Hear all about these mighty fortresses of stone that featured moats, murder holes, portcullises, arrow loops and more. During this event, I’ll share a detailed view of what castles looked like inside and how they functioned in medieval times. Imagine yourself both as a castle defender and invader and learn what to think about when… Read more »
Castles
Story Bite 12: The Very Beginning (Part 1)
One of the hardest parts of writing is getting started. This is true for a lot of students I speak with, but also for professional authors. This Story Bite (the first of two) will help you with one part of getting your work of fiction (or nonfiction, though my examples here are fiction) underway. This… Read more »
Castle Scenes: Part 3
This is Part 3 and final installment of a series of posts about how I’ve been inspired by Scottish castles to create scenes in my novels. We visit Dirleton Castle in Dirleton, East Lothian for this one. Here I introduce Lord Faintree’s solar: The solar is where the lord, lady, or master of a castle lives. It’s… Read more »
Castle Scenes: Part 2
This is the second post in a series of how I’ve discovered crucial details within the castles of Scotland to inspire a scene in my fiction. Today’s post is about doors. This door is from Tantallon Castle near North Berwick. I like the solid wood of it (oak, I assume, as my castle’s door is),… Read more »
Castle Scenes: Part 1
The great medieval castles of Scotland have always inspired me and helped me create my fictional worlds. In this series, I’ll share pictures of castle bits that have directly led to specific scenes in my novels. For this post, let’s talk castle stairs. I always knew that castle stairs were narrow, and spiral, and designed… Read more »