It’s that time of year again, when we all start looking back, wondering what we spent most of the year doing, and what we might take with us into the next. 2025 has been a strange year for me. In many ways, it’s been much harder than I thought it would be. Balancing work with…
Tag: caroline Hardaker poet
How to overcome Writer’s Block
Struggling with writer’s block? Learn simple, effective ways to reignite your creativity, ease perfectionism, and start writing again—without pressure or guilt.
I’m a poet in the metaverse…
So far, 2025 has been quite a poetic year. Featured in a few books here and there (most recently last month, in the Midnight Treasury of Macabre and Weird Poems), my last commission was for an author who’s not only an inspiration to me, but also a friend. A couple of years ago, I read…
An ode to the characters you haven’t met yet
Dedicated to the characters we create who haven’t made their way to the world quite yet.
How to ‘show not tell’ in fiction: a writer’s guide to bring stories to life
You’ve probably heard the advice ‘show, don’t tell’ more times than you can count. But what does it really mean—and more importantly, how can you actually do it?
What is whump in fiction? Why we crave hurt, comfort, and quiet pain in stories
What is whump in fiction and fanfiction? Discover the emotional power of hurt/comfort stories, why we love watching characters suffer and heal, and how whump helps us process pain and vulnerability.
How poetry taught me to write better fiction
Whether it’s the sweep of a stanza or the careful construction of a scene, there’s a curious intimacy in the act of writing. For years, I was a poet first. My early writing life was laced with line breaks, metaphor, and breath. And much of my prose still is! Though I now straddle the worlds…
Why I write the strange, the quiet, and the beautiful
There’s a particular moment, just before the sun rises above the houses at the end of our street, when the light turns the treetops copper. The shadows stretch, the birds awaken, and for a breath or two, the world feels both ancient and oddly delicate. Like something could slip through a crack in the sky…
Writer’s guide to world-building – research methods for historical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi
Crafting immersive and believable worlds is a cornerstone of compelling storytelling. Whether you’re delving into the annals of history, conjuring fantastical realms, or designing futuristic worlds, thorough research is essential to ground your narrative and captivate readers. This quick guide for writers explores tailored world-building research strategies for a range of genres, including historical fiction,…
The Death of the Author and the Rise of the Reader
Did you know that the act of reading is a collaborative act? When I write a story, I’m writing a journey. I’m laying down the paving slabs, planting the trees, building the houses. I’m colouring the sky. Making it rain. But it’s the reader that walks this path. It’s the reader who steps into the…
Caroline Hardaker Author 