Helen Johnson Freelance Writer
Following the TV series King and Conqueror, people are searching for ‘Did King Harold marry Margaret?’ The answer is, King Harold Godwinson did marry Earl Morcar’s sister, named Margaret in Continue Reading →
As an enthusiast for retelling the history of 11th century England and the Norman Conquest, I was excited that the BBC had commissioned a TV drama about William the Conqueror Continue Reading →
A creative writing exercise in identifying characters by the way they speak Every individual has their own unique speech pattern. Hence, distinctive speech is a valuable way of showing characterisation, Continue Reading →
Some of the more memorable books I’ve reviewed this year. A selection of memorable Historical Novel Reviews of the year As a reviewer for the Historical Novel Society, and a Continue Reading →
When writing fiction, it’s important to set the scene, to portray the setting. But long descriptions can bore readers. Therefore, I’ve been considering how to describe setting, but writing to Continue Reading →
I’ve been writing flash fiction for seven years now, and find it a great way to hone skills. I don’t worry about publishing it, I just use it as a Continue Reading →
Bigging up the Bad Guy– or Gal When I googled the question: how to make readers really hate my Bad Guy/Gal, antagonist, or villain, I got a range of suggestions, Continue Reading →
New year, a fresh start, and, one of my favourite parts of a new historical novel: the research. My latest story features an Anglo-Scandinavian woman healer living in 11th century Continue Reading →
Helen Johnson gives tips and tricks for writing subtext in dialogue. Continue Reading →
Historical Novels Review is out in print and online. Continue Reading →