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#MGMonday: Putting Magic into the Setting.

 Firstly, I apologise for not posting a Middle Grade Monday blog last week. It was quite a crazy time, with my exam on the Monday and the Music Festival all week. But I wanted to make sure I got this blog up on the right day! Today, I'll be discussing how to put magic into a setting, particularly for middle grade books. One of the key points to make is that magic is not unusual for children. It is quite normal for a class of children to believe that magic exists, and this has both benefits and drawbacks. The benefit is that you don't have to spend as long persuading the reader that a magical place is relatable. The drawback is they already have a set idea as to what magic is like and, if you want to go outside the box as many authors do, it can cause problems. When planning how to put magic into your setting, you can ask yourself some questions: Is the whole world magic, or just select places? Perhaps there is an underwater kingdom of magic, while the folk on shore are just lik...
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#HistFicThursdays - Just a Little Thank You: You Are Awesome!

 I can't believe we are almost at the end of #HistFicMay! I have had a fabulous time and feel like I have made many new discoveries in the realm of Historical Fiction.

Finding your place as a writer can be really difficult, but when you have a great network behind you it is a hundred times easier! If you have found this blog you will know that my family - a family full of writers! - are my closest team, but I could not have achieved all I have today without the support and help of the fabulous Historical Writers Forum.

I created #HistFicMay because I wanted to give something back to my network of fellow historical writers. I hope I have done just that!

So, please have a look at the #HistFicMay tag across social media. We're on Twitter/X - Facebook - BlueSky - Instagram - Threads - and perhaps other platforms which I'm not a part of. I promise you that you will find fabulous writers with incredible books.

Writers, there is a fabulous network for historical fiction. I can't stress strongly enough how great it is to connect with your peers. We are all in this crazy world of storytelling together. It's brilliant being a writer, but it is also pretty tough - let no one tell you otherwise - which is why it's so great to find kindred spirits!

[Next year's prompts will be appearing next April 😁]

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