katemac89
Kill your darlings! An indie author's guide to when murder is acceptable. (Part One)
I just deleted a scene! This rarely happens since I tend to underwrite and bulk-out the story afterwards, but every so often, I come...
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katemac89
May 19, 20235 min read
Embracing the Thorns: A Guide to Growing Through Criticism
Of all the things I’ve learned since publishing my debut almost four years ago, only one remains wholeheartedly, universally, absolutely...
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katemac89
Apr 2, 20233 min read
Show Don’t Tell—A universal rule?
What is 'Show Don't Tell', and when and why should we avoid it? There seems to be some discourse in the writing community at the moment...
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katemac89
Feb 3, 20233 min read
Reverse engineering your book: a guide to ensure you’re writing the book you want to be writing
Things I hate: reverse engineering! (Not as a concept, just as a subject, in the same way I hate maths because I’m terrible at it but...
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katemac89
Jan 30, 20235 min read
Nailing the ending of your book
The importance of the ending of a book—or any story—cannot be overstated. It’s the last thing a reader is left with, and can make or...
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katemac89
Sep 27, 20223 min read
Writing a slow-burn romance...
The other day, I was speaking to a friend of mine about the art of writing romance. She told me: I love a slow-burn. Almost all of my...
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katemac89
Aug 16, 20223 min read
Books I Wrote But Never Published
My debut, A Rose and the Thorn, was published in August 2019. For a poorly edited, unmarketed, published-on-a-bit of a whim book, it’s...
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katemac89
Apr 30, 20223 min read
Heartstopper: an adorable and refreshing love story for the ages
Please note this post includes mild spoilers for the TV series. The few of you that actually follow my blog with any regularity might be...
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katemac89
Apr 22, 20224 min read
Writing Authentic Characters
If there’s one thing I’m pretty darn confident in, it’s my characters. Their personalities, their arcs, their 3D characteristics—to me,...
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katemac89
Feb 3, 20223 min read
Writing Masterclass: Point of View and Perspective
Which POV of view should you use? How many? How often? Should you be writing in first person, third person… or even third? The easy...
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katemac89
Dec 14, 20213 min read
3 Simple Tips to Writing Believable Couples
Have you ever been reading a book and just not fully bought into the romance and wondered why? The characters seem great, the plot is...
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katemac89
Aug 10, 20216 min read
The Perfect First Kiss
Pulling off the perfect first kiss is a key part of the romance genre. Is it going to be steamy, sweet, awkward, adorable? Will it be...
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katemac89
May 12, 20213 min read
Top Ten Tips for Writing Effective Action
Disclaimer: I despise writing action. I'd much rather do what Shakespeare did e.g. "They fight. Tybalt falls" (spoilers?) and move on....
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katemac89
May 2, 20213 min read
Writing Description: A Workshop
Writing description is often one of the things that first draws people into writing. It's beautiful, it's pleasant, it's poetry. But it...
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katemac89
May 18, 20203 min read
Why write fairy tale retellings?
“Why write fairy tale retellings? That’s what like most indie authors do.” It’s a question and accompanying statement that most authors...
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katemac89
Apr 25, 20204 min read
How to write a novel in 6 months (but probably three)
Preamble I do not profess to be an "expert" writer. I am not, in truth, even sure what such a thing looks like. Do we get a badge at some...
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