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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
14
2
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
10
2
Probably The Only Writing Resolution You'll Ever Need
And why it's wise to make it
Jan 2
•
Emma Darwin
63
3
11
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
24
2
5
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
9
4
6
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The Ten Structural Edits I Most Often Suggest
Mar 1, 2024
•
Emma Darwin
238
11
46
Psychic Distance: What It Is and How To Use It
Sep 13, 2024
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Emma Darwin
101
2
27
Itchy Bitesized 34: Ten Things That Go Wrong With Historical Fiction
Dec 20, 2024
•
Emma Darwin
76
5
18
On The Power Of The Appointment To Write
Nov 15, 2024
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Emma Darwin
21
4
6
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What Should I Write to Get Through the Ugly-Duckling Phase as Fast as Possible?
The winning question from our Itch of Writing 2nd Birthday Competition - and my reply.
Dec 5, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
29
3
The Documents in the Case
Using letters, diaries, newspapers, texts, emails and other standalone texts in your fiction
Nov 28, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
7
8
4
Narrative Setup and Psychic Distance
Five examples of how I used my favourite writing tools of all in my new novel The Bruegel Boy
Nov 21, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
19
4
Happy 2nd Birthday This Itch of Writing!
Celebrate with me by entering the competion to win an exclusive Itch of Writing notebook.
Nov 17, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
20
17
3
Ten Better Ideas than "Write What You Know"
And why "Write what you know" is nonetheless worth bearing in mind
Nov 14, 2025
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Emma Darwin
10
4
5
Q&A: Viewpoint Colouring Narrative Voice, Shocking Advice, and What's Wrong with 'It was a dark and stormy night'?
The pick of the Itch of Writing Ask Me Anything Chats
Nov 7, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
10
1
When facts mess with your fiction
And why you should never apologise and rarely explain
Oct 31, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
12
4
2
Ten Questions to Ask Your Dual- or Parallel-Narrative Novel
Make sure your non-linear story is more than worth the reader's time.
Oct 24, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
36
7
13
Ten Things Which Say Your Book is Ready to Go Out
And how to get brave enough to press Send
Oct 17, 2025
•
Emma Darwin
12
2
3
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This Itch of Writing with Emma Darwin
All about fiction and creative non-fiction: writing it, reading it, teaching it and occasionally hating it
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