This Itch of Writing with Emma Darwin | Substack

Archetype, Off-the-Peg or Thundering Cliché?

When is a character, a phrase or a situation a stereotype, and when is it a trope? And what should you do about it all?

Jan 16 • Emma Darwin

New Year, New Writing Course? Or Should You Just Get On With Writing?

Whether and why you should do a writing course - or not do one.

Jan 9 • Emma Darwin

Probably The Only Writing Resolution You'll Ever Need

And why it's wise to make it

Jan 2 • Emma Darwin

Happy Writing Betwixtmas

How to move your writing forward whether you have 'no time at all' or 'all too much time'

Dec 19, 2025 • Emma Darwin

From process to product to market - and back again

You know what you want to write, and readers know what they want to read. How do you get from one to the other?

Dec 12, 2025 • Emma Darwin

Most Popular

The Ten Structural Edits I Most Often Suggest

Mar 1, 2024 • Emma Darwin

Psychic Distance: What It Is and How To Use It

Sep 13, 2024 • Emma Darwin

Itchy Bitesized 34: Ten Things That Go Wrong With Historical Fiction

Dec 20, 2024 • Emma Darwin

On The Power Of The Appointment To Write

Nov 15, 2024 • Emma Darwin

This Itch of Writing with Emma Darwin

About Archive Recommendations Sitemap

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts