S.J. Arnott

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S.J. Arnott

Goodreads Author


Born
Jamaica
Website

Twitter

Genre

Member Since
March 2015


S. J. Arnott is a UK writer, born abroad, who now lives in East Anglia. He’s worked as a freelance feature writer and magazine editor, and has had writing jobs in television and radio.

His favourite historical authors include George MacDonald Fraser (Flashman), C. S. Forester (Hornblower), Patrick O'Brian (Aubrey-Maturin), Bernard Cornwell (Sharpe), Alfred Duggan and Mary Renault.

The author’s avatar is a shield design based on one mentioned in Leofric: Sword of the Angles – the emblem of Leofric’s father, Radulf of the Three Ships.

You can find out more on his author website: www.sjarnott.com.
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S.J. Arnott Broadly, there are two types of block: one, when you can't think of a new story; second, when you're in the middle of a story, but don't know where to…moreBroadly, there are two types of block: one, when you can't think of a new story; second, when you're in the middle of a story, but don't know where to go next.

Thinking up a new story can be hard, but I cover how to generate ideas in my book 'The Writers' Guide'.

Deciding where to go next in a story is easier - you have to look at your characters and figure out their motivation. How did they get into their current situation and what do they want to get out of it? Your characters have to have some kind of motivation, they have to want something, otherwise you don't have a plot. Figure out what they want and how they're going to get it, and your story will be moving again.(less)
S.J. Arnott Being in control of what I do. Most of the work I do in my day job is collaborative, which is good in it's own way, but it can be frustrating when you…moreBeing in control of what I do. Most of the work I do in my day job is collaborative, which is good in it's own way, but it can be frustrating when you're constantly waiting on someone else to do something before you can take a project to the next stage.(less)
Average rating: 3.96 · 46 ratings · 13 reviews · 3 distinct worksSimilar authors
Leofric: Sword of the Angle...

3.88 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2015
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Leofric: Sacrifice (Leofric...

3.94 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2015
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Leofric: Land of the Franks...

4.40 avg rating — 5 ratings
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Narrative - First or Third person?

There are a number of narrative styles but the four most commonly used are:

• Omniscient - where the eye and ear of the reader can be taken anywhere, independently of any character.

• Third person outside - where the reader experiences what a character sees and hears, but isn’t privy to their tho...

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Published on February 03, 2022 22:58
Leofric: Sword of the Angles Leofric: Land of the Franks
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3.96 avg rating — 46 ratings

The Blade Itself
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S.J.’s Recent Updates

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Historical Fictio...: Dark Age adventure 2 18 Jan 12, 2017 07:57AM  
Stephen Arnott
“He shook with rage. 'Look what you have done, you vandal. You have destroyed everything!'

'What did you expect me to do? Bend over and wait for the broom-handle?”
Stephen Arnott, Jack Bleacher: a parody

Stephen Arnott
“Gummy was beaten up, strangled, shot and thrown on an ant hill. That's not the action of a lone killer; that's murder by committee. Who else round here has that kind of muscle? The Colonial Dames of America?”
Stephen Arnott, Jack Bleacher: a parody

Stephen Arnott
“Two buttons had come adrift on her shirt, meaning she was showing more cleavage than was normal for an officer of the law. I don't know if she had children, or planned to, but they would never starve.”
Stephen Arnott, Jack Bleacher: a parody

88212 A Good Thriller — 21529 members — last activity 5 hours, 24 min ago
Action packed gripping, exciting and tense thrillers, mysteries, that's what we like reading. So many great authors out there to read. Let's share our ...more
80345 Historical Fiction Readers — 1561 members — last activity 2 minutes ago
This group is for readers of Historical Fiction and History from across all genres, eras, and time periods.
54557 Medieval Crime — 68 members — last activity Jul 01, 2015 11:43PM
Devoted to books about medieval murders - fiction mostly but some non-fiction too.
26346 History: Actual, Fictional and Legendary — 1198 members — last activity Nov 01, 2025 10:35AM
This group is for anyone whose interest in History goes beyond textbooks. While I enjoy reading books that cover actual events and actual people, I al ...more
25x33 Ancient Historical Fiction — 106 members — last activity Mar 02, 2023 12:59AM
We'll discuss books which are set anywhere from the Stone Age to the rise of the great empires. I hope to keep that last part broader than Egypt, Maca ...more
74071 Anglo Saxon Period History and Literature — 83 members — last activity Oct 25, 2017 02:10AM
A group for people interested in the Anglo Saxon period.
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 304232 members — last activity 0 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
112486 Historical Fiction Readers — 37 members — last activity Jul 24, 2018 06:36PM
Join us here as we share our book discoveries about historical figures, bygone eras and world events.
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message 2: by S.J.

S.J. Arnott Stephen wrote: "A Cadfael AND a Hornblower fan! We have read a lot of the same things."

If you've not seen them, try the first of the 'Kydd' books (by Justin Stockwin). He's a kind of 'lower decks' Hornblower. And thanks for the invite to the Cadfael quiz. That was fun.


Stephen A Cadfael AND a Hornblower fan! We have read a lot of the same things.


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