When writing about familiar and unfamiliar locations in the same novel, ensure they are balanced and equally well-drawn. This means location research. In my last post, I talked about how easy it is to research distant locations online with the help of the internet. This leads me to a problem I’ve sometimes seen when writers […]
Research distant locations using online tools like Google Earth, Street View, Estate Agents, travel and genealogical sites. The chances are you already use some of these resources for location research, but if you don’t, you’re missing out. So, let’s imagine you live in the US, but you’re writing a novel set in Scotland, or partly […]
How 365 photo projects aid writers. A daily photo can develop your writer’s eye, helping you see and describe things in new and different ways. Believe it or not, a daily photo project can help develop a writer’s eye for detail. Many years ago, I embarked on my first 365 photography project. At the time, […]
Social Media Blockers Provide a Quiet Room Spending too much time on Twitter or other social media? Checking the #writingcommunity and #amwriting threads there far too often? Come on, be honest! This is pretty much the modern equivalent of tidying your desk or playing with your pencils. If you really want to maximise your writing […]