In this week’s episode, Anna and I talk about our experience of writing sex scenes. What works and what doesn’t. What makes a good sex scene? We share our opinion on how to write a believable and intriguing sex scene that people want to read. I talk about the importance of detail and seeing the … Continue reading "#37 – Sex Talk"

Interview with Mariëlle Smith who gave up her university job and life in the Netherlands to move to Cyprus over a year ago.  The country called to her creative side. Along with caring for the stray cats on the beach, she set up her own business. Listen to how she did it and how she … Continue reading "#36 – Talking Business"

What is conflict in a story? Conflict is any obstacle or person that prevents a character from getting what they want. It can be an opposing force in the form of an antagonist or a construct, such as society or religion. It might even be an internal belief or blind spot that prevents a protagonist … Continue reading "#35 – Conflict in Stories"

When we talk about love in writing, you might think of romance novels, but there are romantic elements in many genres as a secondary plot or interest. In Shawn Coyne’s Story Grid, he talks about the need for obligatory scenes, which are those scenes that are necessary if a love story is going to be … Continue reading "#34 – Love, Love, Love"

What is the possible reason for breaking writing rules? It depends on who makes the rules. Some writers make their own rules that work for them, and while these can be tested, they almost certainly are made to be broken. Then there are well-established rules, such as grammar, which if broken, would put off an … Continue reading "#33 – Breaking the Writing Rules"

What is Genre? Genre is one of those words that can mean different things to different people. From a marketing point of view, it allows authors and publishers to categorise their books in a way that let people know what to expect from the content. Story Grid Shaun Coyne, the founder of Story Grid, says … Continue reading "#32 – Genre"

An extra episode where Anna interviews me about the release of my first novel.

Thank you to Mariëlle S Smith for sending us a copy of her beautiful journal and planner 52 Weeks of Writing and giving us this opportunity. In this week’s podcast, Anna and I go through the planner for the first week. My goal for the following week was to complete half of the first round … Continue reading "#30 – Journal and Planner"

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the truth. There is fact, and then there is a perception of that fact. How do you separate the two? The writer rarely recounts events without embellishing them on paper or electronically. After all, a writer’s job is to make facts interesting — their goal to draw readers into their … Continue reading "#29 – Write the Truth"

Anna and I talk about our experience of giving and receiving feedback. Here are some recommendations: Create a safe environment to give feedback. Bear in mind that some people’s history won’t allow them to feel safe, no matter how sensitively you approach a subject. If you are a writer, no doubt you’ll have experienced imposter … Continue reading "#28 – Giving Feedback"