So you took your first steps towards becoming a freelance writer. Great! Now let’s talk about laser hair removal. Okay I’m kinda kidding, but hear me out… So a few years ago I was sitting there working on my now-deceased 6-year-old Macbook, churning out a 4000 word article about all the different ways that you can permanently …
Anyone who’s studied literature, taken a writing course or joined a book club has no doubt encountered the expression ‘purple prose’. For those who haven’t, Google defines it as: “Prose that is too elaborate or ornate.” So why purple? In Ancient Rome, where the expression finds its origins, purple was the colour of the Emperor …
Characters are shaped by their pasts – that’s why so many superheroes have spin-offs dedicated to telling their origin stories. While you don’t need to write detailed accounts of what happens to make your protagonist who they are today (though you can if you like!), having some idea of where they came from can shape …
10 Unique Origin Story Ideas For Your Fantasy Protagonist Read More »
People new to writing are often advised by teachers, mentors and other established writers to find their voice. But before we delve into exercises to help you discover your own writer’s voice, let’s surmise what we mean by this phrase. A writer’s voice describes the themes they write about, their perspectives on these themes, and …
7 Writing Exercises To Help You Find Your Writer’s Voice Read More »
Parenthood. It’s a full-time job. Often one we have to fit around another full-time job in order to pay the bills and eat. The same can be said for aspiring writers who have to make time for their passion in the hours not consumed by paid employment and sleep. Finding the time to write is …
5 Tips For Finishing Your Novel As A Full-Time Parent Read More »
Anyone who’s about to begin the process of editing their book is bound to feel intimidated. From plot considerations to mistakes you’ll want to avoid, editing a manuscript is a complicated journey that requires immense effort and attention to detail. But that doesn’t mean it has to be anxiety-inducing – especially if you have the …
5 Must-Have Tools To Get You Through The Editing Process Read More »
Whichever corner of the internet you spend your time lurking in, you have no doubt encountered fandoms – and by extension, fan fiction. At the time of writing, fanwork mecca Archive of Our Own (AO3) has published well over five and a half million works of fan fiction, spanning every genre of fandom imaginable. Despite its …
5 Benefits Of Writing Fan Fiction (And Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss It) Read More »
Every good book has a strong cast of captivating characters accompanying the reader throughout the story. Whether it’s high-action fantasy, gritty crime drama or heart-wrenching romance, characters who are realistic and relatable are integral to an interesting read. So, you’ve done your research into how to master character creation. You know you need to create …
Researching your novel: all authors have to do it. Whether you’re brushing up on your science facts for a detailed multi-book space opera, or digging into the nitty-gritty of life on an isolated cattle farm for a reflective contemporary novel, you need to do your homework. But homework’s not exactly fun, is it? Well, before you …
5 Fun & Unusual Ways To Do Research For Your Novel Read More »
Spoiler alert: this post contains a number of potential spoilers relating to deaths occurring in various books/movies, including A Song of Ice and Fire/Game Of Thrones, The Book Thief and The Hunger Games. Part of being a writer is facing the heart-wrenching necessity of killing our darlings. While this practice can refer to many aspects …
Hi everyone! It’s WE Editor Claire here, back again to sum up another fantastic twelve months of Writer’s Edit! Yep, it’s that time of year again – time to reflect on everything that’s been happening throughout 2019 in our bookish and writerly corner of the web. Let’s dive right in… Six years of Writer’s Edit …
It’s been a big year for our fantasy publishing imprint Talem Press, with even more exciting things on the horizon for 2020. But before 2019 draws to a close, we thought we’d give you the first bit of info about one of our upcoming titles… Book II in The Relic Trilogy by Bronwyn Eley! In September …
Title Reveal: Book II of THE RELIC TRILOGY by Bronwyn Eley Read More »
Sending my novel out for beta reading was potentially the most terrifying part of my writing career to date. As a Creative Writing graduate, I’m no stranger to critique; workshopping my writing with peers was basically all I did for four years. But when it came to my novel, I always kept it close to …
6 Lessons I Learned From The Beta Reading Process Read More »
We couldn’t be more thrilled to be revealing another epic Talem Press cover today… This one is for The Ninth Sorceress, the debut novel of Australian author, Bonnie Wynne and the first book in her series, The Price of Magic. So, without further ado… Slated for release on February 13th, 2020, The Ninth Sorceress is …
Cover Reveal: THE NINTH SORCERESS by Bonnie Wynne Read More »
All readers know the feeling of being captivated by a piece of writing straight away. When the first sentence pulls you in, it’s much more likely that you’ll continue reading. Many people only read a page or even just few sentences before making a judgement. If they’re not hooked, the book often goes back on …
Congratulations! You’ve written and completed the first draft of your manuscript. That’s a huge deal. It takes courage and discipline to finish a body of work the size of a novel. It also requires dedication and self-belief to ‘turn up at the page’ day-after-day, committed to your story’s plot and characters. Let the feeling of achievement wash …
7 Mistakes To Avoid When Editing Your First Draft Read More »
Love is in the air. No, really – it is! Romance and relationships play an important part of many people’s everyday lives, and the same holds true in many types of fiction. Sadly, given its omnipresence across all genres, romantic subplots easily lend themselves to tropes and clichés. Fantasy fiction in particular often relies on …
6 Proven Ways To Add Romance To Your Fantasy Story Read More »
Whether you’re a plotter, a pantser or somewhere delightfully in between, everyone needs to plan their novel. But as with all creative endeavours, there’s no ‘right’ way to begin writing. A plotter may opt for an in-depth scene breakdown, while a pantser may furiously jot down a series of random notes or ideas in their …
A big HAPPY RELEASE DAY to our talented author, Bronwyn Eley, whose debut fantasy novel RELIC is out today. Relic is the first volume in the new YA fantasy series, The Relic Trilogy. Here’s the official blurb… In the city of Edriast, there is no deadlier duty than to serve as the Shadow. As …
Back in January, we announced that our YA fantasy imprint, Talem Press, had signed debut author Bronwyn Eley for the publication of her series, The Relic Trilogy. Fast-forward more than seven months later, and we’re now only two weeks away from sharing Relic, the first book in Bronwyn’s series, with the world! As a quick refresher, …