Stephen Chamberlain's Blog

Should you write your story in past or present tense?

“Books let you know what tense they want to be written in.” – David Mitchell

One of the first decisions a writer makes is whether to tell their story in the past or present tense. Do you write “She strides into the room” or “She strode into the room?” There is no right or wrong choice—only different effects. The choice isn’t grammatical, it’s stylistic, and it shapes how the reader experiences the story.

Past tense tells the story ...

In Gothic fiction, atmosphere rules.

“The Gothic is primarily a mode of feeling, an atmosphere of haunting and mourning rather than a set of fixed themes.” – Alison Milbank

I stumbled into Gothic fiction in secondary school. The dark, emotional tension in Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and Wuthering Heights hooked me right away. Each country house and moor felt alive, almost characters in themselves. I loved how the mood shaped the story as much as the people in it. Dracula and Frankenstei...

To face monsters is to face ourselves.

“Like one that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turn’d round, walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Fantasy thrives on the battle between good and evil. Evil is often personified as something monstrous. From Tolkien’s orcs to Martin’s White Walkers and Rowling’s Dementors, these creatures tap into our darkest fears. They’re the shadows in...

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...