My Favourite Books
One of my favourite topics is books. let me share with you five of my favourite books that I would count amongst the most memorable or...
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VAL PENNY
Best selling author of The DI Hunter Wilson Thrillers
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authorvalpenny
- Sep 11
- 2 min
The Themes of a Novel
In contemporary literary studies, a theme is a central topic, subject, or message within a narrative. Themes can be divided into two...
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authorvalpenny
- Sep 7
- 3 min
Books on the Beach at Blackpool
Last month I attended my very first book signing. It was Books on the Beach at Blackpool run by the force of nature who is the author and...
73 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Sep 4
- 3 min
Swanwick 75 Years on.
Many years ago when I first attended The Writers' Summer School that meets each August at the Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire,...
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authorvalpenny
- Aug 31
- 3 min
An Author's Life by Charlie Tyler
It is my pleasure to welcome Charlie Tyler back to the blog today to discuss her experiences as a published author. Thank you for your...
21 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Aug 28
- 3 min
Creating Convincing Characters
A gripping plot can only carry an interesting story if it is carried by convincing characters. When I an creating a new character I start...
25 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Aug 24
- 3 min
Back to Square One? by Michelle Cook
It is my pleasure to welcome back to the blog my friend and fellow author, Michelle Cook. Michelle writes dystopian fiction and I'm...
64 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Aug 7
- 4 min
What Swanwick Means to Me
I suppose I should start this article with a disclaimer because, in reality it is mis-titled. Swanwick is a little village in Derbyshire...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 31
- 3 min
Hunter's Rules Launches at The Harrogate Crime Festival
This month I visited the Theakston's Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate for the first time this year, largely because my...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 27
- 4 min
Cutting It by Morwenna Blackwood
I have had the pleasure of knowing bestselling author, Morwenna Blackwood for many years and recall the impact her amazing debut novel,...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 24
- 2 min
Writing Hunter's Rules
I am delighted to have a chance to tell you about Hunter’s Rules , the new novel in my series of DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers. I have...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 20
- 2 min
Tips to Writing a Synopsis
The synopsis is every author's nightmare. If you have written a novel of 90,000 words, to condense it into a few hundred words is a...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 10
- 3 min
Setting in the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers
The main setting for the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers is Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is so important that it is almost...
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authorvalpenny
- Jul 6
- 4 min
How to Fix Writing Errors
I tutor, lecture and teach writing. I have also penned eight bestselling novels, and have found that authors often struggle with some...
32 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Jun 15
- 2 min
How to Include Humour in Your Writing
Writing gives us as authors lots of leeway to tell our story in the way we want to. We want to use humour as a way to engage our readers....
37 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Jun 8
- 2 min
Writing The First Cut
I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put...
43 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- May 25
- 4 min
How to Find a Literary Agent
Many authors are daunted by the prospect of finding a literary agent to represent them. For some it is their main goal, others ignore the...
183 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Apr 13
- 4 min
Improve Your Writing Skills
Do you remember when you first started writing? I don't mean writing stories, but when you were first taught to hold a pencil and write...
33 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Apr 6
- 3 min
How to Plot a Novel
There are several way to plot a novel but this is one method that should help authors, whatever fiction genre you write and whatever...
346 views0 comments
authorvalpenny
- Mar 30
- 4 min
Where do You Get Your Ideas From?
As an author I am asked many questions about my craft. Is it just a hobby? How did you get into that? How much time do you spend writing?...
329 views0 comments
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