Articles 4/11

Aug 30, 20235 min read

What a Summer That Was! (Writing Research) by Maggie Cobbett

I am delighted to welcome my friend and fellow author, Maggie Cobbett to my blog today. I first met Maggie many years ago at The Writers'...

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What to Post on Social media as Authors by Jessica Thompson

authorvalpenny

Aug 26, 202313 min read

What to Post on Social media as Authors by Jessica Thompson

It is my great pleasure to welcome American author, of Shoot, Shovel and Shutup, and my great friend, Jessica Thompson to the blog today...

74 views1 comment

My Research for A Palette of Magpies by Soulla Christodoulou

authorvalpenny

Aug 23, 20234 min read

My Research for A Palette of Magpies by Soulla Christodoulou

It is with great pleasure that I welcome the talented author, Soulla Christodoulou to the blog today to explain the range of research she...

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Creating Believable Characters by Allison Symes

authorvalpenny

Aug 19, 20233 min read

Creating Believable Characters by Allison Symes

It is always a pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow author, Allison Symes to the blog. Today she discusses her techniques for...

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The Importance of Setting in a Novel by Miriam Drori

authorvalpenny

Aug 16, 20233 min read

The Importance of Setting in a Novel by Miriam Drori

It is with great joy that I welcome my friend and fellow author, Miriam Drori, to the blog today to discuss the importance of setting in...

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Writing Believable Characters by Ritu Bhathal

authorvalpenny

Aug 12, 20233 min read

Writing Believable Characters by Ritu Bhathal

I am thrilled today to host my good friend and fellow SpellBound Books author, Ritu Bhathal, today to explain how she ensures the...

53 views0 comments

authorvalpenny

Aug 9, 20233 min read

The Power of Place by Gary Kruse

I am delighted that the bestselling English author, Gary Kruse has agreed to return to the blog to discuss the importance of setting in a...

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Effective Research for your Contemporary Fiction Books by Wendy H. Jones

authorvalpenny

Aug 6, 20233 min read

Effective Research for your Contemporary Fiction Books by Wendy H. Jones

When one thinks about researching for a book, historical research immediately springs to mind. I am currently researching a historical...

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Writing Believable Characters by Eleanor Swift-Hook

authorvalpenny

Aug 2, 20234 min read

Writing Believable Characters by Eleanor Swift-Hook

I am pleased to welcome Eleanor Swift-Hook to the blog today to share her thoughts about writing believable characters. Certainly, if a...

51 views0 comments

authorvalpenny

Jul 26, 20232 min read

Why Attend a Writing School or Retreat?

I was doing a bit of thinking - my better half always wonders how much this will cost him - and it was to cost, or perhaps value that my...

142 views1 comment

Complete Your Manuscript Before You Submit It

authorvalpenny

Jul 15, 20235 min read

Complete Your Manuscript Before You Submit It

It may seem like a basic instruction, but before you seek any kind of representation or publication, make sure the first draft of your...

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Edinburgh as the Setting in the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers

authorvalpenny

Jun 24, 20232 min read

Edinburgh as the Setting in the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers

The main setting for the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Series is Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is a beautiful city but relatively small...

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Remembering My First Impressions of the Writers' Summer School at Swanwick

authorvalpenny

Jun 21, 20234 min read

Remembering My First Impressions of the Writers' Summer School at Swanwick

I originally heard about The Writers' Summer School from fellow writers at The Largs Writers Group to which I was introduced by the late,...

90 views1 comment

authorvalpenny

May 10, 20235 min read

How I Plan My Novels by Jacquie Rogers

It is my great pleasure to welcome best selling historical novelist, Jacquie Rogers to the blog today. She explains how she plans writing...

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Writing Dig Your Own Grave by Carmen Radtke

authorvalpenny

May 6, 20233 min read

Writing Dig Your Own Grave by Carmen Radtke

It is a great pleasure to have Carmen Radtke visit my blog today to tell me all about writing her new novel, Dig Your Own Grave. Thank...

7 views0 comments

The Coombesford Story by Elizabeth Ducie

authorvalpenny

Apr 26, 20233 min read

The Coombesford Story by Elizabeth Ducie

I am thrilled to have my friend and fellow author, Elizabeth Ducie back on the blog. In this article she explains how she came to write...

32 views0 comments

authorvalpenny

Apr 12, 20234 min read

Writing The Pilgrim by Joy Margetts

The Pilgrim was one of the most intense and gripping novels I read last year, so when the author, Joy Margetts, offered to tell me about...

35 views0 comments

authorvalpenny

Apr 8, 20235 min read

Writing Matters by Morwenna Blackwood

I am pleased to welcome the talented English author, Morwenna Blackwood to the blog today. I have found her work exciting and different...

10 views0 comments

authorvalpenny

Apr 5, 20233 min read

Writing Bleak Waters by Gary Kruse

I am delighted to welcome my friend and fellow author, Gary Kruse, to the blog today to explain what inspired him to write his novel,...

16 views0 comments

Routes to Getting Published - Self Publishing

authorvalpenny

Mar 25, 20231 min read

Routes to Getting Published - Self Publishing

This is my fourth article discussing different routs to getting your book published and I am going to deal with self publishing. This...

46 views0 comments

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