Writing tips – Steph Huddleston

The Rough Draft: March Newsletter

Take a peek behind the scenes! Including my snapshot review of Genrecon, writing news, and important updates to my editing business.

Understanding Style Sheets for Book Editing

Once you’ve finished your book, it’s usually time to dive into the realms of editing. Whether you’re working with a professional editor, or working through self-edits, this post explains what a style sheet is and how it can benefit your work.

Cyber Safety and Young Adult Fiction: Author Interview with Craig Ford

In this post, I’ll be chatting with Australian author and cyber security professional, Craig Ford, about how his work in the cyber safety space informs his writing.

How to Write Unlikable (but still compelling) Characters: Yellowface Book Review

R.F Kuang’s latest novel, Yellowface, has been everywhere recently. And for good reason. The book is a twisty, compelling read, with characters you’ll love to hate and a healthy dose of publishing industry critique.

Poppy Solomon: How to Prepare for Professional Editing

If you’re reading this post, I’m assuming you have at least one draft of your book down (or you’re just getting ahead with research and planning, which is amazing!) and you’re wondering what the next step is. How do you know if you’re ready for professional editing?

In this post, we’ll discuss some steps to help you figure out if you’re ready to work with an editor, talk about how to prepare to work best with an editor, and go over some tips on finding the right one to work with, and what comes next.

Epigraphs in Fantasy: Fourth Wing Review

As writers (and editors) reading is one of the best things to do to understand what does and doesn’t work. Fourth Wing is a recent example of one of my favourite elements of a book that I don’t think we talk about enough: epigraphs.

The Dragon Healer by Tiani Davids: Writing Dragons and fictional languages

Today we’re celebrating the launch of The Dragon Healer by Aussie Indie author, Tiani Davids with a review (from yours truly) and an interview with the author herself.

Read on for details about self-publishing in Australia, and recommendations for world-building in the fantasy genre.

When “Write every day” isn’t an option: Chronic Illness and publishing

It’s the classic writing advice: write every day. But what about when that’s just not an option? For many people, writing advice like this can add stress and strain, rather than fostering creativity and motivation.

Are Unreliable Narrators Unlikable? The Maid Book Review

In this post we’ll be talking about what makes unreliable narrators potentially unlikable to readers, how to use this strategy effectively in your writing, and discuss The Maid by Nita Prose as a case study for the unreliable narrator. If you haven’t yet read The Maid, I’ve done my best to avoid spoilers.