Ten Top Tips for Finding IdeasHaving a mental block when it comes to ideas is a writer’s worst nightmare! So, here are some simple tips to kick-start your imagination. 1. Listen to music. Song lyrics and titles can be a great source of ideas. You can either listen to the song or go online and use song lyric websites, such as Song Lyrics, ...

Organising Yourself So That You Have More Time To WriteOne of the biggest barriers to people becoming writers is finding the time to actually write! I know it seems strange that anyone wanting to be a writer would find it difficult to fit writing into their life, but it’s true. So, here are some hints and tips to help you get organised. You�...

Do You Need Copyright Protection?This is one of those things that new writers often worry about. So, from the outset I’ll make it clear – copyright protection is automatic under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (CDPA), for both published and unpublished work. However, where there are issues of infringement of copyright it may be ...

How to Choose Your Characters’ Names You’d think giving your characters names would be really simple, wouldn’t you? But it’s not. Naming characters is an important part of the process of creating your story and giving it authenticity. Think about it. You are planning a novel set in working-class Victorian England and you want to use Star Me...

Ten Top Tips for Writing DialogueMany novels and short stories get rejected because they do not include enough dialogue – or the speech their characters use sounds stilted and unrealistic. So here are some tips to help you make the most of what your characters say1. When your characters start talking they must say something important – so...