Tag Archives: creative writing

🐶 The Benefits of Adding Pets When Writing Romance Books 💖 #MondayBlogs #WritingCommunity

Featured

Posted on by
1

There’s something magical about a good romance book —the spark, the tension, the swoony happily-ever-after. But you know what makes it even better? A wagging tail, a judgy cat, or even a diva of a parrot chiming in at the wrong moment.

🐈 Whether it’s a loyal dog, a mischievous cat, or even a naughty hamster, animals can do more than create some comedy moments. Pets become catalysts for character development and drive your plot forward.

Here’s why adding pets to your romance books works:

  1. 🐾 Instant Relatability
    Most readers either have pets or have fond memories of them. Including a dog curled at a heroine’s feet or a cat demanding attention mid-conversation creates a moment of recognition. Those little details make your book’s world feel grounded and familiar.
  2. 🐶 Revealing Character Traits
    How a character interacts with an animal speaks volumes. A patient hero who adopts a rescue dog shows compassion. A heroine who spoils her cat reveals her nurturing side. Even a character who struggles with a pet can highlight flaws, growth arcs, or hidden softness beneath a prickly exterior.
  3. 🐈‍⬛ Natural Icebreakers and Plot Devices
    Pets can help two characters meet or reconnect—think of the classic “dog-walking encounter” in the park. They also create organic reasons for repeated interaction: pet-sitting, vet visits, or a runaway animal who keeps bringing two people together.
  4. 🦜Adding Humour and Lightness
    Romantic tension often benefits from levity. A cat knocking over a wine glass at the wrong moment, or a dog interrupting a kiss by jumping onto the couch, adds warmth and laughter without derailing the story.
  5. 🐕 Emotional Anchors
    Pets embody unconditional love. They can comfort characters through heartbreak, loneliness, or self-doubt, reflecting themes of loyalty and devotion. A pet’s presence often mirrors the growing bond between the romantic leads, offering a symbolic thread through the narrative.
  6. 🐱 Expanding the World
    Animals naturally expand a character’s circle. Dog parks, vet clinics, pet stores, or animal rescues all provide new backdrops and opportunities for character interaction, giving writers more variety in setting and pacing.
  7. 🐭 Building Reader Investment
    Readers often become just as attached to the fictional pet as they do to the main characters. That extra bond deepens emotional stakes, making the story more memorable and engaging.

    In romance, every detail matters—especially those that reveal heart. By weaving pets into the storyline, authors don’t just add charm; they enrich character depth, heighten emotional stakes, and create moments of humour and relatability that resonate long after the final page. 🐶🐾❤️

Here’s my latest book: The Christmas Dog Sitters – Humphrey the mischievous spaniel is the star of my book ❤️

Find out more about me and dog – click here for cute dog pics

🦋 What Taylor Swift Can Teach Writers About Symbolism

Featured

Posted on by
2

Help – I have fallen down the rabbit hole of symbolism in writing! Last week’s post on the symbolism of doors sparked something within me.

I wouldn’t say I was a Swiftie with regards Taylor Smith but I do have an appreciation of her music especially her albums; Midnights and The Tortured Poets Department. Both of these albums contain songs which are forever playing on my playlists.

I do think Taylor Swift is more than a singer / songwriter. To me she’s a master storyteller. The way she uses objects, colors, numbers, and repeating motifs to make her songs come alive, boggles my fiction writing mind.

When it comes to symbolism I think we can learn a lot from Taylor Swift:

Signature symbol. I love how the number 13 follows her across her albums, eras and performances. The number 13 needed Taylor Swift to take it under her wing as up until she came along it didn’t have great street cred. What can we learn from this? Give your protagonist or story a recurring object, number, or phrase that becomes uniquely tied to them. This could be a piece of jewelry, a meaningful song lyric, or even a personal superstition that appears at key moments.

Use of colours. I love how each album has a distinct colour palette and there is always meaning behind it. Her album, Lover, is bathed in a soft pastel pink which represents love and warmth. Grey and neutrals for her album, Folklore, to me were about nostalgia and Midnights was dark blue and lavender signifying introspection and mystery.

Small objects carry big meaning. This is my favourite part. Taylor does this very well. She gives small object so much emotional weight. Here are a few examples:

A scarf becomes a symbol of love and loss (All too well).

A mirrorball represents fragility and self-reflection (Mirrorball).

A cardigan is comfort and memory wrapped in one (Cardigan).

What can we use from this? Pick one or two objects in your story and let them evolve with your characters. Maybe a chipped mug follows your character from their old life into their new one, symbolizing what they carry with them.

Symbolism turns Taylor’s songs into things that linger in your mind long after they have stopped playing. It gives her songs a narrative emotional texture — that extra layer that makes listeners pause and say, “Ohhh, I get it.”

We can learn from her.

Things I am learning from Taylor Swift:

Choose one object, one color, and one repeated idea.

Plant them early in my story.

Letting them grow in meaning as my characters change.

I can’t leave this post without giving you my top 5 Taylor Swift songs:

  1. Mastermind (Midnights)
  2. So, Long London (TTPD)
  3. Look what you made me do (Reputation)
  4. My tears ricochet (Folklore)
  5. The Prophecy (TTPD)

Would love to hear your thoughts and your top 5 Taylor Swift songs 🦋

🎤 ❤️

If you want to know more about me click here

🚪 5 Things About Using Doors in Your Writing #MondayBlogs #Writers

Featured

Posted on by
6

I have been reading about how doors can be used as writing devices, and I am obsessed. You’re probably reading this and thinking, Lucy Mitchell needs to get out more…

But…I am not the only one thinking about doors…

A few days ago, I listened to Taylor Swift on the New Heights podcast, and she talked about her dramatic exit through an orange door during the final Eras Tour show, which was no accident—it was what she referred to as one of her carefully placed Easter eggs. Unlike her usual exit via elevator, this one symbolised both an ending and a beginning. I was writing this blog post at the time and suddenly felt Taylor Swift and I were on the same wave length. Sigh!

Useful article on Taylor’s orange door here.

I didn’t realise how doors can be used as powerful symbols.

In my writing, I have never thought about using doors as symbols or tools. In my stories, characters are constantly slamming them shut when they are having a temper tantrum or an emotional outburst. But I have never intentionally used them.

But now after my research I think doors offer us so much more:

Symbols. Doors can have lots of symbolic meanings which we can use in our writing. Symbols can convey things to your reader

  • A closed door can mean opportunity denied or hidden secrets.
  • An open door can suggest freedom, an invitation or vulnerability.
  • They represent a choice or the act of making a decision.
  • Doors can represent escape.
  • An open door can mean hope.
  • Doors can represent barriers that need to be overcome.

Character insights. How a character interacts with a door can show a number of emotions. What doors do they keep shut and does this show avoiding confrontation?

Symbols of Opportunity and New Beginnings. A door opening and entering a new phase and chance for change. Think Alice in Wonderland. Alice stepping through the small door into Wonderland.

Plot catalyst. Doors can move your plot forward. They can be used to act as portals to other worlds, revealing secrets or a forgotten past or trigger events,

Internal reflection. Hesitation at the door can show fear, doubt or anticipation. Forcing the door open can show urgency, desperation or defiance.

Passageway between two worlds. This is probably my favourite. I am a huge fan of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. In this the door is used as a passageway from isolation to connection. On one side you have Mary’s old, stifled existence and on the other a works full of possibilities and connection. The door is also a passageway between the old world of death and neglect to healing and self discovery.

Doors in Romance and Relationships
Metaphor: “opening the door to love.” Great way to use physical space to mirror emotional journeys.

The next time your character approaches a door, ask yourself what it means – not just where it leads…..🚪

Learn more about me here.

Door pics from Canva

✉️ The Role of Love Letters in Romance Stories #Romance

Featured

Posted on by
4

I have been busy working on book 4 where the main characters used to date as teenagers and write each other love letters.

Does anyone remember sending handwritten letters or even better receiving them? I used to cover mine in doodles – flowers, hearts etc and maybe the odd – T.L.N.D (true love never dies) and S.W.A.L.K (sealed with a loving kiss).

Love letters / romantic post-it notes / romance text messages/ romantic emails serve multiple purposes, enriching the narrative in various ways:

Intimacy and Connection: Love letters provide a glimpse into the intimate thoughts and feelings of the characters. They allow readers to witness the depth of emotions shared between the protagonists, fostering a stronger connection between them and the story.

Romantic Gestures: Love letters often serve as romantic gestures within the storyline, showcasing the effort and thoughtfulness of one character towards another. This can heighten the romance and create memorable moments for readers.

Character Development: The content and style of the love letters can reveal insights into the characters’ personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. Through their writing, characters may expose vulnerabilities, desires, and fears, deepening readers’ understanding of them.

Plot Advancement: Love letters can drive the plot forward by conveying important information, such as hidden feelings, secrets, or conflicts. They may serve as catalysts for character decisions and actions, influencing the direction of the story.

Historical Context: In historical romance novels, love letters can provide historical context and authenticity, reflecting the communication norms and societal expectations of the time period. They offer readers a window into the past and enhance the setting of the story.

Anticipation and Suspense: The exchange of love letters can create anticipation and suspense as characters await each other’s responses, heightening the emotional tension and keeping readers engaged in the unfolding romance.

Overall, love letters serve as powerful literary devices in romance books, enhancing the emotional depth, character development, and overall storytelling experience for readers.

Here’s some tips:

  • Be specific. Mention the ‘little things’ – the way they make you laugh, the moment you knew they were special.
  • Show vulnerability. Let the character reveal their fears, hopes and desires. Vulnerability makes the letter more moving and initmate.
  • Use sensory details. Describe how they feel, sound, taste and smell.
  • Stay true to the character.

Learn more about me.

💖 Love, Lost and Found: Mastering the Second Chance Romance Plot

Posted on by
8

This blog post is going to help my writer brain focus on one of my current projects. I do hope someone else out there writing a second chance romance finds it useful.

Second chance romance is one of my favourite romance tropes. I could read these stories all day.

One of my current projects focuses on a second chance romance so I could really do with going back to basics with the trope in order to revise my story.

Below I have come up with a list of all the things to consider when writing a second chance romance.

How did they initially connect?

Were they childhood sweethearts? Maybe they met at work?

The secret here is readers need to see and feel how good that connection was between these two beautiful characters. This breathtaking romance has to be unforgettable for both readers and the characters.

Why did they split up? What made them walk away from each other? Were they too young? Was it a case of bad timing or did one hurt the other? What broke them?

Readers need to understand what made these characters go blubber into a box of Kleenex, wedge chocolate into their mouth and go for long solitary walks in the rain.

What personal growth have they experienced? What has life taught them in the years they were apart? What did other relationships teach them? Have they thought about why they have never connected with anyone on the same romantic level as they did with each other?

What made them want to give their relationship another chance? Why can’t they disentangle from each other’s lives? What has made them come together again? Why salvage a broken relationship?

The reader must understand and agree with these decisions. There must also be that old connection and the chemistry.

What stuff have they overcome? Have they resolved the old conflict? Readers need to see how these two characters might have had different priorities that caused their breakup. But now that those priorities have changed, so, maybe there is still a chance for them to work it out. It could also be a case of these two characters making mistakes and generally causing an emotional mess.

The reader needs to believe these two have changed for the better.

Here’s my second chance romance which got published:

Second chances at the Little Love Cafe

It’s never too late to try again… 💕

‘Must read summer book’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘A fantastic uplifting read that takes you direct to the cute Little Love Cafe.’ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Click here for more