Once upon a time, I wanted to write a story that revolved around Genghis Khan. It was a crap idea, but I was young and didn’t know better. The trouble was that before I could write a word, I had to read loads of stuff about Genghis Khan. And by the time I was half way through the first book my enthusiasm had vaporised and the story never happened. I’ve since discovered another way to research vital elements of a story, a method that’s quick enough to keep my ideas alive.

Resarch your story by talking to experts

When possible, talk to experts to find out what you need to know. Books offer great overviews and in-depth information on any subject, but the knowledge you need may be buried within hundreds of pages of unnecessary stuff. By asking the right questions of the right expert, you can get straight to the information you need. You can also ask hypothetical questions about scenarios specific to your story, uncovering insights you can never find in a book.

As well as exposing you to new ideas and bespoke advice, consulting experts is real and vital – and it’s always a treat to meet new people working in different fields.

Any kind of fiction is okay – including horror, science-fiction, speculative fiction, romance, steam-punk, cyber-punk, electro-punk, funk-punk, crunk-punk, historical, fantasy, historical romance, erotica, super-hero, gothic, fan-fiction and historical horror.

I’ll also link to poet’s websites – so if you’re a poet drop me a line and I may well add you to my links.

Over time I’d like to have a directory of fiction and poetry blogs to share with my readers. Nothing fancy- just a list of links.