writing tips | Penstricken

Idea Generators: Are They Any Use?

Posted on June 5, 2021 Leave a Comment

If you’re struggling to come up with an idea for your story, you might be tempted to Google story idea generators to help you out.

But do these little miracle makers really deliver the goods?

5 Writing Laws I Just Can’t Keep

Posted on June 3, 2021 Leave a Comment

If the Writing Police ever do raid my house at four in the morning and drag me before the Fiction Judge, I’m pretty sure the list of charges will be a long one and he’ll throw the book at me for every one of them. And so, today I’m here to confess my crimes.

Are You Making The Best Use Of Your Writing Time?

Posted on May 29, 2021 Leave a Comment

I’ve recently made a few more changes to my weekly writing schedule which I hope will allow me to make better use of my limited time. While I’m sure your writing schedule won’t be exactly the same as mine, I thought I’d tell you about it anyway to provide you with a bit of food for thought.

6 Things I’ve Learned About Writing Fiction

Posted on May 28, 2021 Leave a Comment

Today I’ve decided to share a brief selection of some of the lessons I’ve learned over the years which I think has helped to make me a better writer.

6 Terrible Bad Guy Lines From the Big Screen

Posted on May 26, 2021 Leave a Comment

This is a list of lame lines of dialogue delivered by villains. Lines that were probably meant to sound cool and sinister but failed to produce quite the right effect.

Why Your Fantastic Story Idea Has To Die

Posted on May 24, 2021 Leave a Comment

If you want my advice, you’ll treat your idea as a profane thing from the very moment it’s conceived. It is not sacred. It is not too beautiful to die. Frankly, it’s probably not as clever as you thought.

5 Useful Fiction and Writing Blogs

Posted on May 22, 2021 1 Comment

Instead of sharing individual posts, I’m sharing links to whole blog sites that I find myself returning to again and again, either because they’re full of useful tips and resources or because they’re just plain enjoyable to read.

How to Help Your Audience Suspend Disbelief

Posted on May 21, 2021 Leave a Comment

You as the writer have a responsibility to write a story which makes it easy for the audience to suspend their disbelief…. The issue is not one of what is possible. The issue is of what is likely.

Blogging and Novel Writing – Revisited

Posted on May 16, 2021 Leave a Comment

A couple of months ago I expressed my frustration with how much of my writing time was being gobbled up by this blog, and the detrimental effect it was having on my novel…. Having carefully examined my own writing habits (both good and bad), I’ve concluded that a large part of my problem lies in how I plan and organise my blog.