Tag: caroline m hardaker poetry

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…

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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,…

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How did I get here?

​I’ve seen lots of writers, poets, librettists, and authors in the writing community share their ‘Writing Journey’, so here’s mine! At least what I remember of it. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, for sure. And it’s only when I see it all in a list that I realise how far I’ve come, and…

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Gods and Monsters

This extraordinary, thrilling, soaring anthology has been gracing bookshop shelves since September now, and I’ve not had nearly enough time to shout about it. Ana Sampson produces exceptional books. I have several! And of course it’s wonderful to be in a poetry collection illustrated by my now long-time-collaborator, Chris Riddell! Gods and Monsters is a…

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Journal #25 – Bumblebee jasper

In my last post, I wrote about how the last couple of months had been a time of transformation. Wrapping up novels, house renovations, body changes, and a new baby.

Even one of those is enough to send your head in a spin. But all of them together? That’s true disorientation.

So what life chapter am I in now?

The new book and writing about yourself

I haven’t blogged about this one at all yet. But it means a lot to me. I’ve been writing this one since October, with a few mini breaks in between to rethink, replan, rejig, and – the usual – fret. Why is this book different? This will be my third novel, but not my third…

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Into the Imaginarium

And it was done! The Imaginarium issue of Stepaway Magazine is published and free to roam. It’s been an absolute delight to read everyone’s submissions. There wasn’t a single one that didn’t bring me joy. What is the Imaginarium? It is a place of peculiarities, of surprises, of worlds turned inside out. This is our…

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