The Creative Writing Blog

In a fantasy world, the author has enviable freedom in creating the language their characters speak. From ancient languages to fully fictional languages, the possibilities are exhilarating.

Even if...

Have you ever encountered a main character in a children’s book or YA fiction that sticks in the mind and refuses to budge long after you’ve closed the pages of the book? What about a...

Without wishing away the last days of summer, the autumn – or fall – is almost here. Ah, September. Fresh mornings, even fresher evenings, a cardigan over the shoulders...

‘Character agency’ in fiction is used to describe the ability a character has to take action to affect the events of the story. 

It’s often used in a negative sense....

So you’re writing a novel and you want to create compelling and believable characters. We’ve got just the thing! Here are three original and fun character development exercises created...

Nothing enlivens a story like a three-dimensional character, but creating one isn’t always easy. Dr Stephanie Carty, clinical psychologist and writer of fiction and non-fiction, joined us at...

Character development is essential to any great novel. In any genre of fiction – from action studded with high-speed chases to philosophical contemplations of the human condition –...

We’re delighted to welcome Amanda Reynolds to The Novelry as a writing coach specialising in psychological thrillers and suspense.

Amanda’s first novel, Close To Me, was a number one...

For many writers, the question of how to start a story is one of the most panic-inducing. Whether it’s because you know too much or too little about your characters, world and events,...

Given both love and storytelling are as old as time, it’s no wonder the question of how to write a love story has so absorbed us.

And it’s possible that this question is only becoming...

Can creative writing be taught? It’s something many of us have pondered. Whether you’re just thinking about taking a creative writing course, or you’re already enrolled and hoping...

Research and historical fiction tend to go hand in hand. Before the writer puts pen to paper, they must become familiar with the facts of the period. But how much research is too much research?...

The idea of outlining a novel may strike dread, panic or even tedium into a writer’s heart. Are we really expected to have our entire story outlined before we put pen to paper?

It’s all...

Are you curious about how to write a murder mystery? The endeavour can be baffling and thrilling in equal measure. If you want to try your hand at murder mysteries, try these five top tips...