months-long research. Only use what you need to move the story forward. And it’s fiction—it’s okay to bend a process here and there.

The search for the truth is usually central to crime fiction. Justice is a concept often mistaken for revenge and that path is fraught with peril.

I believe you have help from a very special editor #NotMyCat Tell us about how she helps you and about her career as a star of Facebook.

When I have a character who seems bent on revenge, I like to show why that notion doesn’t come without a heavy toll. That perspective does align with my experience in prison. Gang revenge killings never end the power struggle— they only fuel the desire to get even.

Yes, #NotMyCat is a self-appointed editor. She has been holding me hostage for almost eight years now. She belonged to a family down the street and used the neighbourhood as a buffet.

Until one morning when I found her lounging in the upstairs bedroom. She’s never left.

Developing a unique writing style is essential for any author. How do you balance crafting a distinctive narrative voice with meeting the expectations of the crime fiction genre?

#NotMyCat meets me for coffee every morning and then helps me by swatting the pen from my hand, or walking across the keyboard.

I’ll let you know when I figure it out. But seriously, crime fiction readers are smart. They don’t want to be led down a path to an obvious conclusion. If I can tell a story, engage the reader, and get them to care about what happens to the characters, I’ve done my job.

#NotMyCat will have her debut as a character in Face of Greed this fall. Being the diva she is, she’s already lining up paparazzi and night club appearances.

You have two corgis who have a role where children read to them. Tell us about that and how it came about?

Can you share any advice for aspiring authors who want to infuse their crime novels with the kind of authenticity and depth that comes from real-world experience, as you've done with your background as a prison guard?

We have two Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Emma and Bryn, and they are both certified therapy dogs.

First off, it takes time. You need to develop a pattern of practice that makes you sit down and write. Routine is your friend. Establish a regular time for your writing and protect it.

My wife and I take them to nursing homes, memory care facilities, hospice, and children’s reading programs. They give a little love and support for people when they need it the most.

Residents in memory care suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s don’t recall what they had for breakfast. But they talk about visiting

When it comes to blending real-world experience into you fiction—a little goes a long way.

Aspiring authors who have a background in law 10

Please tell us about your books?

with the dogs for days after. The visits unlock some deep connection to the dogs to a memory from their childhood when they had a pet of their own.

The Detective Nathan Parker series starting with Dead Drop and Devil Within, are set in the desert southwest along the U.S. and Mexico border. It deals with border violence, border politics and who’s really caught in that struggle.

Reading to the dogs is a great way for kids to practice their reading skills. We go to local books stores and libraries and children will grab a book and sit with the dog. A dog won’t make fun of the child who stumbles over a word or reads slowly.

Face of Greed comes out this November and is the first book in the Detective Emily Hunter series. Not only does #NotMyCat make her appearance, the book is influenced by one of the first murder cases I worked. It’s set in Northern California and looks into the murky world of politics, prison gangs, and the price of greed.

I believe you have won some major awards for your books. Congratulations. Can you tell us what these are?

If our readers would like to read your books, where would you recommend they start.

I’ve been fortunate with some award recognition for my work. I’ve received the Silver Falchion Award twice. Dead Drop had a very good year with five award nominations, The Lefty, Anthony, Killer Nashville’s Reader’s Choice, and it garnered the Public Safety Writers Association Award for Best Mystery Novel, and the Silver Falchion for Best Investigator Novel.

Dead Drop and Devil Within are part of a series, but may be read out of sequence. I’d still recommend starting with Dead Drop.

At What Cost is an earlier novel dealing with a serial killer who may be harvesting his victim’s organs being pursued by a detective whose son needs a kidney transplant—does the detective bring the killer to justice of make a deal to get the kidney his son needs to survive.

Face of Greed is available for pre-order, because who wouldn’t want to read #NotMyCat’s debut?

Thank you very much for joining us here at Writer’s Narrative Magazine. The advice you have given us is invaluable and I am sure our readers will take this on board and use it to help shape their manuscripts.

You can find out more about James L’Etoile on his website ‘Prison To the Page’ at: https://jamesletoile.com/

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Face of Greed by James L’Etoile - Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Greed, corruption, and betrayal--no murder is as simple as it seems.

When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are called to investigate. At first glance, it seems like a crime of opportunity gone horribly wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man.

The high-stakes investigation also comes at a time when Emily is caring for her mother, who has early-onset Alzheimer's, and Emily struggles to balance her job with her personal life. The city's political elite seem to want the case solved quickly, but darker forces want it buried.

Could there have been a motive behind the attack, making it more than a random home invasion? Emily uncovers clues that cause her to reconsider her understanding of the crime. A deadly game of greed and deception pulls Emily deeper into the shadowy world of gang violence and retribution. She has to walk the razor's edge to identify the killer--without becoming the next victim.

L’Etoile is a consummate wordsmith, and this is evident in every well-crafted word. He is also a skilled storyteller. Together this makes for a book which is impossible to ignore. When it comes to police procedurals, L’Etoile is definitely one to watch. This is the first in a new series and I was anxious to see if this one measured up to the last. The answer is a categorical, yes. Detective Emily Hunter is smart and tough, yet shows she has a heart. She is balancing a highly charged case alongside her mother’s increasing dementia, a difficult road to tread. Throw in political intrigue and pressure from above and the tension is there in bucketloads. I loved the first in this new series and I would recommend it to all crime aficionados.

I am grateful to the publisher Oceanview Publishing for the ARC of this book. It will be released on 7 th November 2023 but is available for pre-order now.

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Reviewed by Wendy H. Jones

Blurb The border is a hostile place with searing heat and venomous serpents. Yet the deadliest predator targets the innocent.

A sniper strikes in the Valley of the Sun and Detective Nathan Parker soon finds a connection between the victims—each of them had a role in an organization founded to help undocumented migrants make the dangerous crossing.

Parker discovers no one is exactly who they seem.

There’s the devil you know and then there’s the devil within—when the two collide, no one is safe.

Review When you read a James L’Etoile novel you know you are in for an absorbing read. His latest is no exception. The Devil Within is an atmospheric masterpiece with a sense of setting which is second to none.

The storyline is gripping, pulling the reader in and daring them to put the book down. I was reading this way past sensible o’clock. The tension is high, and my emotions were tugged hither and thither – the sign of a well written crime story. Of course, one cannot review it without mentioning the characters. Detective Nathan Parker is well drawn with a real sense of justice. This time the situation gets personal and we get to know a lot more about his personal life and how he deals with situations which affect him on a personal level.

From first word to last, this book demonstrates what a well written crime thriller should be.

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Featured Article

NaNoWriMo In this month’s featured article, Angela Watt demystifies NaNoWriMo and shares ideas for making the project work for you.

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ot an idea for a sci-fi space western or that epic family saga set over three generations? November could be the ideal month to set the wheels in motion. Yes, folks – it’s NaNoWriMo time of year.

Angela Watt

When someone first shared that word with me, I thought, what the heck is that? Growing up in the 1970s, I was convinced it had something to do with the TV show Mork and Mindy, but I soon discovered it’s a wonderful project aimed at writers worldwide. NaNoWriMo is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month and was set up in 1999 by Chris Baty. The concept is to commit to writing 50,000 words of your novel during the 30 days of November. That equates to 1,667 words a day. It doesn’t sound too difficult if you say it quickly, does it?

novel you’d like to work on, and NaNoWriMo is the perfect opportunity to get an early draft on the page. Writers generally fall into three categories when it comes to outlining: •A Plotter likes to create a plan before beginning to write, •A Pantser wants to drop deep into the writing process with no plan, •Or you fall somewhere between these two points.

If you like to outline, doing this before the end of October can be helpful. Rather than losing time on plotting during NaNoWriMo, you are free to keep writing and meet your daily word count.

Even for writers who hate outlining, having some notes or a mind map might help you keep going if you reach a sticky point. It’s all about finding the sweet spot that enables you to keep writing throughout November.

If you plan to join the thousands of writers who sign up each year, it’s a quick and relatively straightforward process and can be done by registering on the website at www.nanowrimo.org. You’ll need to decide on a project name, share some details about yourself and then you’re all set. You’ll also find plenty of resources on the site to help you.

But how can you make the most of your NaNoWriMo experience and keep focussed on your goal so that you cross the line as a winner?

Here are a few tips.

Characters & Setting A good book needs an engaging cast of characters and somewhere for them to live. Can you take time to explore your characters, their motivations, and the book setting?

• Whose story do you want to tell and why?

To plot or not to plot Putting your ideas down in writing before the official project kicks off is an excellent starting point. Perhaps you have a new or even a first

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Who will your main character be, and what challenges do you have in store for them?

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If you have a calendar or an online tracker, mark down each day you turn up and achieve the daily target. Once you build momentum, you won’t want to break your habit.

And your antagonist? What’s their story, and why do they keep getting in the way and trying to stop your protagonist from achieving their goals?

Who else plays a part?

And if you slip and get behind, try catching up without leaving it too long. Pace yourself to avoid writing thousands of words at the last minute.

Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, swap your inner critic for an inner coach, someone to cheer you on and encourage you. Remember, whatever progress you make in November is better than none. The words you write during NaNoWriMo didn’t exist before. And now they do.

Will your characters be based in multiple locations or one specific setting? Or will you create a new world for them to inhabit?

Planning Your Time and Space Your time is precious no matter what month of the year it is, and it can often be difficult to carve out space for writing. NaNoWriMo gives you a chance to commit for 30 days. But what can you do to aid your commitment?

Have Fun & Celebrate Don’t forget to celebrate each success: • First day under your belt – marvellous.

• Wrote more words than you expected – give yourself a pat on the back.

• Halfway there, and you’re on track – fantastic news.

• Reached the 50k milestone during November – you did it. You’re a winner! Share your success and celebrate online or face-to-face with your new writing buddies.

Saying yes to this challenge will likely mean saying no to other things. Look at what’s in your diary. Can you reschedule anything? If you work during the week, do you have time free at the weekends to write? Maybe you could give up watching TV for the month or consider restricting it and instead spend that time writing. Only you know what your month looks like and what time thieves lurk there. You want to give yourself the best chance you can. Let family and friends know you’re doing this and how important it is. Set boundaries ahead of the game for you and others.

The NaNoWriMo site will also send you fun badges that mark your progress and achievements. They want you to succeed as much as you do.

Have you thought about where you’re going to write? You may already have a dedicated space or want to set something up in readiness. Or perhaps you’re someone who enjoys writing in their local library or coffee shop. Consider your needs and where might work best.

And think. This is just the beginning. Who knows what might happen next because you took this first step? With 50,000 words under your belt, you’re well on your way to being a novelist.

Staying Motivated NaNoWriMo can be a fun and joyful experience, but it can also be tough to show up every day. If you have a wobble, remember you’re not alone.

You can link with online buddies via the website, contribute to the forums, or you may find there are in-person regional meetups close to where you live, giving you the opportunity to write alongside others.

Angela is working on her debut crime novel, ‘Pretty Head’ and likes to dabble in Micro Fiction, winning the Retreat West competition with her piece – The Lost Art of Origami. She is also an HR Consultant and Coach with 30+ years experience.

She lives in Cheshire with her husband and a very demanding cat, loves to read Gothic fiction and is obsessed with notebooks.

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Middle Grade And YA: Which One Is Your Book?

Middle grade and young adult (YA) novels are two distinct categories. Editor, book coach and writer, Jennifer Navarre, clarifies the different writing styles and levels required for Middle grade and YA books.

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ou know you want to write a novel for kids or teens. You have the story mapped out— maybe on paper, maybe digitally, maybe in your head. But who exactly are you writing for?

Jennifer Navarre

Middle grade and young adult (YA) novels are two distinct categories of kidlit, and you’ll want to ensure you’re writing for the right audience.

YA novels are typically between 50,000 and 85,000 words, although again, historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction may be longer.

Middle Grade and YA, Defined

Knowing Your Characters

Middle grade readers can be as young as eight and as old as twelve or thirteen. For US writers, middle grade does not mean middle school; you’ll have readers in elementary school too.

Readers often want to “read up,” i.e., read about someone a little older than them. They want to get a sneak peek at what life might be like for them in a few years—whether that’s having a locker for the first time, going to a school dance, or driving their own car. Because of this, middle grade characters are often ten or eleven for lower middle grade (for younger readers) and twelve or maybe thirteen for upper middle grade (for older readers).

“Middle grade and young adult (YA) novels are two distinct categories .”

Middle grade novels can run from 20,000 words to 45,000 words. Historical fiction, fantasy, and science fiction may be even longer.

“A lot of adults read YA too.”

Readers often begin reading YA around the age of twelve and then through their teen years.

And, let’s be honest, a lot of adults read YA too.

But they’re really written for teenagers who are beginning to spread their wings.

YA characters are typically sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen. They’re young enough to still be living at home and going to school, while also being old enough to drive a car (or have friends who 16

do), giving them more independence than you see at younger ages.

the day. What they don’t want to see is a parent, teacher, or some other adult swoop in and have all the answers.

(Where are the fourteen- and fifteen-year-olds?

Well, that’s a whole other conversation happening on social media among teachers, librarians, and authors, but in short: there’s a gap in the current market, and there’s a growing demand for a new Teen category. But as of now, it does not exist.)

Readers spend their days being told what to do by the grown-ups in their lives. When they’re reading, they want to know that kids or teens like them are in charge and will make the decisions (right or wrong). They want to see themselves in what they read.

Themes and Plotlines in Middle Grade and YA

“Readers are looking for kids and teens who remind them of themselves in some way.”

Middle grade characters are beginning to express their independence from their families and learning more about who they are.

Middle grade and YA novels help kids and teens develop a love of reading. Which one are you going to write next?

Many middle grade books will center on stories that take place at home and at school, focusing on family, friendships, and the adventures along the way.

“There’s a gap in the current market.”

Jennifer Navarre is a kidlit editor, book coach, and writer in the United States who works with authors of picture books, chapter books, and middle grade and YA novels. Learn more at https:// jenavarre.com.

YA characters have more independence than middle grade characters, and their stories reflect that. In YA novels, characters often leave the familiar behind as they go on a journey to discover their place in the world. Their stories are larger in scope and more outward-facing. YA is where main characters save the world, form an uprising, and/or lead the charge for change.

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Middle grade and YA have their differences, but one thing is the same: in both types of stories, the kids are the heroes of the stories, not the adults.

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Readers are looking for kids and teens who remind them of themselves in some way. They want to see their fictional counterparts solve the mystery, go back in time, win the game, or save 17

Everyone’s Got A Book In Them Ruth Leigh is author of the Isabella M Smugge series of contemporary humorous page-turners.

She’s also published a collection of Pride and Prejudice short stories. Here, she shares her journey from getting started to publishing.

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r so they say. Getting it out, however, is the tough bit. I started out as a freelance writer in the long hot summer of 2008 and once I’d got the hang of it, I assumed I’d found my life’s work. I’d always dreamed of being a writer, but back then in my childhood, I visualised myself sitting down with a pretty notebook and a new pen (Platignum for choice) and writing stories that everyone would love. Like many writers, I had to wait for many decades before that dream came true.

Ruth Leigh tween the eyes with something so intriguing that they’ll part with good money to find out more.

It sounds obvious, but before you submit your novels to agents and publishers, or upload it to KDP, make sure that you have checked, rechecked, double, and triple checked spelling, grammar, and syntax. Even the most diligent author will miss tiny slips and that is why it is so vitally important to get someone else to edit, or at least read, your novel. Your book needs to be at its very best before you let it out of its exclusive relationship with you and your laptop and into the world.

I’ve just published my fourth book and what with it being November and tens of thousands of writers worldwide engaged on NaNoWriMo ’23, it seemed like the obvious time to reflect on some top tips for writing a novel.

What is your novel idea? (Please excuse the pun – I can’t help myself). It’s no good spending months of your life writing a book which has the same topic and narrative thread as a current best seller. Your writer’s brain needs to alight on something new and different which will engage with readers.

How does your dialogue read? I’ve found it really useful to act out some portions of my books which are dialogue heavy. Get a friend or a family member to spend a few minutes with you reading your book out loud. It’s amazing what a different medium spoken word is to written. If your characters are communicating in a clunky fashion, you’ll know immediately with this method and be able to hone it so that it flows more naturally.

Have you got a hook? We all write differently.

Some of us are plotters who rely on spreadsheets and charts and endless lists to craft great work. Others are pantsers, letting it all hang out and letting the muse take the strain. Whichever you are (and you won’t know till you start), it’s important to remember that you are engaged in producing something which needs to hook your readers in. In the time it takes them to pick your book up, skim through the blurb and flick through a few pages, your job is to hit them be-

Who’s it for? Think of your ideal reader and write your book for them. They’ll love it!

Happy writing.

Website - www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk 18

Book Review

The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman - Reviewed by Louise Cannon The Last Devil To Die - The New Thursday Murder Club Mystery by Richard Osman Publisher: Penguin Imprint Viking ISBN: 9780241512449 Blurb Shocking news reaches the Thursday Murder Club.

An old friend in the antiques business has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing. As the gang springs into action they encounter art forgers, online fraudsters and drug dealers, as well as heartache close to home. With the body count rising, the package still missing and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out? And who will be the last devil to die?

Review Thursdays are back to being murderous! The Thursday Murder Club is back with ‘The Last Devil to Die’. It is endearing, emotional, darkly humorous and a little gritty. Enter the prologue that is sure to have you at the edge of your seat, before returning to the retirement village of Coopers Chase.

Osman expertly weaves readers in and out the crimes with the lives of The Thursday Murder Club, also touching upon technology, councils and the environment. As you cosily get reacquainted with Joyce, Ibrahim, Elizabeth, Ron at Christmas and beyond, there’s a gang, a mysterious box, heroin and murder to discover.

There is something amiss in the worlds of art and antique dealing. An antique shop is overturned and a woman who used to work legitimately, is now an art fraudster at large, signing paintings as many famous artists from Picasso to Lowry. The crimes, are interjected with light and dark humour in some of the conversations between the friends and deep emotion at times of personal matters and health issues, which are tackled realistically and well, with some twists. Elizabeth, Viktor and Stephen especially tug, strongly at the heartstrings, yet it is fascinating exploring their lives.

The Last Devil to Die is an excellent compelling and page-turning read. Osman is now writing a new highly anticipated series.

Louise Michelle Cannon lives in Central Scotland with family and a cute but wily cat. She writes a blog – Bookmarks and Stages, reviewing books, theatre, festivals and conduct the occasional Q&A sessions.

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Predicting the Traffic Jam, Not the Car

Author and podcaster Andrew Chamberlain explores the delightful challenge of imagining new stories in the science fiction genre.

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ow do you react to the idea of reading a science fiction (SF)? Does the thought pique your interest and make you curious for new and fantastic worlds? Or does it all sound like childish nonsense, the province of geeks and nerds?

Andrew J. Chamberlain

If the idea of consuming SF content doesn’t inspire you, then you’ll likely baulk at the prospect of writing in the genre. But wait! Don’t dismiss the idea yet. Before you go, I’d like to invite you to consider the allure of SF, and give you some tips to help you determine whether this really is an area where you exercise your writing talents.

see a whole lot more than this: constellations, planets, and even our nearest galaxy: Andromeda.

“Looking at the heavens creates different responses in different people.”

Looking at the heavens creates different responses in different people. Some may feel a sense of mild curiosity, others indifference, but what about you? Might you be filled with a Godgiven sense of wonder about what’s going on ‘out there’?

To boldly go - the enduring appeal of science fiction.

Recently I was asked by a friend what someone should do to work out whether they are interested in writing science fiction. My answer was: ‘go outside and look up at the sky, and see what you feel’, by this I meant to encourage my friend go out on a clear night, look up and then try to discern their reaction as they gazed at the panorama of the moon, the stars and other celestial features that are visible from earth. If you live in a remote setting where the sky is unpolluted by light, you might even see the vastly distant trail of dust and stars that forms part of our galaxy. If you happen to have a good pair of binoculars or even a telescope, you might

If you look up into the skies and feel that sense of wonder, then SF might be for you.

Some argue that as our scientific knowledge grows, the awe we feel from looking at the stars will diminish, that our knowledge will take the magic and majesty from the heavens. I don’t think this is the case. Rather, I think our growing knowledge might serve to sharpen our curiosity, our amazement at the heavens, and our spirit of adventure. Being aware of the distances to the 20

manifest in the outward story, the unfolding plot.

The other is more reflective, the arc of the characters, how they develop over time, how they deal with the challenges they face, maybe that frustrating commute home in heavy traffic (!) This arc of the story reflect the nature of humanity, or perhaps the nature of the other races featured in the story.

objects we see doesn’t rob them of their mystery. Knowing that the most ancient sources of light humanity can detect in our still expanding universe are nearly fourteen billion years old may add to the sense of wonder that we feel, not detract from it. The more we discover, the greater our desire to keep looking.

This desire to explore runs deep in the genre. We are beguiled by the idea of visiting ‘the other’: other places, other intelligences, other versions of ourselves. All of these concepts have been explored throughout the history of SF. We see it in Mary Shelley’s Dr Frankenstein as her protagonist tries to create a new type of human.

We see it in the work of H G Wells as his Martians attack the earth, and we also see it in the prophetic, imaginative works of George Orwell, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Philip K. Dick.

“Good SF need not involve rockets and star systems.”

Within the fantastic genres science fiction provides not only an excellent context for us to express our desire for adventure and exploration, it also gives us the perfect crucible in which to look at ourselves and our societies, at the challenges of what it may mean for us in the future to be human, to have an identity, and to discover what that identity is.

“Great science fiction stories don’t just point to something ‘out there.”

So, I invite you to go out on a clear night and look at the stars, and also look at the society around you and into yourself. Could you use your writing skills to lead us into the future? Does the prospect intrigue you? If it does them maybe science fiction is the genre for you.

It is this longing, articulated in a million different ways, that inspires science fiction authors to write the stories of exploration and imagination that are the hallmark of the genre. But these great science fiction stories don’t just point to something ‘out there’, they also point to something ‘in here’, that is, inside us. They point to a truth about what it means to be human, and to be a society of humans. They identify the opportunities and the challenges that we might encounter. The title of this article is inspired by a quote from the 20th century SF writer Frederick Pohl. Pohl noted that: “A good science fiction story should be able to predict not the automobile but the traffic jam.” This is the way the SF writer’s imagination works.

Andrew J. Chamberlain is an author, podcaster and Director of the British Christian Writers Conference. In September 2017, he published The Creative Writer's Toolbelt Handbook a compilation of the very best advice and insight from dozens of professional writers, artists, and editors, from the podcast of that name. His Science Fiction novel, The Centauri Survivors, was published in 2019 and his Christian supernatural thriller series, The Masters Series, comprising two books: Urban Angel, and Cain’s Redemption, was published in 2021. Andrew is part of the Resolute Books publishing group.

The two arcs of great storytelling Pohl’s quote reminds us that good SF need not involve rockets and star systems. The best science fiction, as with nearly all great stories, contains two arcs. One is external and is 21

Fantasy Fiction: Capturing Moonbeams

Where do you start when writing a fantasy story?

Fantasy author and writer Babs Stevenson discusses some of the key elements of writing in this genre.

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have never embraced the concept of reality.

Things are seldom what they appear to be and never what you are told they are.

Babs Stevenson

A school history lesson is an example.

Depending on the era and environment you grew up in, Winston Churchill could be a national hero or a colonial boor. To me, the cow near my home with its single, deformed horn the result, presumably, of a botched dehorning is a bovine unicorn, endowed with magical powers. Likewise, the kilted backpacker trudging through the rain is the ghost of a Highland clansman retreating from Culloden.

That is the beauty of the genre.

lost continents. Characters from fairy tales or folklore can be added to new adventures, but their past lives remain. Goldilocks may become a world leader and prevent a climate change catastrophe, but she will always be the little girl who ate Baby Bear’s porridge.

Good research can lift a fantasy story into the realms of legend by giving it an edge of realism. I research the background for fantasy stories as diligently as I would if writing historical ones. I spent several hours learning about passenger trains in 1930s France, so that I could “realistically” make them fantastical. In another story a king uses a broken one-armed bandit machine to make new laws. The machine was described exactly as I saw it, in a ditch while walking in the Welsh Valleys (TRUE).

“Things are seldom what they appear to be and never what you are told they are.”

This is not to say that there are no rules or that there is no need for research. To make something fantastical you have to have a knowledge of the more pragmatic workings. It is also accepted in most quarters that what has already been written about fantasy stands.

“Good research can lift a fantasy story into the realms of legend by giving it an edge of realism.”

No-one, apart from the author, can change the rules of Quidditch, Hobbits will always live in the Shire and Narnia was entered through a magical wardrobe. Readers know what a dragon is and places such as Atlantis and Mu will forever be

What draws me to fantasy is its gloriously sensual nature. Scenes sparkle with colour, or nuances if you have invented a monochrome utopia. Everything becomes more vibrant. The 22

writer has an obligation not only to create wonders, but to convey them to readers. No description is needed with the sentence ‘Joe got off the bus’, but ‘Joe got off the veloenvelopede’ demands an explanation. Care must be taken not to slow down the pace of the action, or the veloenvelopede, by too many words. Choose them carefully.

film, but the story revolves around the consequences of a terrible event. No spoilers, but the fantasy element - the search for the Holy Grail - is beautifully woven into the fabric of New York in the early 90s.

That said, where do you start when writing a fantasy story? I imagine you can guess my answer - Anywhere. Anything can be seen (or heard/tasted/smelled/touched) in a fantastical manner. Perhaps the real question is how to write a fantasy story that stays in the memory.

It isn’t only sight that is important. Think singing Oompa Loompas; cocoa islands wafting the aroma of chocolate; streams of glitter water or whatever. In fantasy you needn’t stop at five or six senses. Add as many as your imagination can cope with (or your technical ability can describe).

I believe fantasy, like any good writing, must raise the reader above the humdrum of daily life.

(Think Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach. If you haven’t read it, please do). It should give the reader the ability to see a needle and fear sleeping for a hundred years with one pin prick. Make them count the number of Dalmatian dogs they spot, or count the spots on the Dalmatian they see, if they have an arithmetic bend.

“The writer has an obligation not only to create wonders, but to convey them to readers.”

There are as many ways to write fantasy as there are fantasy writers and fantasy has its own subgenres - the Victoriana “steampunk” and variations; epic quests; stories for children and young adults; folklore and fairy tales; dark fantasy… the list is endless.

“Fantasy, like any good writing, must raise the reader above the humdrum of daily life.”

I am often asked the difference between fantasy and science fiction. There is no clear-cut divide.

Usually science fiction refers to future events, with technology that hasn’t yet been invented.

Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea may have been classed as science fiction when it was written in 1869-70, but now it is seen as fantasy.

A tricky task. My secret? I referred to growing up in my first paragraph. Never, ever be tempted to do so!

“I believe fantasy, like any good writing, must raise the reader above the humdrum of daily life.”

Barbara Stevenson is the author of two fantasy novels and an anthology of fantasy short stories.

She has also had papers published on fantasy subjects including the fairy tales of Oscar Wilde, Gormenghast and the Thomas Covenant novels of Stephen Donaldson.

Fantasy can be historical, romantic, humorous, tragic, political, nonsensical etc. Most are a combination. One of my favourite films is the 1991 fantasy The Fisher King directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges. There are humorous moments in the 23

Writing Historical Fiction Novels

Historian and writer Nick Mills celebrates the joys of writing historical fiction and shares useful tips on getting the details right.

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ou could almost say that writing historical fiction is the easy option.

Nick Mills

Fiction is the great escape, the best, most relaxing (and probably cheapest!) way to slip out of our lives and off to some imaginary place.

That place could be the writer’s version of the present: sometimes it’s fun to read fiction set in a place we know well, and sometimes it’s good to explore new places, in a contemporary setting. But to escape more thoroughly, that requires a different world. You can invent fantasy worlds, science fiction starships or magical planets, but there’s an awful lot of worldbuilding to be done to make such writing convincing. Writing historical fiction allows us to travel to a different world that has already existed: all the writer has to do is to conjure it up again for the reader.

duty, from our modern perspective, but we can’t push too hard or too far: our characters will suffer, or the book will be less convincing.

Practically, too, the world we’re visiting works at a different pace – horse travel, walking, no telephones, water boiled over an open fire, clothing made from scratch within the household. We have to be able to pace our fiction to match. The writer has to change the reader’s expectations, not have them instinctively thinking ‘Why doesn’t she just pick up her mobile?’ We’re inviting the reader to join us in our historical world, so we have to try not to jolt them out of it with the wrong words in a character’s speech, the wrong king on the throne, the wrong food on the table, or any other anachronisms. We need to cast a spell to make them forget they are reading what is really modern language in a paperback on an aeroplane, or on an e-book in a trendy café.

“Writing historical fiction allows us to travel to a different world that has already existed.”

An escape to somewhere different does not just mean a different date and some long dresses, or tight breeches. It means that the author can play in a time with different values, different morals, different societal constraints. It probably means that women can do less, but the humbler levels of society are also restricted, male or female.

Pushing against that might seem almost our

I began writing historical fiction partly because I love history, visiting historical sites, reading old books, holding old objects for that hum of age.

But I also began writing it because I write crime 24

fiction. Historical crime fiction frees me from modern technology and the speed it’s developing, from keeping up with new legal developments, from knowing about the latest ideas in forensic science and those pesky universally available mobile phones with their apps and their tracers that interfere with many contemporary plots. Of course, setting crime fiction in the past adds the extra constraint of inventing a puzzle that sits within historical facts and limitations. I might not like to keep up with progress in forensic science, but it’s nice to know that my heroes have some hope of solving the crime based on the clues available to them at the time.

would have done - though I have heard of one writer determined to learn riding as his character would spend a good deal of time in the saddle in the course of his work – unfortunately the author did not take well to riding, nor the horses to him, and the character had to change! But we can do more easily accessible things like cooking contemporary recipes or learning crafts of the period, or even, if your fancy takes you that way, dressing up in Georgian ball gowns or Viking tunics. That’s an excellent way of finding out how your characters can move, how tight a corset can be, how crinolines prevent you from hiding behind curtains, how much we depend on pockets!

And of course, writing historical fiction is a brilliant excuse for diving into lots of lovely research. You don’t need to limit yourself to – or even focus on – the kind of school history of monarchs and laws and armies and battles.

That’s all just background for most fictional characters. You can choose what their interests are, what their daily life involves, and research that. They could be a shopkeeper, stocking lots of fascinating old brands and old-fashioned sweets in bottles. They could be a falconer, tending to sharp-clawed, feather-light hunters for some grand lord or lady. They could be a Tommy struggling to keep his feet dry in a First World War trench, envious of the Yankie privates allowed to wear ties. Details are always convincing, though not too much detail or it will look more like a textbook than fiction.

We need to feel what our characters feel, and that can mean knowing how worrying a fever or an infection could be before antibiotics, what it is like to walk along a dark street with only a blackout torch, what it might be like to step on a thick carpet if you’ve only had bare boards, how little you might notice the smells you’ve lived with, however awful they might be. We can learn the facts, but here is where our imagination comes in, and our skills in helping the reader to feel these things, too.

Every time I start working in a new historical period, I feel excited, then daunted, then fascinated as I discover more about it and about the potential for new plots and new characters.

It may not really be the easy option, but for me, at least, it’s certainly the most fun!

“Writing historical fiction is a brilliant excuse for diving into lots of lovely research.”

Nick Mills is a historian living in the shadow of the Highlands. Her Murray of Letho and Hippolyta Napier novels are born of a life amidst Scotland’s old cities, ancient universities and hidden-away aristocratic estates, but she has written since the day she found out that people were allowed to do such a thing. Beyond teaching and research, her days are spent with wool, wild allotments and a wee bit of whisky .

A detail, too, though, can be the hook that takes you into a book, the key to the plot. You can come across them anywhere. We can read about so much of life in every period of history, starting, perhaps, with internet sources, then branching wider to more specialised books and maps. We can visit historical sites, pacing out the distance and time it might take to get around them. We can practise things our characters 25

What’s In A Name?

How do you decide on character names? Eileen Rolland discusses some of the processes she uses when selecting names for her fictional characters.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet Act 2 Scene 2

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kay, so you’ve got a great idea for a story, you have a rough plot in mind and you’ve written some notes so you don’t forget the important points. Now you can start writing.

Eileen Rolland yourself what your characters’ strengths and weaknesses are: confident and assertive, or someone who goes out of their way to avoid conflict? If you have a female character, for example, whose name means ‘Gentle Dove’, you would know how that character might react in a given situation compared to someone whose name means ‘Warrior Woman’.

Things go well until you introduce your characters and you have to think of names. That can stop you in your tracks. If you’re lucky, names will come to mind immediately. Do you just go with whatever comes up? Will the name you’ve chosen sustain your character throughout the story? You don’t want to have to change it later, running the risk of missing changes somewhere and confusing your readers when John at the start becomes Jim halfway through.

Perhaps loads of names will pop into your head but none feels right.

There’s a lot to think about, like where and when your story is set. If it’s set in the past, it might be important that the names you choose are appropriate to the time period of your work.

Names also go in and out of fashion and an old name whose popularity had faded might just resurface as fresh and trendy a generation or two later so it might be worth checking where and when the name originated.

“Will the name you’ve chosen sustain your character throughout the story?”

You don’t want to lose momentum so you keep writing, using the technique of inserting XXX or YYY as a placeholder. This allows you to keep going while the words are flowing and you can go back and add a name later. But the problem of finding that name still remains.

Also, names that may have been associated with specific cultures or geographical locations may now be more familiar due to increased opportunities to travel and more diverse communities.

If you’re unsure, you can make a list of any names you find interesting and look up the meaning in a book of baby names, or on the internet. But how do you choose? You could ask

Still stuck? Try the following exercise. Think of a name that can be shortened – ‘William’, for example. Write down everything you can think of that would describe William.

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How old is he?

What kind of house does he live in?

What kind of clothes does he wear?

What does he do for a living?

What kind of friends does he have?

What’s his favourite music, sport, food?

Where does he go on holiday?

What books does he read?

What does he care about – nature, global warming, good wine, money, fast cars?

Give him a physical description – height, weight, hair and eye colour.

person have to fit. Try the same exercise for ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Betty’, or any other names you are considering.

“Know your character like you would know a good friend.”

Producing character cards can be time-consuming but you don’t need to do it for all your characters.

Focus your efforts on those who are most important to your story. Don’t forget to let your readers know the kinds of people they are, or at least give them little hints so that the end of your story will make sense.

Ask any questions about William that you can think of so you get a well-rounded picture of this person. Know him like you would know a good friend. Would he lend you money? Would he be there for you in a tricky situation? Or would he run a mile if you asked him for help? Once you feel that you know exactly the kind of person William is, do the same exercise for ‘Bill’. Notice anything?

The name you’re happy with will come to you so don’t stress about it. Besides, if you’re writing science fiction, and you can make names up, the world (or some distant planet in a universe far, far away) is your oyster.

Eileen Rolland has written for voluntary and community groups in addition to work-related writing and her own projects. She’s studied Communication and Professional Writing, ran a complementary therapy business, led a Writers’ Group, taught Tai Chi and Qigong (Chi Gong) and was voted Woman of Inspiration by the Association of Scottish Businesswomen in 2014. Learn more on her website: https://eileenrolland.com/

Names carry associations for us. Maybe we knew someone with that name at some point in our past and that experience may have coloured our feelings towards other people with the same name. Some names have been made popular by television, books, music, or theatre. Although we try not to stereotype people, we want our characters to have credibility. The name and the

27

Setting As A Character: Making It Relevant

Author of the Shetland-set detective stories starring liveaboard sleuth Cass Lynch, Marsali Taylor shares the importance of relevance of setting to characters and explains how she has done this with her heroine, Cass.

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hen I invented my sailing heroine Cass, I wanted to make her a sailor. She grew up in Shetland, sailing dinghies, then went to sea aged sixteen, mostly on sail training ships. At the start of the series she lives aboard her own 8m yacht (think old-fashioned caravan with a pointy end). Sailing’s made her self-reliant and quick-witted – the sea takes no prisoners, and so far she’s got herself out of everything I’ve thrown at her.

Marsali Taylor Aa in January to the bairns’ Christmas party, but it’s important that they move the plot on too.

Crowds of folk together is Cass’s chance to chat casually to a suspect, spot a vital clue, or notice people’s reactions to each other. Going to another part of Shetland gives her a shot at different kinds of trouble.

Each of my books is set in a specific week, because seasons play a huge part in Shetland life, especially for a liveaboard like Cass. I know as I write the previous book when the next one will be set, and when that ‘next book’ time comes round I cancel writing and spend those days out and about with a notebook, scribbling down everything: the weather, what’s growing in the garden and ditches, what birds are here, whether people are out and about or hunkered down indoors. I record the things Cass would know without thinking about them: what the tide’s doing, what state the moon is at, the colours of the sea and sky, the clouds and what that tells her about coming weather, and most importantly, how strong the wind is – because that dictates what she can do in her little boat, and how dangerous it will be for her.

“The key thing for me, in planning, is to make the setting relevant.”

I make a full-day visit to the place the book’s going to be set. Shetland’s a bigger place than you’d expect from those little dots on the map, and each area and island has its own character and places of interest, which influences the feel of the book.

Cass began her career in my own sailing ground on the west side, then moved to Scalloway for Halloween and witches - Shetland witches were tried at Earl Patrick’s forbidding castle there. In Unst, the centre of a Norse archaeological investigation, she sees a Viking ghost. Her visit to the eastern isle of Fetlar was structured on the Norse game Hnafatafl – Fetlar hosts the World Championships. In Yell, I had fun sending her

The key thing for me, in planning, is to make the setting relevant. I know readers enjoy finding out about the events of Shetland life, from Up Helly 28

into Briain’s Most Haunted, the eerie Windhouse, and of course she had to visit the local shop – Mary’s at Aywick is three crofthouses joined together, and if Mary doesn’t sell it, you don’t need it.

ideas for murders aboard. Research is such fun! – and one of my proudest moments was helming our beautiful ship into Belfast with Captain Sture beside me, giving me orders as if I was a regular crew member.

Particularly, I check out marinas for Cass to stay in – she doesn’t yet have a driving licence, and she’d prefer to sail anyway. These journeys give me a lot of fun, as it’s a chance to practise my navigation. I settle down with my pilot book for Shetland, my charts, my tidal atlas and the marinas guide, and plot the voyage on paper just as if I was going to do it. Distance, time it’ll take at Khalida’s 4 knots, tidal direction and speed, hazards on the way, lighthouses, headlands, compass course to steer, entry to the marina. I’m kind to her with the weather – she’s only had a couple of serious storms to cope with, both based on a voyage I did to Norway in a friend’s yacht.

The only one of Cass’s voyages I didn’t do beforehand was the one at the start of Grave of a Shetland Sailor (The Body in the Bracken). In that one, she sails practically non-stop for two days to get from Shetland down to a loch in the West Highlands. Please remember Cass is thirty years younger than me, and an experienced ocean sailor – and even for her it was a mad venture. As I do with the Shetland voyages, I planned it as if I really was going to do it - messing about with charts beats the slog of writing any day! I used the Lighthouse Board’s website to check every lighthouse she’d see; I studied the Ordnance Survey map contours and compared them to photos of the hills she’d use as landmarks as she passed. I must have done it thoroughly, for when I sailed that route in Sørlandet it felt as if I really had been there before.

“I make a full-day visit to the place the book’s going to be set.”

In one boat or another, I’ve sailed all round Shetland, sometimes in my own Karima, sometimes in Shetland’s Swan, a converted fishing boat built in 1900. That’s a huge help in describing Shetland from the sea, and knowing what it’s like out there in all conditions. The Swan voyage to Papa Stour and Foula in The Shetland Sea Murders was one where I was onboard with my notebook; I hope my description did justice to the wonderful colours and patterns of the sea caves we went into in the inflatible.

My one sorrow was that my publishers put Cass’s beautiful passage plan as an appendix at the back of the book. It should have gone at the front, so that readers would go ‘What is this? Too complicated..’ and flip over it, as wrong-footed as Cass - because knowing how complicated it was led Cass astray in her search for the killer…

Marsali Taylor grew up in Edinburgh, and studied English at Dundee University before teacher training college. She moved to the Shetland Isles and loved it so much that she’s stayed there ever since.

She’s now the author of ten Shetland-set detective stories starring liveaboard sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae. She’s also published a history of women’s fight for the vote and articles for a local magazine Shetland Life . She has a monthly column in Practical Boat Owner.

Death in Shetland Waters describes another great voyage: from Kirstiansand to Belfast aboard the Norwegian tall ship Sørlandet. That’s my goriest book, because the enlightened Kristiansand social work department had sent fifty of the teenagers on its books onboard as trainees.

Naturally they asked why I was always writing things down, and were delighted to help with 29

Keeping It Not-So-Cosy: Writing Modern Cosy Crime Cosy mystery author Fiona Veitch Smith explores the world of cosy crime and shares why it might not be as cosy as might at first appear.

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e are in a new golden age of cosy crime.

According to Bookbrunch the most sought-after titles at the 2022 Frankfurt Book Fair were cosies (or cozies, if you prefer).

Publishing industry wisdom puts this down to the collective trauma suffered during the Covid pandemic when many readers wanted a tad less blood and gore in their literary diets.

Fiona Veitch Smith

However, when even the current “king of cosy”, Richard Osman, declares he doesn’t think he writes cosies (in a recent BBC interview) you would be forgiven for shaking those little grey cells in confusion. And here’s a confession: despite being marketed as a cosy writer, I’m not entirely comfortable with the cosy label – and neither are many other cosy writers. I was on a cosy panel at CrimeFest earlier this year, where two out of five of us said we didn’t primarily think of our books as cosies. I prefer to call my books historical mysteries or golden age-style mysteries, although I am aware that I have plenty of cosy elements and am found on both the cosy and historical crime shelves.

However, could the tide be turning? According to the Bookseller in July 2023 police procedurals just managed to nudge out cosies from the top spot.

But go into any bookshop and you’ll see cosies still comfortably snuggled on the bestseller shelves.

But what is a cosy? Although notoriously difficult to define, there are some common elements. The murder is not graphically described and sometimes takes place “off stage”. There is very little sex or swearing. The detective is often a quirky amateur. There is frequently an ensemble cast of colourful characters. The crimes often take place in closed communities, with a plethora of suspects, stereotypically a village or rural community, but there are many urban and city cosies too. There are touches of humour, irony and wit – and pathos. Modern cosies lean towards female sleuths and in America, in particular, tend to be owners of bookshops, tea rooms or other small business entrepreneurs. The reader is invited to solve the puzzle alongside the detective. Justice is always served.

So why the reluctance to embrace the term?

Because there is a stereotype that cosy crimes are intellectually untaxing, whimsical and twee. This is a misunderstanding of the difference between tone and content.

Returning to Richard Osman, he said: ‘Lots of fabulously bad things happen [in my books] under the cosy exterior. But I wouldn't say that Christie and Sayers were [cosy] either.’

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What Osman is talking about is the co-existence of darkness and light, serious and flippant, as well as depth of characterisation – that is serious content with a cosy veneer. In Dorothy L. Sayers’ Peter Wimsey books, the tone is light and playful, but there are some serious underlying issues. The Unpleasantness and the Bellona Club had me in tears when Sayers described one of the characters having to hide what we would today call “post-traumatic stress” and being told he needed to just keep a stiff upper lip and not embarrass his father.

Conventional Cosies - If you click on “cozy” on Amazon you will find the sub-categories of animals, crafts & hobbies, culinary, and gardening. These are all typical cosy contexts.

Readers tend not to want too much of a challenge. I read a review on a gardening mystery recently that complained the plot was too complex and there weren’t enough flowers.

Sleuths with pets who help them solve crimes are very popular, as are mysteries surrounding hobbies like knitting, flower arranging, scrapbooking, baking and cooking. Recipes or patterns are often included, and readers enjoy them as much for the crafting tips as they do for the mystery.

In Gaudy Night, Sayers deals with the multilayered issue of the plight of educated women.

Turning to Christie, I’ve just recently re-read Death on the Nile (on a trip to Egypt!) and was struck by the psychological insight of Poirot as he views the actions of the suspects and victims as by-products of their individual trauma. Not very cosy, if you define it as simply light, fluffy, comforting fun.

Crossover Cosies – (not yet a category, but it should be!) this is where you’ll find everything from cross-genre cosies like historical mysteries, to edgier “issue-based” cosies. A recent series by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett (A Murder of Crows is the first), about an ecologist detective, combines sleuthing with environmental concerns. One reviewer described them as “semi-cosy”. Other descriptions of crossover books include “cosy with edge”, “new cosy”, “modern cosy” and, my most recent find, “cosy noir”!

Now consider the tragedy of Mma Ramotswe’s backstory in Alexander McCall Smith’s Number One Ladies’ Detective Agency, or the treatment and forced incarceration of the mentally ill in my books The Jazz Files and The Crystal Crypt. Cosy novels can and do deal with serious stuff. They can be meaty and thought-provoking, just as more “serious” crime books can sometimes be vapid and shallow.

So, whatever your taste in cosy, as a reader or writer (even if you don’t like the term cosy!) know that you can mix cosy and serious. Now, write that book.

“Cosy novels can and do deal with serious stuff.”

Fiona Veitch Smith is the author of the Poppy Denby Investigates books and the Miss Clara Vale Mysteries, historical (cosy) mysteries set in the 1920s.

Her book The Jazz Files was shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger and subsequent books have been shortlisted for the People’s Book Prize and the Foreword Book Award. Until recently she was the Communications Manager for the Crime Writers’ Association, and still serves on the CWA Board.

Her latest release is The Picture House Murders. http://fiona.veitchsmith.com/

That said, some readers expect simple fun and fluff and don’t want to be too challenged. And there are readers who want both (hurrah!) and relish a thought-provoking read with cosy flourishes. The problem comes when reader expectations of what a cosy should be don’t match the cosy they are given. To avoid this, I would argue for the cosy genre to be divided into two broad categories: conventional and crossover.

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How To Be A Winner Editor and author Julia Thorley shares valuable tips to make sure your competition entries are good to go.

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love judging writing competitions. It’s a privilege to read what people have had the courage to send in and I’m always blown away by writers’ creativity and imagination.

However, it doesn’t matter how good the story is if the submission rules aren’t followed. It might sound harsh, but if you don’t get the basics right your entry won’t even be read.

Julia Thorley

You might think this is all very obvious, and it is.

Nevertheless, I recently judged a flash fiction competition where one of the entries was in the wrong format, wrong typeface, single spaced instead of double, wasn’t on the theme and was a piece of non-fiction. This is a shame, because it might have been a wonderful specimen of writing, but it didn’t follow the rules so we’ll never know. Oh yes, and it was too long. You’d be surprised how many people think the upper word limit is for guidance only. It’s not.

If the rules state Word doc, any pdf will go straight in the bin. If it’s not in the required double-line-spaced Times New Roman 12pt, then out it goes.

“It doesn’t matter how good the story is if the submission rules aren’t followed.”

I’ve had people tell me it shouldn’t matter what typeface is used, but it does. All the entries need to look the same so there is a level playing field.

A typeface sets up expectations; if you send me something written in Comic Sans, I’m going to be irritated by its whimsy before I’ve even started to read it. Ah, you might say, but I want my entry to stand out. Trust me, you don’t – at least not in this way. Nor should you use blue ink or a green background.

Discount the first five ideas you have. If you’ve thought of them, everyone else will have, too.

What will improve your chances of winning is if you take a sideways look at the subject. For example, if the theme is ‘Poppy’, I’d wager at least half the entrants will go straight down the First World War/Armistice Day/tragedy route.

Either that or a cute dog. Boring! Top Tip: put the theme in the search bar of any online picture library. You’ll be amazed by what comes up.

My next point is pretty basic. If it’s a flash fiction competition, don’t send a poem or an article. If it’s a poetry competition, don’t send a short story. Is there a theme? Then stick to it. If, for example, you’ve been set the task of writing about first love, don’t submit a story about breaking down on the M1. If offered a pictorial prompt of a woodland scene, don’t submit an urban dystopian thriller. It won’t be considered, no matter how brilliant your writing.

Don’t try to mould a story you have on the stocks to fit a theme. A judge will see through it in a moment if you’ve simply changed the setting of your tale from Doncaster to Dubai in an attempt to squeeze in an exotic location. While it is sometimes possible to cut down a longer story 32

to satisfy a shorter word count, it rarely works to do it the other way round. Adding adjectives and flannel just won’t do.

another judge might have awarded the prizes differently and given you first place. The discipline of writing for a competition offers a wonderful opportunity to explore genres and forms you might otherwise avoid; and even if you don’t win you’ll have a lovely piece of writing to submit elsewhere.

It should go without saying that you must proofread your entry to check spelling, grammar and punctuation. It’s a good idea to read it aloud, or better still get your computer to read it to you.

That way you hear the words but with no emotion, and it’s a good way to spot missing or repeated words. I might overlook a slip of the finger, but if it comes down to two stories I really can’t choose between, the one without the errors is going to nudge into the lead.

Julia Thorley is a Kettering-based editor and writer, and author of several fiction and non-fiction books. She also runs workshops, gives talks on writing and is a competition judge.

“Adding adjectives and flannel just won’t do.”

Entries are judged anonymously, but the judges themselves are usually named. Whether you choose to take advantage of this is up to you, but if that person is famous for a particular genre you might want to bear it in mind. I recently judged a competition in which one entrant had clearly done their research and included references to local issues that are well-known to be close to my heart. (They didn’t win, but I appreciated the effort!) However, a competition that receives a lot of entries is likely to have a panel of readers who sort the literary wheat from the chaff, and the named head judge will only see the long or short list.

Finally, be creative with your title. I won the Northants prize in the H E Bates short story competition one year, with my entry ‘Scoring an Own Goal in Tennis’. Afterwards, I was told by the judge that my title was one of the reasons my entry made it through the first round.

In short: read the rules, stick to the word count, follow the theme but don’t go for the obvious interpretation, proofread, then read the rules again before you send in your entry in time to meet the deadline.

Finally, don’t forget that in the end judging is subjective. If you don’t win, remember that 33

Article

Wild Winter Walks: Writing and Photographing Nature

Linda Brown discusses the many benefits for writers of taking time to enjoy the great outdoors and how doing so inspires her writing. Here, Linda shares her top tips for getting the best out of nature walks.

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inter – damp, dark and depressing – at least, it can be in south-west Scotland where I live. Not that dismal weather and shorter daylight hours stop me heading into the woods, or along country roads, or coastal paths, to soak up nature. Even on the coldest, dreariest of days there is still plenty of life, beauty and joy around.

Linda Brown

cold days scribbling in a notebook. You can refer to your images later when you begin to write.

Alternatively, use “voice recorder” on your phone to dictate descriptions and log information.

All too often we writers spend too much time indoors, chained to desks, bottoms glued to office chairs, eyes fixed on laptop screens. Taking time out to enjoy the great outdoors can impact positively on both our physical and mental health. A brisk walk in the fresh air, exploring our natural environment, is exhilarating and rewarding.

There are plenty of excellent apps to help identify everything from trees, plants and fungi, to bugs, birds and even animal droppings. I find ‘Google Lens’ to be an invaluable tool, as is ‘Merlin’ - an app which identifies birds from my photographs, and listens to birdsong/calls to make an identification.

“Even on the coldest, dreariest of days there is still plenty of life, beauty and joy around.”

Nature walks inspire fabulous poetry, informative articles and clickable blogs. Interacting with the weather, landscape, flora and fauna helps fiction writers create an evocative and authentic “sense of place” for short stories and novels.

Carry a bag of bird seed; birds, squirrels and field mice will love you and you might ( I stress might) get some amazing photographs (wildlife is notoriously camera shy).

Come on… what are you waiting for? Lace up your walking boots, wrap up warm, grab your camera…and go.

Writing Tips for a Winter Nature Article So…what ingredients make an engaging piece of winter themed nature writing?

Practical Tips to get Started

As with most genres of writing, use powerful descriptions and vivid imagery. Capture the essence of the wintery landscape. Remember,

On your walk, take lots of photographs instead of notes; you won’t want to stand about on bitter 34

Write in Time

bleak can be beautiful.

Mark Twain 1835 - 1910

Use all the senses; let readers hear the harsh squawks of the heron flying overhead or the clicks of a robin resting on a bare branch. Let them smell the pungent scent of juniper, feel the weathered bark of a windblown tree against your hand and taste the melting snowflake on your tongue.

“The Father of American literature.”

William Faulkner Mark Twain was an American novelist, writer, publisher and lecturer who lived through the Civil War.

“Use all the senses.”

Use strong verbs. Don’t walk across that muddy field – squelch/ trudge/plod across it.

Better known by his pen name, Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens was born in Florida in the State of Missouri in November 1835. He was the 6th child of storekeeper and land speculator John Clemens. When his father died in 1847, when Samuel was 12, his family experienced near destitution.

Until the age of 17, he lived in Hannibal on the Mississippi River.

Find an interesting angle to focus on – the arrival of wintering redwings from Scandinavia or the hibernation habits of hedgehogs.

“Find an interesting angle to focus on.”

Consider, if appropriate, including local folklore or seasonal traditions like the Winter Solstice or mystical mistletoe.

He married Olivia Langdon, the daughter of a wealthy New York coal merchant, in 1870 and they had 4 children. Olivia died in 1904.

Give your reader a sense of how your walk, connecting with nature, made you feel. Elated? Nostalgic? Contented and at peace with the world?

Or, maybe, considering it is winter – just freezing cold?

Pen Name - Mark Twain In addition to his many novels, Mark Twain wrote numerous short stories and essays.

Selected Works

If that’s the case, my final tip is – as soon as you get home, treat yourself to a mug of creamy hot chocolate. The perfect end to a wild winter walk.

First Book The Innocents Abroad - 1869

Then get writing.

Classics in American Literature Adventures of Tom Sawyer - 1876 Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - 1884 Other Novels The Prince and the Pauper - 1881

Linda Brown is a writer, with a passion for nature, from a small town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. She writes fiction and non-fiction and presently has articles, including nature pieces, published in Ayrshire Magazine.

Travel Book Life on the Mississippi - 1883 Unfinished Work The Chronicle of Young Satan 35

Recent Releases Title: The Devil Stone (A DCI Christine Caplan Thriller Book 1)

by Caro Ramsay ASIN: B0BZ4MW1TL Publisher: Canongate Books (August 2023) In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered. The Devil Stone, an heirloom rumoured to bring death if removed from their home, is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists. But when the investigating officer disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate.

Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but she's confident she can quickly solve the murders and return home to her fractious family. But as she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her career, that is in danger.

Title: Island of Ruin (Ruin or Redemption Book 1)

by Marti M. McNair ASIN : B0CK3M5FV4 Publisher : RebSam Publishing (October 2023) In the wake of an apocalyptic End of Days, a totalitarian regime emerges. New-born belong to the state and are transported to the island of Ruin. Deprived of love and nurturing, children eke out an existence with a grim reality. Amidst the bleakness, Jasmine and Coral stumble upon a mysterious old woman washed ashore. Defying the regime’s grip, they secretly shelter her within the depths of the Black Cave. The girls soon unravel the regime’s web of deception. Jasmine is betrayed, the old woman is found, and a momentous trial begins.

Will Jasmine be able to reclaim her stolen life? Be sentenced to death, or spend the remainder of days toiling in the mines?

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Recent Releases Title: A Thimble for Christmas by Dilly Court ISBN-10 : 0008580758 ISBN-13 : 978-0008580759 Publisher: Harper Collins (October 2023) She ran along the snow-covered cobbles, gripping her sewing box – fate in her hands…

Living hand to mouth ever since her mother’s tragic death, Amelia sells the last of her treasured possessions to avoid being cast out of her home onto London’s streets. Her estranged grandfather unexpectedly bequeaths a small, struggling factory making mourning dresses and Amelia dares to dream… Drawing sketches by candlelight, she longs to sew elegant gowns from fine silks and beautiful ribbons for the rich. As the cold winter wind begins to bite, Amelia’s future hangs by a thread – can she keep her hopes alive?

Title: The Stars Don’t Lie by Boo Walker ASIN : B0BLZT38NZ Publisher : Lake Union Publishing (August 2023) A man who thought he put his shattered past behind him embarks on a reflective journey home in a heartfelt novel by the bestselling author of The Singing Trees and A Spanish Sunrise.

Haunted by a tragic decision he made twenty years ago, veterinarian Dr. Carver Livingston has not once returned to his Vermont hometown. Now his parents’ impending divorce and his mother’s plea for support lure Carver to a reluctant homecoming. His mission: sweep into Teterbury, save a marriage, and get out before anyone else from his past knows he was even there. Fate has other plans.

It’s hard to hide from former friends. Harder still to fight old feelings for the crushing and beautiful high school soulmate whom he dreams of pursuing again. And Mrs. Cartwright, his fragile English teacher, who once pulled Carver out of sadness. She taught him to always look up and to see life’s grander perspective in the stars. Now it’s Carver’s turn to help Mrs. Cartwright find those bright lights in the dark. Against his need to leave, Carver decides to stay longer, as he, his mother and father, and Mrs. Cartwright are all at turning points in their lives. Hope is not lost. If they look up, they’ll see that tonight, the stars still shine.

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Salem

Real life instances can serve as a fountain of inspiration for writers. With this in mind, fiction author Marti M. McNair discusses her recent visit to Salem, Massachusetts.

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very writer understands the importance of creating well-rounded, relatable characters to breathe life into their stories. While imagination plays a significant role in character development, real life instances can serve as a fountain of inspiration. With this in mind, my recent visit to Salem, Massachusetts, illuminated the infamous Salem witch trials of 1692, shedding light on the compelling accounts of several remarkable woman.

Marti M. McNair

night, in the guise of a human with chicken feet and an imp-like face.

A further fascinating account is of Alice Young, one of the earliest documented individuals in the American colonies to face charges of witchcraft.

Known as a midwife and healer, Alice’s invaluable contributions to her community were evident through her assistance with childbirth and providing herbal remedies. Her trial unfolded in Windsor, Connecticut, outside the jurisdiction of the Salem Witch Trials, resulting in her conviction and execution by hanging.

“Every writer understands the importance of creating well-rounded, relatable characters.”

For writers seeking to create complex characters with depth, one should look no further than Bridget Bishop. Her accusations as a witch stemmed from a combination of factors, most probably due to her unconventional lifestyle which did not conform to the norms of the time.

She had been married multiple times, wore flamboyant clothing, and owned a small apple orchard, which she sold apples used in the production of cider for the Tavern of the Ship.

Margaret Jones, a resident of Charlestown Massachusetts, was a wife, and mother to several children, with a profile similar to that of Alice Young.

She became the subject of suspicion among her neighbors and community members, who believed she possessed supernatural powers capable of causing harm or illness. Margaret faced trial in Boston and was hanged on 15th June 1648.

Suspicions surrounding Bridget’s alleged involvement in witchcraft intensified, and amid growing allegations against her, it is believed one of the tavern workers, whose romantic advances were rejected by Bridget, accused her of appearing to him in his bedroom during the

In drawing inspiration from the stories of these three-woman, creativity can flourish across various themes. Themes such at the resilience 38

demonstrated in the face of injustice, where characters confront accusations rooted in superstitions, testing their inner strength and capacity to uphold dignity in the midst of persecution.

In a dystopian fantasy setting, the fear of authoritarian rule and supernatural forces could form the foundation of a captivating world trapped in oppression, with mystical energies forming a resistance.

This scenario gives way to the intricate community dynamics and resulting emotions due to betrayal, including suspicions, with fear building and bringing a gradual escalation of tension within your writing. Such elements not only add to character depth, but also contribute to the complexity of relationships with secondary characters, bringing a heightened sense of tension into the plotlines.

“We need to think about the ethics when mixing real facts with fiction.”

In the realm of romance, one could delve into tensions between love and loyalty, crafting stories of forbidden passions, spiritual dilemma and the heart-wrenching betrayals amidst opposing factions - perhaps featuring characters akin to a witch and a Puritan entangled in a forbidden affair.

Puritan ministers and religious leaders played a crucial role in shaping public opinion in Salem and reinforcing the fear of witchcraft during those times. Their religious convictions, coupled with a deep-rooted fear of the devil, gave rise to mass hysteria. The use of similar, oppressive or regime type governance could provide an atmospheric setting, evoking a sense of time, place and mood.

For the crime genre, the hysteria and injustice of the trials could be explored through the narrative of mob violence, cover-ups by the state, the death penalty and the relentless quest for truth.

Whether dystopian, romantic, crime, or any other, the Salem witch trials provides a rich historical canvas to infuse depth and intrigue into storytelling which surpasses the boundaries of all genres. Ask yourself, how could this work for you?

“Religious convictions, coupled with a deeprooted fear of the devil, gave rise to mass hysteria.”

There are numerous influences from the above to be explored in order to craft an engaging storyline, including character conflicts, crisis of faith, the combination of supernatural elements, and the introduction of political intrigue. By incorporating such elements into your narrative, you can give rise to a captivating and distinctive tale.

“Whether dystopian, romantic, crime, or any other, the Salem witch trials provides a rich historical canvas.”

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our tour guide, Christine Remus, for our exceptional excursion and for the wealth of information she shared.

While historical events can inspire creative writing, we need to think about the ethics when mixing real facts with fiction. As writers, we should understand how serious past tragedies were and the suffering endured by those who lived through them. It is our responsibility to be respectful when dealing with sensitive topics if reference to them is to be made.

Marti M. McNair resides in Ayrshire, nestled within the enchanting realm of Burns country. Her passion lies in the creation of dystopian fiction and fantasy narratives, tailored for the young adult and teenage audience.

It would be unfair of me to close without giving an insight into my thoughts of where I would apply such a treasure trove of intrigue.

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Writing Sonnets Poet and writing mentor Lis McDermott looks at Sonnets and discusses this in relation to her NaNoWriMo Sonnet.

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he most famous writer of Sonnets, is Shakespeare, although Petrarch, an Italian is known as the Father of Sonnets. Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, imported the sonnet into England earlier in the 16th century.

Lis McDermott

Although Shakespeare wasn’t the first English poet to use the form, his name has become synonymous with it, when he made it his own, and altered the rhyme scheme. It has become known as the Shakespearean Sonnet.

Although the Petrarchan and Shakespearean sonnet are best known, there are also other versions.

Spenserian sonnet The Spenserian sonnet is named after the 16hcentury English poet Edmund Spenser, and his sonnets are very similar to Shakespeare’s form.

The main difference is that Spenser’s sonnet carries over the last rhyme of each quatrain in a chain rhyme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE

The earlier English sonnets closely followed the Petrarchan form, which divides the poem into two sections, referred to as an octave (the first eight lines), and a sestet (the final six) lines. The Petrarchan sonnet is ideal for expressing two very different ideas, or contrasting points of view.

Miltonic sonnet 17th- century English poet, John Milton’s sonnets follow the Petrarchan rhyme scheme of ABBA ABBA CDE CDE

Shakespeare on the other hand, altered the structure, so the first twelve lines can express a variety of different ideas about the subject, and then the final couplet is a conclusion. Or the last two lines can be a deliberate ironic response to the rest of the poem. That twist or turn in the last two lines, is called a ‘volta’.

His most famous is, Sonnet 18 – ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”

The difference with his sonnets is, that Milton continues the sentence or phrase from one line of poetry to the next. This is called an Enjambment.

When this happens, the end of the line lacks punctuation to create a break, so that the reader knows to read on without interruption.

Other poets also wrote Sonnets too. Elizabeth Barrett Browning Sonnet 43, often known as ‘How do I love thee?” follows the Petrarchan sonnet scheme.

Terza Rima sonnet Terza Rima Sonnet is a three line stanza that uses a chain rhyme (where the rhyme carries over from the previous stanza).

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The rhyming scheme of this is: ABA BCB CDC DED AA . It ends with a rhyming couplet.

American poet, Robert Frost’s poem ‘Acquainted with the Night” is written in this form.

da-dum, da -dum rhythmic feel, which is often considered old-fashioned.

Another way to create a modern feeling is, by using a term called, Enjambment (mentioned above in the Miltonic sonnet). This gives the poem a more modern feeling too, because the emphasis of the rhyme, although there, isn’t as prominent when you follow the meaning into the next line.

Curtal sonnet This is a shortened version of the sonnet, invented by 19th century poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins.

These sonnets don’t stick to the 14-line rule. Although they do retain the overall proportions of the Petrarchan sonnet. They have two tercets and then a quintet. The last line is much shorter than all of the other lines, so the poem can be described as being 10.5 or 11 lines long. ABC ABC DBCDC

What is the form of a sonnet?

In the Shakespearean version: The poem is made up of 14 lines.

Lambic meter in each line 10 syllables in each line.

Line-ending rhymes: ABAB CDCD EFEF GG

The other difference with Manley Hopkin’s sonnet, it does not have Iambic pentameter, but it used a meter ‘sprung rhythm’. ‘Pied Beauty’ is an example of a Gerard Manley Hopkins sonnet.

My version of the sonnet, doesn’t stick to the Iambic pentameter, but it does stick to the 14 lines, 10 syllable and rhyming pattern of a Shakespearean sonnet.

Both Shakespeare and Petrarch’s sonnets are written in Iambic Pentameter. This is a 10-syllable pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.

NaNoWriMo Sonnet November ‘tis the month to start to write, aiming for a story with the word-count fifty-thousand; keeping your goal in sight, to reach this many words is paramount.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Modern Poets take on the Sonnet Many modern poets have freed themselves of the strict rules of the sonnet. However, when someone writes a fourteen-line poem, it can be accepted as a variation on the sonnet.

Whether a panster, planner or you plot, Your readers need an interesting arc, Seeking to give your novel a good shot, requires a twisting journey filled with spark.

During lockdown, I attended an online workshop about writing sonnets. We were taught the strict rules, but by the end of the session, the poet leading the event, told us that basically if your poem looks like a rectangle on the page, and has about fourteen lines, you can call it a sonnet.

Keep them intrigued with super dialogue, Whether, murder mystery or romance, Drawn in, they’re rooting for the underdog.

Even baddies deserve a second chance.

Even Shakespeare didn’t always stick strictly to his form in his 154 poems. Some modern writer’s versions are so loose, they appear to only contain the ‘ghost’ of a sonnet within them.

Your first novel done; your dream, your big wish, Now the question is - how do you publish?

Lis McDermott is a multi-genre author, poet and writing mentor. Visit Lis’ website: https://lismcdermottauthor.co.uk

Many modern poets have increasingly moved away from the Iambic pentameter, the idea of the, 41

How I Transitioned From Writing Children’s Picture Books To Suspenseful Romance Novels

Children’s and romantic suspense author Pauline Tait discusses how veering off in a different genre direction can pay off for some writers.

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ong before I had my first children’s picture book published, the idea for a suspenseful romance novel was swirling around in my head. But I’d had the plot to my first children’s book jotted down for over twenty years. And if that wasn’t enough to push me down the route of being a children’s author, working with children was my day job. Children’s literacy support was my expertise, and I knew the school curriculum like the back of my hand.

Pauline Tait

repeatedly that authors must stay within their chosen genre if they want to make it in the publishing world. Our readers and our followers read our books and follow us on social media because they know what to expect from us. They come back to us again and again because they can trust us to write the books they like to read. It’s all part of the author plan.

After my first children’s picture book was published, along came another, and another, but still the suspenseful romance swirled. Almost at boiling point it consumed my every writing thought.

But by day I was out and about visiting schools, giving creating writing lessons as a visiting author and inspiring our little ones. How on earth could I possibly write a novel… for the grown-ups of this world?

But still, my novel consumed my thoughts and invaded my dreams until one day, as I sat down to edit a picture book manuscript, my novel eventually won over in its quest to escape the confines of my skull and land in some semblance of an order onto my computer screen.

As the months and years passed by at the alarming rate, they seem destined to do, I made a name for myself as a children’s author. I was known to Waterstones and independents as a children’s author who would come along with the arts and crafts and entertain, inspire, and sell books. I was known as the picture books lady by many who attended these events again and again.

I can remember telling myself I was making a huge mistake as my fingers tapped and the keyboard rattled while snow fell, covering the open fields that splayed out below Forehill. Stay true to your genre, the mantra that my brain seemed to insist on repeating as my fingers blotted it out, instead dancing across the keyboard at a surprising rate.

Or was it a mistake? The plot had been forming for so many years that the first solid draft was safely

And anyway, having taken the business side of being an author seriously, I had reminded myself 42

When a reader discovers one genre, they are instantly drawn to the other. So, veering off in a different genre direction can pay off, if the two genres blend as well as children’s picture books and suspenseful romance do.

saved to my hard drive within a few weeks. My first major edit done within three months.

But what to do with it. I had no audience, or so I thought. I had no experience. I hadn’t sat down and plotted the arc or fully created my characters as I do now. But, in hindsight, I didn’t have to. I knew them all so well already. They had lived within my thoughts along with plot for years. They had grown, matured, and become perfectly formed by the time I succumbed and let them loose.

“Veering off in a different genre direction can pay off.”

Which leads me to the next question I am often asked, how can you write in both genres? Is writing a novel not so much harder than writing a picture book?

And as the snow disappeared, along with spring, and summer descended as best it does here in stunning Scotland, I sat back, revelling in the thought that I had taken my manuscript as far as I could. I had edited it as best I could. I had given it my all. And I had told no one, other than my husband and children that I’d written it.

No, writing a novel is so much longer, but it is not harder. Both have unique skill sets that differ greatly, but as a writer they are skills that if they don’t come naturally can be learnt. I find that the physical writing (or tapping of the keys) for my novels is so much easier because I am writing in the language of a grown adult. When I write for children, my language needs to be honed. It needs to be age appropriate. And it needs to flow when read aloud.

Eventually pressing send, I allowed my novel to wing its way through cyber space for editing. All the time, wondering what have I done? Have I just wasted months writing a novel when I could have written children’s picture books and be continuing the route I had already successfully carved out?

My picture books are also put away for a couple of months once I get to the point of thinking they’re finished. I then go over them with fresh eyes and a clear head as I have moved on to another manuscript in the meantime. Whereas, with my novels, the larger word count means that I’m repeatedly rereading and editing from start to finish.

I suppose I could have, might be the easy answer. But instead, I gave in to a need to write. A need to get my manuscript onto paper. I gave in to the oh but that my business head had thrown my way so often. I gave in to the panic about not staying true to my genre. And how did that work out?

To summarise, for me, spreading my wings and writing in another genre has been utterly beneficial and rewarding. The difference in the targeted readers has had a lot to do with how seamlessly I have managed to merge my audiences. But all in all, the tentative leap taken under the instructions of an idea that just wouldn’t let go, has proved to be a great success.

Well, it has turned out to be quite the clever diversion in my writing journey. My genre’s cross sell here. Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who had been so loyal in buying my children’s books went on to buy my novels for themselves. Buying other copies as gifts and now as I go out and about at events, one genre sells the other. They are two genres that have developed a beautiful partnership and opened my audiences up.

Pauline Tait is a prolific novelist and children’s author. Based in Perthshire, Scotland, she writes both romantic suspense and children’s picture books for 3 to 7 years.

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Book Review

Writing Book of The Month Thrill Me: Essays On Fiction by Ben Percy - Reviewed by Priscilla Paton Title: Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction by Ben Percy Publisher: Graywolf Press (Novemer 2016) ISBN-10 - 1555977596 ISBN-13 - 978-1555977597 Blurb In his first book of nonfiction, Benjamin Percy challenges the notion that literary and genre fiction are mutually exclusive. In fifteen essays on the craft of fiction, Percy looks to disparate sources to discover how contemporary writers engage issues of plot, suspense, momentum and the speculative, as well as character, setting and dialogue.

An urgent and entertaining missive on craft, Thrill Me brims with Percy's distinctive blend of anecdotes, advice and close reading, all in the service of one dictum: Thrill the reader.

Review

Ben Percy, author of the novels The Wilding and Red Moon, grew up on “pop lit,” was later caught up “in the tidal swirl” of classic books, and in his own writing crosses genres, combining horror, action, and literary substance. As he sums up, “Literary fiction highlights exquisite sentences, glowing metaphors, subterranean themes, fully realized characters. And genre fiction excels at raising the most important question: What happens next?”

His fifteen workshop-style essays draw examples from canonized novels, comics, science fiction, contemporary short stories, popular movies, and The Game of Thrones. Topics include creating urgency, writing violence, designing suspense, creating the supernatural, distinguishing between “higher-order” goals (kill the monster, my examples) that sustain a novel and “lower-order goals” that drive the scenes. He also discusses how to recognize failures in a writing project and how to move on. Percy, whose characters in Red Moon are werewolves, takes on the tension between “serious” literature and “fun” genre to rise above it, or descend below, in exploring how to be “a writer and a storyteller.”

Priscilla Paton, award-nominated author of the Twin Cities Mystery Series (Coffeetown Press).

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Library Of The Month

Library of Congress, Washington DC by Wendy H. Jones This month we review a library with a difference - one of great importance to writers worldwide.

Room of the library. For this a reader’s card is required and I duly signed up for one. Once a researcher has the card, they can access online materials as well as materials in the reading room. A large part of their collection is also available online for anyone to access. I would highly recommend visiting the library webpage and spending some time browsing. You will find yourself losing hours and learning a great deal.

Founded in 1800 in the Capitol Building, since 1897 the Library of Congress is has been housed in three imposing buildings situated on Capitol Hill in sight of the Capitol itself. These are The Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Maddison Memorial buildings.

The Thomas Jefferson Building is the one most people know, and which houses the awe-inspiring Reading Room where researchers of all stripes can spend time perusing items from the collection. The initial collection of over six-thousand volumes was sold to the library by Thomas Jefferson himself after the British destroyed both the library and the Capitol building in 1814. This swelled the collection to double, and it has continued to grow since. The collection now contains 103 million items, 20 million of which are books.

The collection is overseen by the Librarian of Congress who is nominated by the President and approved by the Senate.

I would like to give a shoutout and a huge vote of thanks to two of the librarians, Susan Garfinkel and Jurretta Heckscher who did an online talk about the library to a group of writers in the UK and told us how to access the collections. This was fascinating and helpful to a group called History Writers, most of whom are in the UK. The library really do welcome everyone.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, editor in chief of Writers’ Narrative, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Over two million visitors walk its halls every year, taking in the stunning architecture and beautifully painted murals which decorate its walls and ceilings. My interest is in the collections where I can undertake research in the Main Reading 45

Writing With Steam Romance can be a challenging genre to write in, particularly when writing steam. Paranormal romance writer Alexa Ryder discusses the common mistakes romance writers can make and how to avoid them.

R

omance can be a daunting genre to get into. It’s not just managing two main characters and their arcs—both separately and together—but their romantic misadventures as well. Not to mention when time comes for things to get steamy. We’re going to talk today about some of the common mistakes new steamy authors make and how to avoid them.

Alexa Ryder

hands it takes to encircle someone can pull a reader out of the scene if it doesn’t match their personal preference. In my experience, it’s much better to say that the partner finds them perfect in whatever way they prefer—not too big, not too small, perfect girth, etc. Let the reader fill in the blanks with what they think is perfect, and they’ll find your scenes far more satisfying.

First up is likely the overuse of euphemisms. We all know what the body parts are called, along with the most common, popular nicknames for them. But nothing will pull a reader out of the steam of the scene faster than including flowery—and even ridiculous—phrases to avoid using a blunter word. Romance readers are well familiar with a wide array of phrases, so make sure whatever words you use to describe anatomy are fitting in with the rest of your plot and setting.

You don’t need 21st century characters speaking like they’re in the 17th century when it comes to describing their lover.

“Let the reader fill in the blanks.”

“Nothing will pull a reader out of the steam of the scene faster than including flowery—and even ridiculous—phrases.”

Don’t forget the romance in your steamy scenes.

The little touches, kissing every inch of available skin, soft pet names and pillow talk absolutely belong in romance—it doesn’t have to be all steam, all the time. Also avoid wham, bam, thank you, ma’am’s unless your story calls for it. Aftercare is important and not just in BDSM novels.

Another easy pitfall is getting into too much detail when it comes to describing a character’s particular… gifts. Every person has their own unique, independent preference when it comes to what’s “just right” with their lovers, and no two people are the same. Going into such lurid detail as the number of inches or how many

Reaffirming the emotional bond now that the physical is out of the way can be a pivotal moment in your novel and the budding relationship between your main characters. Clean each other up, take a shower, change the sheets, share some water, whatever it takes to keep that closeness after the steam is done.

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Steam is a cornerstone of romance (unless you’re writing sweet), but a satisfying romance has a lot more to it than just the steamy bits. Ensure you’re using tropes to satisfy your readers, even if you twist them with a bit of a surprise like I prefer to do.

your way to a multi-book series.

“Make sure every character has a purpose in your novel beyond being a plot device for your main characters.”

Now that you have some guidelines, get out there and write your novel. Use the dirty words. Own them. And don’t be afraid to look at source material to make sure you don’t have legs bending ways they don’t actually go, or too many hands altogether. Immersion is key, so keep your readers reading and devouring, not scratching their heads.

Make sure each character has their own separate growth arc through the novel, and a joint one together so that you avoid any of your characters seeming two-dimensional and flat. Keeping your side characters just as fleshed out gives you more options to branch out in the same universe with multiple stories.

“A satisfying romance has a lot more to it than just the steamy bits.”

Alexa Ryder is a Virginia-based author renowned for her spellbinding paranormal romance novels.

With her roots firmly planted in the rich history and mystique of Virginia, she infuses her stories with a unique blend of Southern charm and supernatural intrigue. Her books transport readers to realms where love and the supernatural collide, making her a prominent figure in the world of paranormal romance literature.

Romance readers are voracious and will often read your whole catalog once they decide they like your work, especially works based in the same universe. Make sure every character has a purpose in your novel beyond being a plot device for your main characters, and you’re well on

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Serving Up Sweet Romance

USA Today Best-Selling author Nan O’Berry writes contemporary and historical sweet romance. Here, she discusses how to craft a romance novel and shares how to take the story to the next level.

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e all know the plot line. Boy meets girl.

Boy and girl fall in love. Boy loses girl.

Boy must win her heart again. It all ends with a much deserved happily ever after. It is an age old story and one that draws readers to romance, making it a multimillion dollar industry. But, how does one craft a romance where the hero and heroine fall in love without joining part A to part B. The hint is in the smoldering glances given between the two principal players.

Nan O’Berry shared by his friends. A moment where their eyes meet, and the world stops. There is nothing but the gaze between them. He gazes deep into her eyes. Surprised, her glance widens and suddenly she realizes he has found her soul. With a blush, she coyly looks away.

A sweet romance has its premise in fairy tales.

We’ve all swooned with Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, and Rapunzel. Never, ever did they disrobe. Instead, the writers played heavily on the gentle touch, the glance, the tender kiss, and all done with the written word. Notice, I used gentle, tender the descriptive words play a great part in bringing the romantic tension between the two characters. Let’s take a quick glance at Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version of Cinderella.

Charmed, the prince, calls out easing the tension between them. As he drinks the water, she finds herself pulled toward the gallantry of his actions.

The touch of his words to her soul. It is love at first sight. Handing the dipper back, their hands touch. The warmth of the skin. The brush of his thumb against her waiting hand, sends a trickle of delight, awaking the longing of desire she may never have known she had.

This is the cliff hanging point where we want to know more. We want to become the heroine to enjoy this purest emotion because the writer has drawn us in, touched our need to be wanted, and reminded us of the greatest gift one can give – their heart.

“A sweet romance has its premise in fairy tales.”

Our hero and heroine want one thing. They desire to find their one and only mate. Our descriptions must be almost visual in a sense and strike the deep intimate longing in our souls. Think about Cinderella. She meets the prince not realizing who he is. She is kind and polite, offering him a cup of water from the well.

There is a moment between them that is not

“We want to become the heroine to enjoy this purest emotion.”

Taking the story to the next level, we desire to 48

know how they will get together. We need more interaction between the two. Love struck, both dream of the meeting. Innocence, want, and the realization of that person connected. Prince Charming wants to hold her in his arms. He desires more conversation. His soul questions – is she the girl for me? The inner turmoil of desire.

devotion to their heart’s desire.

This now becomes Charming’s journey. He will travel to the ends of the earth to find her. Show the weariness of the journey. Has he slept?

Eaten? Done nothing but dream of her? Finally, you bring them together. The shoe fits. He takes her into his arms. Again the touch. His hand brushes against her chin. She gives him a shy look. He leans down and they close their eyes.

First Cinderella. He feasts upon the upturned face. Her willingness to give him then ultimate of his desire – that first kiss.

On the other side, Cinderella dreams for more as well. She puts her heart to the test by dreaming of the conversation even though the road block in place of her heart’s desire aka crushing her dreams. The writer can’t make it easy. We are putting road blocks in place to keep our hero and heroine apart. The tougher the road block the more desire to overcome.

Again, allow your language choices to help paint the picture of desperation that belittle, hurt, destroy the small bit of joy our heroine has found. The more our heroines or heroes suffer, the more we are drawn in to see if they can possibly overcome and prevail.

“To craft a sweet romance, bring all your tools to the drawing board.”

His lips close upon hers. A gentle brush. A second because the first was not enough. When he can stand no more, he claims her in a kiss that leaves her knees to weak to hold and she must lean to his strength to stay upright. Charming has won.

Your story idea. Your hero and heroine’s deepest desire. Several ways to keep them apart with each more severe than the last. Make the black moment one that will leave your readers gasping for more. Then, provide the journey that makes it once in a life time. You’ll be sure to have a winner.

“The writer can’t make it easy.”

The chance to meet again comes by royal invitation. Heart soars. We have reached a false high. The villain dashes her hopes in the ultimate destruction and the betrayal of what she holds dear as the frivolous daughters go to the ball. Offer your readers a glimmer of hope aka fairy godmother. But disaster is but a chime of the clock away.

“Make the black moment one that will leave your readers gasping for more.”

Be sure to check out my twist on Cinderella with Prince Charming Wore Spurs. A contemporary take on this classic tale.

See how the ante has been raised to another level? It’s do or die. We know that she finds her heart’s desire in Charming’s arms. Lost in the moment, she almost forgets the warning. As the clock chimes, Cinderella runs leaving only her shoe. Your ‘the black moment’ when all is lost.

It tears at our soul. The reader must know more.

How are you going to get them back together.

Your reader is invested in the tale. You must deliver but not without one last tug and hurdle.

Show the anguish, the tears, the steadfast

Nan O'Berry lives in the states. She writes sweet romance filled with adventure featuring contemporary and historical cowboys. She was honored to become a USA Today Best Selling author in 2021.

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How Do You Come Up With Ideas Big Enough For The Length And Scope Of A Novel?

Is your goal to write a novel? Psychological, paranormal and mystery fiction and non-fiction author SC Skillman discusses how to know if your idea is enough for a full length novel.

P

eople may often say, “I could never write a book that long.” Or “How do you know your idea is enough for a full length novel of 80,000 words?”

SC Skillman

literary festival, so I signed up for it and went along. The workshop leader said that for the half hour span of a TV sitcom episode, it must be possible to sum up the episode in one sentence.

For instance, with Fawlty Towers, we can say, The one with the Health Inspector,” or “The one when the Germans came.” And we all know what is being referred to.

To give a picture of this it might be helpful to look at one of the many other formats which could be a vehicle for your ideas – let’s look at TV sitcom scripts as an example.

When I was in my twenties, TV sitcoms were a great source of writing inspiration for me. Above all, I loved the characters: a strong TV sitcom requires two or more great characters who are closely connected with each other and are going to interact and provide a fertile source of funny situations which hopefully will last over perhaps as many as five seasons each of 13 episodes. So we rejoiced in such wonderful sitcoms as Rising Damp, Steptoe and Son, Only Fools and Horses, To the Manor Born, The Good Life, The Likely Lads. Further back we revelled in On the Buses and The Rag Trade. Every one of them contained fabulous characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop, but at the end I still felt unsure about whether I really should be devoting myself to the goal of writing TV sitcoms. I spoke to the workshop leader about this and told him my writing hopes and dreams. This is his reply: “If you know you really want to write a novel, then that is what you must focus on. Writing a novel is a much higher art form than writing a sitcom. If you believe your character deserves – and is big enough – for a novel, and that is what you really want to do, go for it. It doesn’t matter what anybody else thinks.”

“TV sitcoms were a great source of writing inspiration for me.”

I discovered the writer of a favourite sitcom of mine was doing a workshop as part of a local

And so I set my goal to write novels.

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I have always regarded writing full length fiction as my most admired literary activity – wrongly or rightly, for there are many great works of creative nonfiction which are equal to the best novels.

it, starring the same central character, set in an English university.

Nevertheless I stood in awe of those who could create fictional characters and captivate an audience of thousands and even millions (think Hercule Poirot, Lizzy Bennett and Mr Darcy, or Sherlock Holmes) with their creations, making them come alive and live in the imaginations of many.

“If you know you really want to write a novel, then that is what you must focus on.”

Nevertheless since then I have continued to write novels alongside my other writing projects and have loved the journey I’ve taken with each novel, caring for the characters and longing to get back to their story, and indeed, allowing them to take over, surprise me and determine what happens.

So how do we know our idea is big enough and fertile enough to warrant the length and the scope of a full length novel of at least 80,000 words?

However, my dream was to write novels. I had a wonderful character who fired up my imagination and I could see many possible scenarios for him to enter which would bring him into conflict with other personalities and embroil him in numerous situations.

You know your idea is big enough for a novel when, as you read through your first draft, your mind is teeming with new twists, alternative scenarios, ideas for re-writing what you’ve written, and suggestions for future developments.

“My dream was to write novels.”

If you want to study how complex the plotting of a popular genre novel can be, read PG Wodehouse’s last comic novel Sunset at Blandings which remained unfinished at his death, but is published as a paperback alongside all his notes for revision.

“I enjoyed writing the novel though unfortunately it never found a publisher.”

He was a wealthy misanthrope who owned a converted abbey in a remote rural English location where he lived in splendid isolation.

Here he could indulge himself in all the benefits of his considerable wealth, whilst despising the rest of the human race.

So what happens to him when he discovers his means are not as endless as he thought, he falls upon financial difficulties, a mysterious scientist contacts him and asks if he and his personal assistant can move in to conduct secret research on a new discovery, and simultaneously my character decides to invite a TV film crew in as well, so he can shore up his lifestyle with the facilities fee?

Also, if you fancy a fantasy saga and imagine a setting that requires a detailed map so you can keep track of where your characters are going or coming from, or making their way through, at any given time, and you take great delight in this, then clearly your idea is big enough for a substantial tome! (Fantasy novelists usually need many more pages of text in order to build their world and establish it in the mind of readers; and the average length of the first novel in a fantasy series is 100,000-120,000 words).

This was my plan and I enjoyed writing the novel though unfortunately it never found a publisher and now resides, in typescript, in a drawer of my filing cabinet, along with the novel that preceded

With a short story you have perhaps one central idea, one or two settings, one situation, two or three characters, one twist, one outcome. But with a novel you will have three to five Acts just 51

like a play; several subplots, a number of conflicts, relationships and situations within which your principal character will interact with a medley of other diverse characters, and you know you will most certainly not be resolving it in 2,500 words.

tune with you, and who you are, and what you really want to say.

Does the concept or scenario excite you? Does it take you in several different directions? Do new possibilities spring up? And do they resonate with your inner self, your background and life experience, your own past and present?

Just to give you a sense of this I’ll share with you some of the questions I consider as I think through the various directions in which I could take my current WIP. I don’t feel satisfied with the way I see it going and am wondering whether to shift it to a new setting and significantly change the nature and motivation of one or more characters.

“Start planning and writing today!”

If so, they must be expressed in a full length novel.

So start planning and writing today!

Sheila writes psychological, paranormal and mystery fiction and non-fiction under the pen-name SC Skillman. Her non-fiction books on local history are published by Amberley and include Paranormal Warwickshire’ and ‘Illustrated Tales of Warwickshire’. ‘A-Z of Warwick’, will be released in November 2023. Her modern gothic novel is with publishers, and she is working on the sequel. She studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and her first permanent job was as a production secretary with the BBC. Later she lived in Australia before returning to the UK.

What I currently have is a story about the troubled eastern European family of a frail concert pianist genius, now retired due to ill health in a Midlands town in the UK and protected only by his devoted daughter and his starstruck young musical assistant; but he is preyed upon by his villainous fortune-hunting brother.

When I added another brother who had disappeared from his native country five years before and was keeping his identity secret and had now become involved with the young starstruck assistant, it seemed the story inevitably went in the direction of an organised crime syndicate in eastern Europe, an idea I’ve already had and wanted to avoid.

Coming Next Month

So I wondered how the story might develop if the villain has supernatural powers; and whether I could move the setting to a 15th century mansion set in extensive grounds in rural Gloucestershire. Now at last I came up with some ideas I could take further which I really like, and which spark my imagination.

So when it comes down to “An Idea Big Enough for a Novel” I believe you must first be clear on the principal characters, conflict and setting (often a character in itself), which must all be in

Never miss an issue of Writers’ Narrative Sign up for our newsletters subscribepage.io/WritersNarrative

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Writing Group of the Month

Novel Writer’s Critique Group Our writing group of the month is an online novel critique group. Eileen Rolland tells us how the group works.

“There are three rules for writing a novel.

Unfortunately no one knows what they are.”

Somerset Maughan (1874-1965)

Y

ou may be interested to know how we got started. Well, the idea was simple enough.

I was working on a novel but there was a bit I wasn’t happy about. It didn’t read well and I wasn’t sure how to fix it, so I asked some writing friends for help. They read my work and offered suggestions. In return, I did the same for them, even though we were all writing in different genres and had different writing styles.

Eileen Rolland (left) with some members of the group modate us all. It also became harder to offer feedback to other members and spend time on our own projects. For a few years, our meetings had to be online and that worked well, especially for those who lived a little further away. It wasn’t ideal but it allowed the group to continue functioning and helped retain our connection with each other. Now that we meet in person, we can resume our vibrant, multi-level conversations before the kettle has even had time to boil.

The word ‘suggestions’ is important. We can’t tell another author how to write his or her story, so we offer suggestions for each to accept or reject as they see fit. It’s their work, after all. It’s important to point out the good bits too and focus on what’s working well. If we see a few typos along the way, we might point those out, knowing full well that they would be picked up by the author when the work was re-read in any case, but it’s all part of the service. It works like this: one member sends out a chapter or two of his or her work in progress, everyone gives it the once over and sends it back. We meet a few weeks later to catch up and see if our suggestions have been helpful and if any more can be done.

The value of the group is in its diversity. We each have different writing experiences, different strengths and weakness. In sharing our strengths we all become stronger. Each member respects the others’ work so critiques are always positive and constructive. There’s no ‘nicking’ someone else’s ideas and no one goes in a huff if they don’t like what someone has said.

The main thing for us is to enjoy writing, and being part of a writing community can certainly enhance that.

Simple ideas are often good ones. Other authors liked our wee group and wanted to be part of the team. At first, we met in cafes or coffee shops. In the nice weather, we could meet at each other’s house or out in the garden. Again, coffee was involved. However, as the group grew, it became harder to find a place to accom-

Eileen Rolland writes contemporary women’s fiction, mainly with inspirational themes.

Find out more at www.eileeenrolland.com 53

Writing Prompts

Monthly Writing Prompts Wendy H. Jones and Tami C. Brown set this month’s writing prompts. As November is NaNoWriMo there is a prompt for every day of the month. With plenty of options to choose from why not give it a go?

A

s November is NaNoWriMo, and everyone spends the month writing up a storm, this month’s writing prompts give you inspiration for every day of the month. If you really want to challenge yourself, see if you can use them all in your NaNoWriMo project. If you are not doing NaNoWriMo, then use them to help you write every day and develop a writing habit.

Wendy H. Jones

Tami C. Brown

Good luck with the prompts and good luck with NaNoWriMo. 1st I had a novel idea then…

6th Include a country you have never visited.

2nd Dinosaur.

7th The colour yellow.

3rd An infestation of spiders.

8th A book. Two wedding rings. Snowstorm.

4th It was then I discovered…

9th An argument on a packed bus.

5th Image of an ABNB in Lancaster PA

10th School pickup.

11th Upbeat, Prepare, Cheese, Heal.

12th One of your characters has a coronary.

13th A ghost appears, quite randomly, in a sitting room.

14th Write a humorous scene.

15th A sparkly cat.

16th An exuberant puppy who follows no commands.

17th A photo with something unexpected.

18th A political scene which involves a letter opener and a pipe.

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19th Image of a love sign at the Philadelphia Flower Show, PA

23rd Image of an iceberg in Iceland

24th Take your local weather conditions to the extremes and test your characters.

25th Place your main character inside a jail.

26th He decided to press the button despite all warnings to the contrary.

27th Open a magazine and use a random image as a basis for your next scene.

28th Have your character do something completely out of character.

29th A teddy bear.

30th Just when I thought I’d reached the end …

20th Your character is snuggled up on the sofa when…

21st An unexpected death.

22nd Rain. Chain-link fence. Pencil.

(Photographic images by Tami C. Brown)

Editor in chief, Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award -winning, best-selling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Tami C. Brown loves to have her camera ready to snap beauty wherever she goes. Her family and friends, affectionately known as the Queenies, are well prepared for random stops along the journey to have a photo op. She’s grateful for all photography opportunities and the adventures that come along with it.

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From the Desk of the Office Dog

Just What Is My Motivation?

When writing character motivations, most writers understand what makes humans ‘tick’, but what motivates animals is not necessarily the same. Sophie discusses what can motivate canine characters.

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assie once remarked that the most important question for any actor is simply this: “What is my character’s motivation in this scene?” This is also the secret for any author as they are creating and honing their heroes, villains, and bystanders.

Why is this individual saying and doing and thinking and feeling the things they are? This point is especially vital when those characters are not human. Most writers understand what makes other people tick. It requires much greater insight and hard work to get inside the minds of animals, who are uninfluenced by mundane passions such as revenge, rage, jealousy, pride, or any ambitions for success, popularity, or fame.

Sophie

in the plot, how long is it since breakfast, when will it be supper time, and what opportunities will there be for snacks along the way?

At the heart of so many classic tales is a Holy Grail, a compelling goal for everybody to pursue, such as the genie’s lamp or Tolkien’s one ring.

Adventurers search for lost arks and buried treasure, aspiring wizards for sorcerer’s stones and horcruxes. Spies are obsessed with finding secret documents and world-changing inventions. Some people spend whole books looking for abstract stuff like the identity of the murderer or the ultimate question to which the answer is 42. Alfred Hitchcock, best remembered for his preposterous documentary about birds, called these things MacGuffins.

So, what kinds of impulses propel dogs, cats, horses, sheep or wombats? Novels about humans are often obsessed with reproduction.

Trust me when I say, as a spaniel, that your animal readers have no interest in predictable accounts of making puppies and kittens. Of course, we are highly motivated by cuddles with our humans, but a diet of love and affection isn’t enough.

In truth, by far the greatest driving force in every animal’s life is food. So, authors should give great attention to what kind of dinner their characters prefer: store brand, nutritionally balanced, gourmet or on the bone? At any moment

Animals do not care about such trivia – just give us McMuffins. Dogs are only hunting for the most perfect Sausage Sandwich, billy goats for the greenest grass, squirrels for the best acorn, 56

bears for porridge or honey, mice for cheese, cats for mice, coyotes for roadrunners, wolves for grandmothers and sharks for surfboarders.

Understanding motives not only drives the action. It can also hold the key to the personalities of the characters. One obvious example is the unpublished origin story of the most famous donkey in literature. Pursuing his lifelong quest for the ultimate thistle. At the instant Eeyore found his dream, his out-of-control friend Tigger arrived and bounced on it, completely ruining the beauty as well as the flavour and the texture. That single traumatic event robbed Eeyore of his raison d'être and his joie de vivre, trapping him in his morose and dismal disposition.

Peter Thomas and Sophie Rev Peter Thomas has published three non-fiction books and is delighted now to assist Sophie in her creative writing projects. Originally a teacher and author in the fields of chemistry and computing, Peter retired in 2023 after 36 years as a Minister of local Baptist Churches. He continues to add to his blog and videos of more than a thousand sermons and reflections found at www.pbthomas.com.

Writers just need to get a handle on which foods inspire and stimulate and spur on their animal characters. Then they will be well on the way to a great tale, fame, fortune, and the Sausage Sandwich lifestyle we all desire.

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Writing Novels Allison Symes shares what she learned from writing her first novel though it remains unpublished and it is not the form she is most associated with.

She also discusses what you need to think about as you write your book.

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his might be an odd article for someone who has never had a published novel out there. I have published flash fiction collections and many short stories in anthologies but I didn’t start out this way. I started by writing a novel. Yes, I know. Talk about running before you can walk, Allison. What were you thinking?

Allison Symes the best possible chance out there. All of that is useful no matter what you write. It helped a lot to know everyone gets rejections and work can always be improved.

Now my novel remains unpublished though I hope to return to it at some point and see if I can apply the writing skills I’ve learned through my short form work to improve the book. There are possibilities but I do not regret writing this book and learned a great deal in doing this. This article shares what I learned here.

The other thing I learned from this was it wasn’t a good idea for me to write my book without an outline. I know now that having had an outline from the start would have saved me much grief and time with the editing process.

The first lesson to learn was on realising how much stamina I was going to need to write the thing, then edit it, then edit it again and again etc. Finally I did get my book read professionally by a highly recommended book doctor. I learned a lot from their report too though I was glad I was sitting down when I got that back.

But you do need to put the time and work in and develop a thick skin. You need to think about who your audience is, where your book would fit in the market (as that is something a publisher and/or agent will need to know).

I started off just writing for myself. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. I didn’t think about my audience until much later. Now, confession time, the first part of this is fine. It is what many do. The audience bit - hmm… I should have thought about that much sooner than I did. It would have made pitching my book to publishers and agents easier if I had a clearer idea of who I Lisa is from West was writing the book for.Turley Who would your Ideal Virginia.

She is on numerReader be and why?

Give that careful thought. ous ARC street teams and Also, are you writing a stand alone book or a sereads in multiple genres. ries? Stand alones She are fine a publisher/agent is but passionate about will want to know what otherauthors ideas youget have.the helping word out about their books.

They don’t want to take on a one-book author.

The idea is to develop a career with many books.

What I hope my short form work may eventually

Later, I rewrote the book, taking in practically all of the book doctor’s suggestions, and resubmitted it to the same person. The second report was much better and it was heartening to see progress made by me here. They felt my book had a chance. I then did the rounds of submitting to agents. Had a couple of near misses. The novel was also longlisted in a Debut Novel competition where it came 13th out of 70 entries.

I then discovered the worlds of short stories and flash fiction but one great thing about having gone through all of this with my novel was it helped me develop a thick skin. It helped me realise I was committed to writing seriously and I was prepared to put the graft in to get my work as good as I could get it. That in turn would give it 58

are in for the long haul. Focus on getting the draft down first. Put it away for a while. Work on something else. Then pick up your novel and read it as if it had been written by someone else. The idea behind that is to get into the head of your Ideal Reader. What would they make of the book? It also gives you some distance from your prose. That will help you judge it objectively.

do for me is to give me a good writing CV to share with a publisher/agent should I return to my novel (or write another) in due course. Certainly it does no harm! The least that will come from this is I can prove I have a track record.

Novels do take time to write. They take even more time to edit. That’s fine. So when you are resting your drafts, why not write shorter material and see if you can get that published and build up some publication credits? It will encourage you too. You know you will have something useful to put in your query letter here.

Trusted beta readers can be so helpful here but you need to accept from the outset you may not like all they come back with! What you want them to do is to pick up on weaknesses in your character portrayal and plot long before you approach a publisher/agent. You do need an independent eye.

Also take your time crafting your blurb for your book. Have a long list of publishers/agents you wish to approach with your novel and check their requirements carefully. There will be similarities. There will be differences too. Make sure you’re not caught out here. It pays to check how a publisher/agent wants to be approached and follow that to the letter.

What I loved about writing my novel was getting deeply involved with my characters and knowing I had room to “play” with and develop them. That is one of the outstanding strengths of the novel. But it takes time and commitment. Lots of both - and then a lot more of both.

Good luck and happy drafting!

As for the actual writing, you need to accept you

Allison Symes is a flash fiction/short story writer, blogger and editor based in Hampshire. She runs writing workshops, judges competitions, and writes weekly for writers for Chandler’s Ford Today. She has two flash fiction collections published (Chapeltown Books) with a third in the pipeline.

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What The Font?

Jenny Sanders shares the joys of fonts, the need to avoid Comic Sans regardless, and the importance of clarity.

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sitcom came out of the USA several years ago, called simply: The Middle. In it, the Heck family were portrayed with both careful and comic detail, and they were as average as they come. Not only did they live in Orson, Indiana – middle America – but their middle-of-the-road financial demographic ensured that the name really worked. Unlike other shows, where the characters are immune from so many of the trials of life experienced by normal human beings, this family lived them all, in shed loads.

Jenny Sanders

What, you may well ask, has any of this got to do with me? Well, while Axl was flunking classes and trying to break into the dating scene, and Sue was making posters for her latest save-theworld endeavour, Brick failed to make it into any sports or school club, but remained undaunted.

His simple solution was to start his own, and so ‘Font Club’ was born. I kid you not.

Middle-aged Mike managed the local quarry; his wife, Frankie, worked as both a car salesperson and then a dental hygienist. They frequently missed one another in the hurly burly of domesticity: broken dishwashers, multiple school events and the teenage angst of their offspring.

“It’s not just the words we write, but the way we present them which carries a message.”

In spite of the smiles engendered by the episode in our house, I think that funny little Brick may have been on to something. It’s not just the words we write, but the way we present them which carries a message.

The eldest son, Axl [sic], fancied himself as rather a stud; awkward Sue, the eternal optimist, epitomised the worst characteristics of the much satirised middle child, while riddled with insecurities which frequently brought her inner six-year-old to the fore; and the youngest son, with the unlikely name of Brick (no, I never quite got my head around that either), was an eccentric, a social misfit and a high functioning brainiac, with a peculiar verbal tic who devoured non-fiction with the voracity of a T-rex.

Tell me truthfully, haven’t you played around with the multiple style options in your own computerised font collection just out of curiosity? Did you check how your most recent article on The Nutrition And Reproduction of North Atlantic Whelks During the 1960s looked, or how 60

your latest novel formatted in loopy Copperplate rather than dull old Arial, or Helvetica Neue?

teacher would have wished my handwriting to be back in the late 60s. Alas, it was not to be. I was a messy, if prolific, writer and unfortunately in those days, computers were still the size of a large bungalow and way beyond our family budget. It had not yet occurred to anyone that, not many years hence, we would all be walking around with personal ones which tuck neatly into our pockets with the ease of a tube of Spangles.

I confess I stick to the latter on all my documents. Its clarity sits well with me, and the spacing of a twelve point text across a page is easy on the eye. I have been known to make use of Bradley Hand in portions of text that represent a diary, letter or personal document; and I once flirted briefly with American Typewriter for a script.

It would be remiss of me not to mention Wingdings at this point. What in the world are they all about? In the blink of an eye, you can transform your perfectly acceptable document into something resembling a letter that might have dropped through a worm hole from a Famous Five book; not quite in invisible ink, but certainly all in code. Every letter is represented by a symbol, or glyph – a veritable pictograph soup, impenetrable to all but the very committed Font Club members, I imagine. I wouldn’t recommend submitting such a document to your editor in this format but, by all means, enjoy the fleeting moment of feeling like a World War II spy transmitting secret messages through enemy lines.

However, I don’t believe I’m alone in exploring the charm of SignPainter, Phosphate, and Marker Felt, just for the momentary pleasure of seeing the effect.

Those who make use of the handy design tool, Canva, may discover a whole raft of fonts not carried by either Word or Pages documents, and a quick Google search can take you to the delights of Hawaiian Regular, Strenuous Black, and Billie Bold Hand – all available for free download should the mood ever grab you. More than that, should you wish to widen your font horizons, there’s a cornucopia of yet more sales available if you’re willing to pay for them.

In the meantime, while you’re labouring away on your NaNoWriMo (no, I didn’t know what it meant the first time I stumbled across it either. National Novel Writing month, for the uninitiated), perhaps you’re best off sticking to good old 12 point Times New Roman.

Yes, it will cost you, but also yes, you’ll purchase an individual look to your work that will make it stand out, for good or ill. Best to make sure you check whether it’s a font which carries a copyright too; it’s not worth the hassle of finding yourself in a font fly-in-the-ointment situation when so many alternatives are available. Good luck.

For everything else, apparently, there’s Font Club.

“Make sure you check whether it’s a font which carries a copyright.”

Jenny Sanders is a speaker and mentor who writes in different genres. Spiritual Feasting is her faithbased exploration of authentic living in tough times. Her collection of humorous children’s stories, The Magnificent Moustache and other stories is out now. Charlie Peach’s Pumpkins and other stories, will be published in summer 2023. She is available for author visits with key Stage 2 children.

I think it’s universally recommended that we all stay as far away from Comic Sans as we might from a nasty outbreak of Ebola, unless you happen to be a primary school teacher; in which case may all your playtime documents be as exuberant. This font is everything that my own 61

Bookshop Of The Month

The Printed Word Bookshop by Wendy H. Jones

Tera and Terrance Alston

Wendy H. Jones takes us behind the scenes of The Printed Word Bookshop in Portsmouth, Virginia, where she met up with the owners of our bookshop of the month, Tera and Terrence Alston.

They have also been staunch supporters of Banned Book Week with displays of banned books and customers being photographed holding a banned book. During my time there today, there was a lot of discussion about why numerous books were banned and many of the parents bought books for themselves and their children. It was refreshing to see. Of course, I had to buy one – A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. I will leave you to look up why this book was banned.

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his month’s bookshop of the month takes us all the way to Portsmouth, Virginia, to The Printed Word Bookstore. I am honoured to have done a couple of author events at this amazing store, where the owners Tera and Terrance Alston have a real passion for promoting reading in their local community.

They have a particular heart for promoting reading and writing for children and this is apparent by the number of programmes and events they put on for children. Every month they give every child who comes to the reading event a free book.

Having only opened one year ago, they are exploring a number of ways in which to reach out to the community. For example, they have recently registered as a Come Write In Space for National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo).

They will be inviting the local community to come in and do some writing during the month of November.

If you are anywhere near Portsmouth, Virginia, I would encourage you to visit this store and buy a book from them. They are well worth supporting.

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Article

What A Surprise: Banned Books Editor in Chief, Wendy H. Jones’ book tour of the USA coincides with Banned Books Week. Here, Wendy discusses some banned books. Many of the titles she includes may surprise you.

Wendy H. Jones American novels. Opponents stated it conflicted with community values.

Ernest Hemingway, one of America’s greatest writers has fallen foul of banning worldwide. All of his books were burned in Nazi Germany. In 1946, For Whom the Bell Tolls was deemed propaganda in several countries. In fact, many of Hemmingway’s books have been banned at some point in history, with many reasons cited. Yet, these are now considered classics. I liberated A Farewell to Arms from the bookshop banned book display.

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am currently on a book tour of the USA, and it happens to coincide with Banned Books Week. Whilst I know what the premise behind Banned Book Week is, it got me thinking about some of the books which have been banned and the reasons behind this. It would appear the first book to be banned was New English Canaan by Thomas Morton in 1637 as it was considered heretical.

Another surprising ban is George Orwell’s 1984, not because it was about state control which is what would naturally spring to mind, but because of obscenity and a pro-communist stance. Animal Farm was banned for similar reasons.

This month’s writer from history, Mark Twain, saw The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn banned as it rolled off the press in 1885. Librarians in one American city considered it trash, fit only for the slums. Some of the banned books are surprising; why on earth would Charlotte’s Web be banned? I discovered it was because some parents considered two animals talking to each other to be satanic. Other surprises include Moby Dick by Herman Melville, considered one of the greatest

Bringing us up to today many books are still being banned worldwide. For example, Margaret Attwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale, is currently being banned from some school libraries for violence, profanity and being sexually explicit, in a bid to protect children.

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From the Desk Of The Office Cats

Some Advice for Authors Dealing with Distractions

Jeanette The Writer, acting for Wakka and Lulu, the official office cats, shares tips on dealing with distractions.

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t’s Wakka and Lulu here, official office cats for Jeanette the Writer. We wanted to hijack these pages to talk about distrac— Ooo, look!

A dust bunny!

Wakka and Lulu

Ahem . . . to talk about distractions. They can happen to the best of humans, and it’s important to distinguish between when you’re being distracted and when you truly need a break. Based on close observation of our own human, we have determined the most common (and critical) distractions writers face when they should have their hands on the keyboard.

care of the problem. But if you’re cleaning something other than yourself, it can probably wait until later. (Unless it’s some human food that dropped on the floor, in which case, we’re there immediately.)

Playing & Exercising Whether you’re an active player or a lazy player (like us) who only swats lamely at the ribbon toy while lying supine on the floor, playtime and fitness are still important. If you haven’t moved in a bit, take a moment to stretch, walk, or go fullon exercise. If you’d just rather be knitting or playing video games because that sounds more fun, then that playtime is definitely a distraction.

Eating Our food dish is never empty, but it seems you humans like to fill your bowls and then empty them completely, leaving you without continuous sustenance. If you’re hungry and it’s been more than about four hours since you last visited your food bowl, then food’s not a distraction, it’s a necessity. If you find yourself raiding the treat cabinet over and over but nothing looks good, then it’s likely a distraction.

Social Time Most of the time, we don’t want or need our human’s involvement in our lives. But every so often, we get the urge to be social with her or with each other. If you’re like us, and craving interaction is not the norm, you may want to pay attention to that signal and get in some friend or family time. It may lead to new inspiration. But if

“It’s important to distinguish between when you’re distracted and when you need a break.”

Cleaning Being well-groomed is critical to looking and feeling your best. If you feel dirty, you’ll likely remain distracted from your writing until you take 64

being social is all you do, then you’re just being distracted and tempted by your comfort zone.

What A Surprise: Banned Books

by Wendy H. Jones

Sleeping Ahhh, the all-important . . . Zzzzzzzzzzz . . . Oh, sorry. Long article, we dozed off there. Anyway, sleep—it’s important for health and brain function. We’re constantly amazed at how little sleep humans seem to get. If you’re eyes are drooping and you know you haven’t been napping enough, then take time to get some rest. If you lay down to rest and are instead scrolling through your phone, it’s likely that a nap is a distraction.

(continued from Page 63 )

“Distractions happen, and sometimes they are important cues you need to follow to maintain your health and be able to continue creating.”

We know humans desperately want to finish their books. And, no doubt, they work hard at it.

But distractions happen, and sometimes they are important cues you need to follow to maintain your health and be able to continue creating. After all, every pet expects a cushy life from their human’s royalties one day. So don’t let distractions keep you from your goal!

Many libraries and bookshops have a Banned Book Week section, highlighting books which are currently banned (in some places, no one is breaking the law) or have been banned in the past, and encouraging readers to check them out.

Their displays are eye catching and entice readers to look closer. I certainly intend checking more of them out and would encourage you to look at book banning and the reasons for those bans.

Talk about them, engage in discussion and let’s get the world chattering about books and reading.

Wendy H. Jones is the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of adult crime thrillers and cozy mysteries, children’s picture books and non-fiction books for writers. In addition she is a writing coach, partner in Auscot Publishing and Retreats and hosts the Writing and Marketing Show podcast.

Jeanette is a writer and copyeditor based in Dallas, Texas. When not moving commas around, she enjoys scuba diving, grammar blogging, crafting, and annoying her cats by trying to make them famous on Instagram.

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Writers’ Narrative eMagazine We are interested in submissions on any aspect of writing and publishing and will accept simultaneous submissions. All interviews must be pitched to the Editor in Chief first before doing the interview.

We accept varying lengths of submissions depending on the topic - 500, 1000, 1,500. Book reviews can be shorter but should include a substantial review in addition to the book blurb. Only submit previously unpublished work (either online or in print).

Monthly themes will be promulgated in both the magazine and in the Facebook Group.

Please use Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide. Light editing will be undertaken. If major editing is required, the article will be returned with general advice on what is required to bring it up to publication standard.

All submissions are to be in Times New Roman or Times, size 12 font, single spaced, with no formatting.

All formatting will be carried out by the editorial team.

The only images which should be submitted with your articles are your author photograph—and book covers if doing a book review. Include a brief bio and author photograph along with your first submission.

Please state the month for which you are submitting your article. However, this may be changed if it is felt it better suits a different issue.

Writers’ Narrative is published monthly. Submission cut off dates: January – 7th October February – 7th November March – 7th December April - 7th January May – 7th February June – 7th March July – 7th April August – 7th May September – 7th June October – 7th July November – 7th August December – 7th October Submissions via email to writersnarrative@gmail.com To nominate your writing group, local library or bookshop to be featured in future issues and for any queries including advertising with us email writersnarrative@gmail.com subject headed for the attention of Editor in Chief.

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While there is a monthly theme and focus, this will not be the only topic for the magazine. General articles can also be submitted for publication.

Themes for 2023 Month

Theme

August

General – introductory magazine

September

Marketing your books – this will be out in time for the Christmas book buying spree.

October

Writing Horror – Of course. It’s Halloween

November

Writing Novels – Ties in with National Novel Writing Month

December

Finishing Strong – wrapping up your book with endings that satisfy. Tying up loose ends. Leaving your reader satisfied.

Themes for 2024 Month January

Theme New beginnings – setting the scene for the year ahead

February

Romance Writing – what else in February

March

Writing for Children – Ties in with World Book Day

April

Editing – self editing, working with an editor etc.

May

Writing Memoir – It’s National Memoir Month

June

Writing Poetry

July

Writing Non-Fiction

August

Writing Historical Fiction

September

Science Fiction and Fantasy it’s National Science Fiction Month

October

Worldbuilding

November

Writing Cozy Mysteries

December

Writing Habits.

Coming Next Month… December 2023 Theme - Finishing Strong Featured Author - Wendy H. Jones The Power of Last Lines Poetry, book reviews, new book releases, writing satisfying endings and much more...

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