Writing Tips from Amanda Patterson

Is your reader sure where the story is taking place? What are the unintended consequences of a lack of setting in a book?

Are you struggling to start – or finish writing your memoir? In this post, we look at the reasons memoirists are their own worst enemies.

Do you want to create memorable settings? In this post we look at why writers should create a setting like a character and how to

What is empathy? Great characters either lack empathy or have loads of it. We have included things for you to consider when you write about

In this post, we think about genre and its importance to authors, and we give you tips on how to choose your genre.

In this post, we ask and answer the questions: ‘What is an analogy?’ and ‘How do I write one?’ We also give examples of analogies.

Are you worried about including people close to you in your story? In this post, we include 5 ways to write about real people in

Are you looking for a new way to tell an old story? In this post, we share 10 tips for retelling a classic tale.

Has your character changed? In this post, we share a really useful characterisation exercise – then & now – for writers.

We are often told not to use clichés. In this post, we look at the definition of clichés and we tell you why you should