Stephen Chamberlain's Blog

Same story, different lens.

When I was working on my first novel, Graëlfire, I asked a novelist-cum-screenwriter to copyedit an early version of my manuscript. I wanted feedback on my handling of exposition, a tricky job in fantasy and sci-fi. World-building elements are crucial, but all that setting, magic, culture, myth, and backstory can bog down a story when delivered in large ...

Early novelists transformed storytelling.

“Novels aren’t about heroes; they’re about us.” – Thomas C. Foster

Have you ever stayed up late because you couldn’t stop reading a book? The kind with characters you connect with—full of drama, emotion, and unexpected turns? Stories like that haven’t always been around. They started with something new: the novel. And the name says it all.

Once Upon a Time

A novel is an extended fictional story written in everyday prose. It usually focuses on characters,...

A book’s title creates its first impression.

“A good title is the title of a successful book.” – Raymond Chandler

Choosing a strong title for your story is a pivotal step. When readers browse books—whether in stores or online—they make snap judgments. The title is usually what grabs them first. Along with the cover image and blurb, it hooks attention, sets the tone, and hints at the story inside. A strong title should intrigue, resonate, and spark curiosity. A weak one can mislead or fail to eng...

Characters are pieces, plot their moves, setting the board.

Creating a story often begins with a spark of inspiration—an image, a moment, or a theme. For my first novel, Graëlfire, that spark came from two primary sources: a theme for a plot and its setting. The theme was a quest for the Holy Grail. The setting was the landscape around my home by Lake Geneva. To make this premise believable, I had to invent a new myth tracing the Grail’s path to Switzerland. That meant blending ...

Portals are gateways to adventure.

If you see a fairy ring
In a field of grass,
Very lightly step around,
Tiptoe as you pass;
― William Shakespeare

Portals in fiction are gateways to other realms, times or realities. Whether magical, man-made, or natural, they overcome boundaries to travel. There’s something mysterious about them—even dangerous—and that’s what makes them so fascinating.

A portal need not be an actual doorway. It could be anything—a mirror, an artefact, a wardrobe, or even a nat...

Bedtime stories: more than a way to end the day.

“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” — Albert Einstein

When winter set in, I decided to compile all the bedtime stories I’d created for my granddaughter over the years. It started when she was three, inspired by her love of role-playing and make-believe. Back then, the stories were short—about 750 words—and often improvised on the spot. But as she...

Yule is winter’s turning point.

Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shewn me, by an altered life.” – Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

There’s something otherworldly about the days between Christmas and New Year. Known as Yule to our ancestors, it was a season of retreat. The harvest was done, provisions stored to endure the winter, and people steeled themselves for bleaker and leaner times ahead. Many believed that spirits roamed abroad during the l...

Empathy means standing in someone else’s shoes.

“Fiction gives us empathy, it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gifts of seeing the world through their eyes.” – Neil Gaiman

In a world that often feels divided, empathy is a trait that bridges gaps between people. It opens us up to seeing and understanding differences; it helps us overcome prejudices and work towards cooperation. Empathy is more than just feeling sympathy for someone, it’s about feeling with them. Sympathy is ...

Mystery of consciousness: the “ghost in the machine.”

“Science’s biggest mystery is the nature of consciousness. It is not that we possess bad or imperfect theories of human awareness; we simply have no such theories at all.” – Dr. Nick Herbert.

Consciousness is our awareness of ourselves and the world around us. It covers everything we experience—sight, taste, touch, sound, and smell, as well as emotions like joy, pain, fear, and excitement. Despite being something we all take for granted, the ...

Anachronisms can ruin the experience for readers.

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
– Rudyard Kipling

Historical fiction combines made-up characters and plots with real people, places, or events from the past. The genre encompasses a diverse range of stories, including action, romance, horror, and mystery. This provides readers the opportunity to experience different eras through thrilling and immersive stories.

I’ve been hooked on history ever since I...