Hannah Fielding's Blog, page 64

Duende: the artistic flamenco spirit

Have you heard of the term duende? The Oxford English Dictionary defines duende as ‘a quality of passion and inspiration’. The word is used to describe a state of heightened […]

Writing from the heart

A question I am asked often in interviews is this: ‘What advice would you give to a new or aspiring novelist?’ My response is always: Write from the heart. Be […]

A soul bared: The flamenco guitarist

In my new book, Legacy, the male protagonist Ruy is of mixed heritage – he is part gentleman, part gypsy. His gypsy roots are very important to him, and one […]

Writing conventions: bridging between the old and the new

Any seasoned writer will tell you that writing ‘rules’ abound. Over the past hundred years or so, it has become de vogue for renowned writers and impassioned grammarians to publish […]

Is there a right speed for writing?

Did you know that it took Victor Hugo 12 years to write Les Misèrables, and Margaret Mitchell toiled over Gone with the Wind for an entire decade? That, conversely, Stephenie […]

Believing in fate, honouring the Fates

In my latest novel Legacy, the male protagonist, Ruy, is a man faced with two legacies: that of his mother, Luz, who is descended from a respected and noble Andalucían […]

The fascination with a writer’s routine

Since I started publishing my romance fiction, I have lost track of how many times people have asked me about my process: just how exactly do I go about writing […]

Love is… discovery

Do you remember the comic strip series ‘Love is…’ by cartoonist Kim Casali? For a time, in the 1970s and 1980s, this ‘brand’ was everywhere (perhaps because it called to […]

What’s in a name? On naming my ‘Moon Queen’ heroine

Choosing a name for the heroine of a novel is, for me, one of the most fun parts of the writing – but also one of the most important. The […]

Divided by a common language: British and American book editions

George Bernard Shaw said, ‘The British and the Americans are two peoples divided by a common language.’ I have always been intrigued by this quotation, and the truth behind it, […]