I created this meme several months ago and it turned out to be a perfect foil for the despondency I felt when the Premier of Victoria announced that we were going into the strictest pandemic lockdown in the world ― and not for a pre-determined amount of time, but (seemingly) indefinitely, until we reached zero cases for two solid weeks. Continue reading
Filed under Commentary …
Where I was when Princess Diana died
I was touring when Princess Diana died – running a five-week tour for fifty 18-35 year olds and we were in Austria when the news broke the morning after a brilliantly fun dress up party. Continue reading
Catching up with Author Daisy Tate
Today I welcome the lovely Daisy Tate for an author catch-up, whose latest book is A Bicycle Built for Sue. Continue reading
Why Schitt’s Creek is the perfect TV show
I have a confession. I came very late to the Schitt’s Creek party, but in doing so, it has proven to be the perfect isolation viewing―and I consumed all six seasons in a matter of months. It was like molten chocolate for my brain.
But that’s not what this blog post is about. Schitt’s Creek is the perfect TV show for a romantic comedy author, and here’s why…
Continue reading
Romance Tropes Part 2: The Love Triangle
Earlier this year I wrote about the ‘Enemies to Lovers’ trope in romcoms and today I’m tackling a trope that, for some readers, is a HUGE turn-off. How do I know that some readers vehemently dislike the love triangle trope? Because I’ve written a love triangle and have learnt* that for some readers, it equates to cheating―regardless of the circumstances. Continue reading
Writing the “unlikeable” character
I am hyper aware that my current main character is, based on her role as a supporting character in another book, “unlikeable”―so much so, that when I mentioned to a friend who I was writing about, she cringed.
So, why write this character? Why give her a whole book? Continue reading
Romance Tropes Part 1: Enemies to Lovers
I was thinking about romcoms recently – films, rather than books – and I realised that some of my absolute faves are those based on the ‘enemies to lovers’ trope. Continue reading
What’s in a (character) name?
As an author, choosing names can be one of the most fun aspects of writing or one of the trickiest.
But why is naming so hard? For me, there are a few reasons. Continue reading
#ArmchairTravel is (literally) the only way to go
As a lifelong traveller, someone who longs to go, see, and do, this lockdown means I need to find a new way to travel. And to do that, I will be reaching for the books of my colleagues in the travel fiction and travel biography genres. Continue reading
Love in the Time of C̶h̶o̶l̶e̶r̶a̶ COVID-19
Do we write the coronavirus into our contemporary romances? Continue reading