There’s always that first morning in winter when the sun (finally!) comes up and sparkles over white curls of frost on the grass. Almost like magic, all we want to do is snuggle up with blankets, hot chocolates and the perfect wintry books.
Reading is just as important as writing when it comes to developing your storytelling craft: discovering what you enjoy, what works, what doesn’t, and why. But this learning works best if you’re reading widely. Mood reading is great for this as it pushes you to find something new, whilst also giving you at least some limitations to narrow your search.
So which wintry books would we recommend to kick off the festive season this year? Some are warm, cosy and comforting. Others much darker, with a chill of frost. But nearly all of them have one thing in common: that sparkle of wintry magic.
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Set in the depths of winter, Spinning Silver follows several young female characters through a twisted, dark fairytale of magic, hardship, betrayal and hope. It’s sharp with the cold of frost, but also warming at times: the tired and exhausted characters wolfing down hot porridge and cherries in syrup, sheltering from the snow, holding family close against the cruel, cold frost outside.
The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
At the lighter end of the spectrum, you can always rely on Terry Pratchett to warm the cockles of your heart. The Hogfather has all the usual humour, magic and light-hearted warmth, following Death as he steps in to deliver presents after The Hogfather goes missing. It’s like Christmas but with even more magic.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst
The sequel to The Spellshop, this gorgeous, cosy fantasy follows a librarian on a snowy island filled with magical, heated greenhouses. There’s plenty of honey cakes, roaring fires, cosy romance and (very) mild peril, so it’s perfect if you need a little pick me up in the wintry months.
Doomsday Book by Connie Wills
Set in snowy Oxford in the weeks before Christmas, Doomsday Book follows a time travelling historian as she travels back to the 1300s. This one’s definitely not cosy, but it is extremely immersive. You’ll genuinely feel like you’ve travelled back in time: listening to the old English language, exploring the wintry, plague-ridden countryside, and seeing the brutality of winter before insulation, heating and vaccines.
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
If you’ve read and enjoyed Spinning Silver, you’ll love The Bear and the Nightingale. Set in Russia, winter is very much a character in this story, in a blend of magic, evil stepmothers, Russian folklore and a sprinkle of romance.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
This one hardly needs explanation as no doubt you’ll have read it at some point, but we had to include it because nothing makes us feel more winter magic than shrugging on a fur coat and stepping into the snowy forests of Narnia.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Lots of people have seen the film (the muppets version is our favourite!) and know the story, but if you’ve never read A Christmas Carol it’s worth putting on your list. There’s something incredibly evocative about the scenes of feasting, dancing, and a market filled with exotic fruits, onions and turkey. And of course, it’s the ultimate story of hope and comfort, which we all need a bit of in winter.
We’re always looking for more books to add to our mood reading list, so let us know your own recommendations for wintry books!
If you’re writing short stories for contests, magazines or anthologies, you’ll probably find yourself aiming for a word count. Sometimes, the word count is too tight for the story, but other times it’s a case of conciseness.
In these instances, you’ll probably find yourself trawling back and forth, looking for sneaky words to snip out.
We’ve done this a few times, so we thought we’d write down our tips and tricks for cutting words from your story.
Do it—even if you’re under the word count
On rare occasions (for us) we’ve written the first draft and it’s been under the word count. The temptation here is to apply the usual polish then get it straight out the door. But we’ve learnt that even the shortest stories can benefit from a cut and blow dry.
When you cut words you’re forced to re-look at each part of your story and assess its importance. In doing so, you weed out the ‘padding’—the stuff that doesn’t add anything for the reader. It also frees up space to expand where previously you might have held back.
Beware of intensifiers and adverbs
Brrr, it’s very cold in here. Or is it freezing? Intensifiers are words like very, really, so and quite. They modify an existing adjective to intensify its meaning.
Sometimes they’re exactly what you need, especially in dialogue. But often they’re sitting in place of another word that better conveys your meaning.
Here’s a few examples:
It’s very cold in here = It’s freezing in here
That’s really bad = That’s terrible
It’s very important = It’s crucial
I’m so tired = I’m exhausted
Similarly, adverbs modify verbs, and can also be condensed into single words:
She shouted loudly = She yelled
He ran quickly = He sprinted
They talked quietly = They whispered
Finding and swapping out intensifiers and adverbs can help to cut words in your story (and make your imagery more evocative).
Look out for repeated meaning
You might notice points in your story where it feels a bit slow. As if your brain is saying ‘Come on, get on with it!’. It could be that you’ve written the same thing twice in different ways. For example:
Jane ran down the stairs, desperate to tell Timmy what she’d discovered.
“Timmy!” she shouted, bursting into the living room. “You’ll never guess what I’ve discovered.”
Ok, this is an obvious example, but hopefully it helps to explain. Do we need ‘...desperate to tell Timmy what she’d discovered’? Or is the meaning already conveyed in the dialogue?
Here’s the same example, without the repeated meaning.
Jane ran down the stairs.
“Timmy!” she shouted, bursting into the living room. “You’ll never guess what I’ve discovered.”
By finding and removing phrases with repeated meaning, you’ll cut words, and tighten your prose.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat (or give it a nice cuddle)
Read through paragraphs in isolation and see if there’s another, shorter, way of writing them.
Can you swap that long list of adjectives with a simile? Or exchange an explanatory section for short, snappy dialogue that reveals the same information?
By experimenting with different formats you’ll likely find a shorter and more original way of saying what you mean.
Avoid the past perfect tense (where possible!)
You’ll probably find yourself slipping into the past perfect tense when writing a flashback or memory:
He had thought she would be happy. He had wrapped her gift so nicely.
It works well for backstory, but it comes with a health warning. Writing in the past perfect tense nearly always results in more words because of the dreaded ‘hads’. She had this, he had that… It’s also more cumbersome to read.
Assessing whether there’s an alternative to your past perfect tense scenes and cutting them down can help save words and make your writing easier to read.
Speak now or forever have more words
Nothing is better for finding sneaky extra words than reading aloud. Or, preferably, having somebody else read aloud whilst you follow along in the document.
We do this a lot when we’re cutting words together, and it’s amazing how often the person reading aloud will skip over words that don’t need to be there.
Sometimes, we won’t even realise, and it’ll be up to the other person to say ‘hey, you know you didn’t read that word, shall we just cut it?’.
Know when to stop
There’s a million rules out there of things you should and shouldn’t do in writing, but the biggest lesson we’ve learnt is not to take them too literally.
Going away now and stripping out every last intensifier and adverb from your story; deleting all the past perfect tense scenes; and rewriting everything else, risks losing your voice.
You could remove every last unnecessary word in your story (which is tempting when you want to submit to a new market), but you need to know when to stop.
You need to have a feel for the balance between making your story concise and snappy, and making it yours. If you find yourself cutting words mercilessly, take a step away, and return later.
Nothing is worth more than a break, and nothing works greater magic than a fresh pair of eyes.
Rain on the window, bright golden leaves, spooky witchy ambience—there’s no better time to snuggle up with a good book than in autumn.
Reading is just as important as writing in improving your storytelling craft. It gives you an opportunity to see what you’ve learnt in practice; to pick up new ideas; and to remind yourself why you love the world of books and writing.
Below are a few of our favourite books to read in autumn. We’d love to hear what you’d recommend for autumn reads so we can grow the list!
Take a trip to The Discworld
Thankfully, there’s a Pratchett for every occasion! For witchy vibes, The Wyrd Sisters has the perfect cosy balance of pointy hats and humour, all mixed up with a good helping of Shakespeare. It’s the first Discworld book to star the witches, introducing the coven of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick.
Head to Manchester with The Stranger Times
For anyone who’s never been to Manchester, it’s pretty much the home of autumnal weather—raining mercilessly every season of the year. The Stranger Times by C.K. McDonnell follows a fictional newspaper based in Manchester, dedicated to reporting paranormal news. Think werewolves, vampires and ghosts set against a rainy cityscape, and written with delightful dark humour.
Explore autumnal English woodland in Duncton Wood
There’s something so magical about old English woodland and the quiet creatures who live there. In William Horwood’s Duncton Wood we follow a group of moles as they face family, political and religious challenges in their magical world beneath the trees. True escapism for busy lives.
Get cosy with a classic like Northanger Abbey
Jane Austen is always cosy reading and Northanger Abbey has subtly spooky vibes, following the coming of age story of a young woman with an overactive imagination. For more intense gothic vibes delve into classics like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstien or Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.
Embrace your inner cottagecore with The Spellshop
If you’ve never heard of cottagecore, it’s essentially about embracing simplicity, nature and cosiness. Imagine arranging wildflowers in a vase next to the roaring fire of your thatched cottage. Or collecting windfall apples to bake into a crumble. In other words, it’s perfect for autumn. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst embodies all the cosiness of cottagecore, following a librarian who opens a jam shop as a front for selling illegal spells. It’s cute, cosy, and everything you’d want for a rainy autumn day.
So that’s our list. Let us know what else you’d recommend—and happy reading!
Writing can be lonely, and baring your soul to the world through your words can be anxiety-inducing, especially when people don’t hold back on giving their honest opinion.
Looking after your wellbeing isn’t just important for your health, it helps to keep you motivated, passionate and focused on what’s important. Here’s a few of the things we’ve found helpful so far.
It’s by no means an exhaustive or prescriptive list—and if you do find yourself struggling, make sure to reach out for professional help. Whether that’s talking to your GP, or contacting some of the amazing charities who work in this space. We’ve included a list at the bottom of this blog to help make that a bit easier.
Talk to other writers
There are so many elements to writing that can affect your wellbeing, and at times it can feel like you’re completely alone: getting rejected, struggling to write, doubting your abilities, comparing yourself to others, receiving negative feedback. But you’re not. Every writer goes through it, and talking to other writers helps to put that into perspective.
Knowing that rejection and negative feedback are completely normal doesn’t necessarily make them sting any less, but it helps you to acknowledge that there’s nothing wrong with you. You are not a bad writer. You are not destined to fail. You’re just on a journey like everyone else.
Feedback and rejections are all just part of improving, learning and practising your craft. After all, you wouldn’t expect to pick up a violin and immediately know how to whip out a perfect rendition of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
Be supportive, not envious
Since we’re old enough to babble we’re taught to compare ourselves to others, from school grades and board games to sack races (yep, we were the children who always got the ‘Good Try!’ stickers on sports day). And yes, book sales are a competition like anything else—‘read my book, not his!’. But obsessing over this will only waste your energy, and ultimately sour the magic of writing.
Ehrmann’s prose poem, “Desiderata”, states, ‘if you compare yourself to others you will become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself’. Both vanity and bitterness are pretty terrible for wellbeing: the former filling life with endless expectations, and the latter devastating our relationships.
So, if you feel yourself getting stressed out about others, step away, take a moment, and when you feel able to, try to support them in their moment of success. After all, they’re probably feeling a hefty helping of anxiety and self-doubt themselves, even if they look confident.
Give yourself a break
We’ve heard lots of advice like: you must write everyday, you must write as much as you can, you must write 10,000 words in five seconds (ok, maybe that last one is an exaggeration). And yes, we get it. To make money from writing, to improve and become successful, of course you have to write. But runners don’t continuously run non-stop. They understand that rests and breaks are fuel for the moment they get back out there and run again.
It’s easy to think that sunbathing or taking a bath is lazing about. That it’s ‘doing nothing’. But it’s the opposite. Letting your brain wind-down, relax and take a break builds up energy and passion for when you return. Have you ever been on holiday, looked around museums or gone hiking, felt inspired and rushed to return to your laptop and write? That’s exactly why we need to take breaks. That, and because, (whilst some people might argue otherwise) there is more to life than writing.
To be happy, to feel fulfilled, we need to live full lives, with varied experiences. Try to get into a routine, including regular breaks in your day, and taking time away when you need it.
Practice mindfulness and be wary of the veil of writing
We all draw from our own life experiences when we write—it’s impossible not to, and it’s ultimately what makes our writing unique and evocative. Taking notes on experiences, feelings and emotions can help to inspire characters, story arcs and details. It can help us tune in mindfully to our surroundings, making us better listeners, observers, and more attentive to the world around us.
But there’s also a danger in living life too focussed on sourcing new material. Experiencing the taste of honey for enjoyment is different to experiencing it to describe on a page. It’s almost like living life in the third person, a constant detachment, seeing your own life through your reader’s eyes. It risks your enjoyment of new experiences and your appreciation of the moment.
So, if something inspires you, note it down, but be wary of training your senses to only experience life through the veil of writing.
Learn to manage your imposter syndrome
“Ah,” you say. So I got good feedback. That was just them being kind. So I won a competition, got something published, finished writing a story—that was just a fluke. They’ll find out soon, realise I’m not really a writer. Imposter syndrome is a difficult thing to shake. But it’s important not to let it get out of control. At its worst, it can cause you to overthink, over-edit, and even stop writing altogether.
For Alice, it feels like the face-hugger from Alien, suffocating her creativity and crushing her confidence. But there are things that can help. Think about what your imposter syndrome is saying to you—probably something along the lines of “you’re not good enough, they’ll find you out, you’re just pretending.” Now imagine saying those words to someone you love. A child, spouse, or friend. Pretty horrible, right? Well if you can’t imagine speaking like that to someone you care about, why are you doing it to yourself?
It can also help to focus on what you have achieved, to look at the facts. If you’ve finished a story, had good feedback, or (the holy grail) actually got something published, that’s not a fluke. It’s some combination of talent and hard work, and you can do it again. Imposter syndrome is a subject worthy of its own blog—and there are lots out there! This one has some useful tips.
Remember why you fell in love with writing
Whether you’ve loved writing since you were little, or you’ve come to love it more recently, it’s likely that writing itself has helped with your mental health—giving you a space to vent and organise your thoughts, to understand your emotions and express your frustration.
Don’t forget the power this has. Writing for yourself is just as important as writing for your readers. And not everything you write needs to be shared with others: writing simply for enjoyment with the intention of never sending it anywhere is a great way to rekindle your passion, to calm your emotions and to simply enjoy a moment of creativity. After all, there’s a reason why so many charities use art, writing and music as a form of therapy.
Who to speak to if you need further help
If you do find yourself struggling, make sure to reach out for professional help. Whether that’s talking to your GP, or contacting some of the amazing charities who work in this space: Mind; Anxiety UK; Mental Health Foundation; Samaritans.
We’ve all been there—desperate to get lost in the magic of writing, but banging on an invisible wall of nothingness when it comes to inspiration.
Even if we have the spark of an idea, sometimes, no matter how hard we prod and poke, it just won’t transform into a story. When this happens, the very worst thing we can do is sit staring at a blank page.
Instead, we need to gulp down fresh ideas and inspiration from the beautiful randomness of the world around us.
Here’s some of our favourite inspirational tonics.
Mythical potion of hot water
Perhaps it’s the almost sleep-like sensation of lying wrapped in warmth that prompts the mind to relax and roam, opening passageways that were previously locked fast. Whatever the reason, shutting your laptop and taking a moment to shower or run a bath can work wonders for unlocking new ideas.
Several companies have even developed waterproof paper and notepads, so you can note down your moments of genius!
Refreshing tonic of walking
The problem with a blank page or a flashing cursor is it never really changes. Whilst this mundane stillness can help your mind to wander (like in a shower or bath)—it only really works if you’re relaxed and free from pressure.
Getting out and about on a walk presents your mind with new scenery, ideas and people that not only distract from pressure, but also spark random ideas that could hold the key to solving your problems.
Invigorating elixir of the museum
Museums are jam-packed with stories just waiting to be explored and developed. Whether it’s the strange mystery of an unreadable book, a nugget of history that could change everything in a parallel universe, or a historical character whose story has yet to be heard.
It’s great inspiration, but also the perfect opportunity to refresh and get away from your desk.
Just make sure to take your camera (if the museum allows), take plenty of notes, and pay special attention to the smaller signs and exhibits that others might overlook.
Enchanting tincture of soundtracks
Soundtracks are composed to evoke intense emotional reactions, which can be extremely useful if you’re struggling to nurture an idea into a story.
Finding soundtracks which match the emotion of a scene you’re writing can also help you tune into the characters’ feelings.
To avoid the awkward interruption of a sad scene with a battle soundtrack, try creating playlists of music you know will have the right emotion. You could also listen to soundtracks whilst on a walk, out for a run or whilst taking a bath.
Enthralling concoction of the journal
It doesn’t have to be a day-by-day log of all your activities. It could be snippets: a detailed description of a house you saw whilst walking home; the way a woman on the tram had a habit of plaiting her hair whilst chatting to her friend; the heavy, aching feeling when you messed up on a project at work.
It’s hard to know what will be useful when you write it down, but when you’re lacking inspiration, flicking back through these snippets can provide the spark of a story—and best of all, it’ll have come from your own first-hand experience.
Vitalising draught of collaboration
Two brains aren’t always better than one (there’s a reason for the ‘too many cooks’ expression), but when you’ve got the spark of an idea that just won’t catch, another person could be the missing piece to transform it into a full blazing story.
Try chatting through ideas, delving into questions you’re stuck on and working through sticky plot points. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is all that’s needed to solve an unsolvable problem.
Rosalyn Robilliard 