Category Archives: Fiction

6 Top Tips: How to Stay Calm When Editing

Posted on April 29, 2019 by tthurai

Editing is a well-kept secret – or maybe the skeleton in the cupboard – depending on your view of it. Yet it plays a critical role in whether your book, article or thesis is outstanding or simply average. Having been … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Editing, Editing tips, Fiction, History, self-publishing, The Devil Dancers, women self-publishers, women writers, World War 2, writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Slobs vs Workaholics: 10 Resolutions for the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2018 by tthurai

It doesn’t matter which category you fall into. Somewhere out there is a resolution that you can keep. The problem for most of us is that many resolutions are of long duration and require a good deal of effort. For that … Continue reading →

Posted in 2018, Archaeology, Christmas, Courses, Crosswords, Culture, exercise, Festivals, Fiction, finances, Food, ghost stories, History, IT, Languages, Learning, MOOC, Movies, New Year, Painting, Pottery, Resolutions, Short stories, writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Creepy Choices for a Rattling Good Read (+ 4 great films)

Posted on October 30, 2017 by tthurai

While not all the books on my top 10 Creepy Choices are ghost stories,  I think you’ll agree that they all deliver a certain frisson. For good measure, I’ve also added four films that never cease to get my heart racing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Angela Carter, Books, Charles Dickens, Donna Tartt, Fiction, ghost stories, Halloween, Henry James, John Wyndham, M. R. James, M.R. James, Mary Shelley, Myth, Peter Ackroyd, Seamus Heaney, Short stories, Susan Hill, Vampires | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Vampires, Witches, Myths and Magical Realism

Posted on October 30, 2017 by tthurai

For readers and writers of supernatural stories who are weary of the well-trodden themes of the genre, research can provide new material and a fresh approach. It will help you to understand how some of the common elements of supernatural … Continue reading →

Posted in Angela Carter, Daniel Defoe, Eleanor of Cobham, Fiction, ghost stories, Grease Devils, Halloween, Henry IV, Henry V, History, Italy, Jack the Ripper, Law, Leeds Castle, Magic, Magical Realism, Myth, Plague, Plantagenets, Spring-Heeled Jack, Sri Lanka, The Devil Dancers, Travel, Vampires, Venice, Witches | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Inspiration and Writers’ Block: Fact or Fallacy?

Posted on November 15, 2016 by tthurai

The tags ‘inspiration’ and ‘writers’ block’ strike terror into the hearts of writers. However, it is possible to debunk these myths with a little common sense. It is a fallacy that you sit around waiting for inspiration. If we all … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Fiction, writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Self-Publishing: 7 ways to get the most from a conference

Posted on May 19, 2016 by tthurai

Having recently attended Matador’s conference on self-publishing, I thought it would be useful to jot down a list of essentials to help you to get the most from a conference whatever the topic. Prep your questions in advance. Why are … Continue reading →

Posted in book festivals, Books, Ceylon, conferences, Copyright, Fiction, History, publishing, self-publishing, The Devil Dancers, writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Tips for Short Story Competitions from a Judge

Posted on November 22, 2014 by tthurai

As a writer I was unsure what to expect when I was first invited to judge a prose competition. My first thought was to write myself a set of guidelines which would act as a life-raft if I felt overwhelmed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Editing tips, Fiction, SaveAs Writers, Short stories, Writing competitions, Writing Tips | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Homeward Bound: The Answer to a Riddle

Posted on November 5, 2014 by tthurai

Yesterday I posted ‘Homeward Bound’, a riddle in short story form. Here, as promised, is the answer. The narrator of my story – and the answer to my riddle – is a very special book: the Textus Roffensis. Written in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cathedrals, Fiction, History, Magical Realism, Myth, Riddles, Rochester, Short stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Homeward Bound

Posted on November 4, 2014 by tthurai

I am sleepy now. It’s quiet in here. They still treat me with reverence and speak in hushed voices; just as they did in my old home. But there, I had more visitors. Now, I may not see anyone for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cathedrals, Fiction, History, Riddles, Short stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Writing Tips 3: Editing

Posted on July 20, 2014 by tthurai

This is the most underestimated element of the writer’s art. But it is absolutely necessary. To be a good writer, you must also be a good editor. Train yourself to edit and you will greatly enhance the quality of your … Continue reading →

Posted in Editing, Editing tips, Fiction, History, SaveAs Writers, The Great War, World War 1, Writing Competition, Writing Tips, WW1 | 1 Comment