The Latest Articles From The Litopia ® Author Platform ™
Thought-provoking quotes for writers
‘The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself’ - William Faulkner I love this. We often think about conflict as…
Happy Ever After
Another second-hand love letter, and I'm hoping for Happy Ever After
Theme
What is your story really about?
A theme in literature is the central idea or underlying message that a story communicates. While the plot tells us what happens, the theme explores why…
Notes from a Writer Among Dancers - Part II
The first draft: the protagonist is disinterested, the flashback insists, and the director's shouting MARK IT!
A Reading List and Lusty Roger
More things found in second-hand books. What's the story here?
How to craft scenes with purpose
I watched another excellent webinar recently. The content was helpful as both a planning tool and as an editing tool. Scene structure mimics story structure, but…
Darling Penny
Who knows the stories behind Second-Hand Love Letters? We can only imagine.
Still Good To Eat
A poet struggles to find an elusive rhyme.
Size matters, and with gold coins, smaller is better.
Just how much loot can your adventurers actually carry? Do the math, mind the physics, and remember: gold is heavy, gems are tricky, and worldbuilding is hard work
When Ideas Are Lost to Traffic
A writer, a kangaroo (sort of), and a traffic jam. What begins as a golden-hour cruise home from rehearsal turns into a reflection on creativity, collaboration — and teenage hunger.
Self-Doubt
A Writer’s Best Friend or Their Worst Nightmare?
Every writer knows the feeling: that voice whispering “You’re not good enough.”
Personal Reflections on Gender
Inspired by CS Dalton's recent blog post about Baking Day, I've been thinking of all the things my mother never taught me...
Complexity, Likeability and Believability
Forget likeable — make them compelling.
Ok, so what does this gold stuff buy anyway?
What does a gold coin buy? How do wealth gaps, wages, and social hierarchies shape your fantasy world? Money defines class, power, and motivation in any world — real or imagined. An insightful read for any writer serious about building believable worlds.
Anthologising
Questions About Collections
How do you approach an anthology of short stories? Do you read from beginning to end, or dip in and out? Is the sequencing of stories in a collection as crucial as the running order of songs on an album? I've been wondering these things and more...
Got a grip on gold, fantasy writers? You may be surprised at how much it matters.
So your heroes slay the dragon and find a chest of gold… cue the happy dance? Not so fast. That treasure weighs over a ton. Literally. A hilarious reality check for fantasy writers
Potentially Dangerous to Health
If you are offered sugar in an exotic location, make sure it’s not high-fructose.
Baking day
Baking tomorrow’s memories
Bringing back treasured memories of baking days gone by.
Conflict
What's the worst that can happen?
Join me as I explore the different types of narrative conflict.
"This time, it's personal."
It’s not just about plot. It’s about stakes, conflict, and why we care.
Notes from a Writer among Dancers
Chaos, adverbs, metaphors, and a director shouting “FOCUS!”
Keeping Readers Turning the Page
Three powerful tricks to raise stakes + keep your novel gripping.
Another Life Well Lived
A tribute to friendship, and a life well lived against the odds.
How faster will we go?
Do you take your time when reading—or rush through books like everything else in life?
Trigger warning - suicide
Sometimes writing goes beyond craft — it becomes a lifeline and a way to process trauma.
On Artistic Courage in the Face of Doubt
Sometimes things collide in the most unexpected ways. On the one hand, I am slowly picking my way through Conversations with Goethe in the Later Years…
A list of writing reminders-to-self
Craft notes every writer wishes they’d pinned above their desk.
You Have Been Warned
It’s good to know your companions will always have your back… regardless of how old they are.
Writer Beware
AI is coming for you!
Scammers are getting smarter (and scarier) with AI. Fake book clubs, bogus invoices, even emails that seem to know your plot. Writers, stay sharp.
Bad advice
Who do you think you are?
Advice comes from lots of places, just make sure the one giving it knows what they're talking about...
Farty Towels?
Hospitality: The art of making guests feel at home while secretly wishing they'd leave.
This isn’t fiction – it’s the day-to-day reality of running a place where guests have been coming for over forty years!
From Colonial Coins to Cosmic Serpents
What will future civilisations read in our leftovers?
A Bristol Pilgrimage
It may surprise you to know that whilst Fantasy is 'not my genre,' one of the most enduring influences on my creativity is Diana Wynne Jones, and I've recently been on a quest to find the place where the magic came from.
It wasn't the Banana Arms
Old men may be chatting about medication, past glories and bowel movements… or trying to remember where they went last night.
Inspiration, perspiration and (sleep) deprivation
So why the hell did I choose to write a dual timeline, time travelling adventure mystery as my first novel? Well, to be honest, I didn’t…
Where the Leftovers Go
Why was the new guy caressing a car at 3am?
A few words about awesomeness
At 48, I went back to college. Everyone else was 18. Instead of a generation gap, they called me The Bevster, dragged me to Harry Potter parties, and showed me what generosity looks like. One day, they’ll be running the world. It’s going to be awesome. #Hope #Kindness #NextGeneration
The Welsh One
Baring My Celtic Soul
From Cardiff’s seafront to the peaks of Snowdonia, from Shirley Bassey to JPR Williams, this poem is about belonging, identity, and that Celtic spark that shines brighter than midnight stars. Read it, feel it, and tell me... where does your heart call home?
What should we do about them?
Self-publishing? Don’t skip the copy editor. Typos kill credibility faster than bad reviews. A polished book = a pro author.
On Slippery Foods and Stubborn Hospitality
A hidden village. Mysterious green tentacles. Two women wage war over a stranger.
After the epic journey, what's next?
The road goes ever on. How Tolkien changed me, and a phone app helped bring me closer.
And Still We Wait
I recently told you about a trip to A&E. This is how the night unfolded.
The Art of Waiting
Back in March, I regaled you all with tales of the bizarre night time world of the emergency department. Last night, we were back for more.
Let's put them to rest and be more creative
Let's put to rest tired old characterizations in our writing and come up with better plot points.
The Challenge of Naming Invented Creatures
Bearcats, hobbits and robots, oh my! The difficult art of naming fictional species.
Lives Well Lived
They Overcame
We've all got stories, tales, yarns to tell... fiction, faction or non-fiction, but few of us have life stories that last for a hundred years. This piece features snippets from the lives of a centenarian and his almost-centenarian wife.
The truth of writing with children.
Kids light up your world, but sometimes you just want a few minutes in the dark to get stuff done.
Joyous Enemies!
Adventures in Accidental Shakespeare
When the lesson plan goes awry, the teacher learns something too!
A Nostalgia Trip From the Back of the Stack
'There’s More to Love Than Boy Meets Girl', as The Communards sang. I learned this and more from the music of my adolescence.
Stakes
What is your character risking?
What keeps a reader turning the pages? From exploring the different types of stakes to top tips for heightening them, I delve into the world of risk, tension, choices and consequences.