Guest Post: Rayne Hall The Art of Procrastination

A Non-fiction Piece by Rayne Hall 1. Read this blog before you start today’s writing session. 2. Nobody can procrastinate all the time. Take a break now and then and write something. Then return to procrastination with renewed vigour. 3. Don’t waste your procrastination on

Aroint Thee, Unholy Adverb! Hie Thee Hence! Fie! Fie!

A few years ago, there suddenly appeared, as if from Heaven, a new rule for writers, no doubt engraved somewhere in marble or ivory: THOU SHALT NOT USE ADVERBS. (For those who are unclear as to what an adverb is, the rule has a variant: GET RID OF ALL LY WORDS. [1])  The source of

Guest Post: Rayne Hall on Chases and Escapes

A Non-fiction Piece by Rayne Hall WRITING CRAFT: CHASES AND ESCAPES Does your novel-in-progress contain a scene where the heroine escapes from danger, with the villain chasing after her? Excellent. Readers love the these scenes. Here are some techniques to make your escape scene exciting.

Guest Post: Rayne Hall on Funny Reviews

A Non-fiction Piece by Rayne Hall I love it when readers who enjoyed my books post positive reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and elsewhere – but negative reviews can be even more fun. Here’s a selection of my favourites I’ve received over the years: Storm Dancer (dark epic fantasy novel) “This book is too long. I

Guest Post: Rayne Hall on Creating Suspense

WRITING CRAFT: WHAT LURKS BEHIND THAT DOOR? — CREATING SUSPENSE by Rayne Hall Suspense is a feeling – the feeling of excitement, of tension, of fear, the feeling of needing to know what happens next. As writers, we aim to create suspense, because our readers love it. Here’s a quick trick for increasing the suspense: