The Iron Man by Ted Hughes is a children’s story. I’m not going to beat around the bush; my last book review was Metro 2034, a grim post-apocalyptic novel with many darker scenes and now I am reviewing a children’s book. Next week I will have a more mature book to review, but for now, I will give you my thoughts on a book that will take 30 minutes to read.

The book review: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/the-iron-man-by-ted-hughes-book-review

For this week’s writing thoughts I will be talking about a recurring theme in cyberpunk stories; natural vs synthetic humanity. It’s a classic story that goes back to the tale of Frankenstein and his monster. Having talked about the cyberpunk genre earlier this week, this topic sprung to mind and it’s a fun one to focus on!

Here are my thoughts!

The blog post: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/writing-thoughts-natural-vs-synthetic-humanity-in-cyberpunk-stories

Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction, but like any genre with the word ‘punk’ in it, it focuses on the underworld society, the lowlife perspective in a dystopian future. Writing this genre requires a captivating story that highlights the issues in man’s desire for power at any cost and the slow decline of morality in society. It’s tense most of the time, shocking the rest, but captivating all the way through!

Here are some insights on cyberpunk stories and advice for writing your story!

Website: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

I’ve been talking about some specific genres a lot lately, neglecting others, so let’s fix that. I am going to give you 10 tips that will help your writing no matter who you are and what genre you work with. These are tips I gather from my top articles and blog posts, the tips that will help anyone ready to try them out.

Let’s get started!

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/my-top-10-tips-for-writing-anything-inspiration-productivity-and-improving

One can’t sum up fantasy with world types and magical systems; there is a lot more to talk about. In this second part, we will be discussing creatures, races, deities, world structures and plot types. I go through some of the best methods for writing these fantasy elements, as well as different examples and which ones suit your story best.

With that said, let’s begin!

Your FREE Course: https://matthewdewey.newzenler.com/courses/writing-a-better-main-character

The Writer's Workshop: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/writers-workshop.html

My Website: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/

Article: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/the-fantasy-story-writing-toolkit-tips-and-ideas-part-2

A couple of years ago, I realised that I would always be in a state of learning. I would always be disappointed when I looked at my old writing. I would always find a new technique or writing style that I would like to assimilate into my own. I would be writing, editing, studying, rewriting and repeating all these steps. As the years go by, I will have more books with my name on them, but more than that, I would be better equipped for writing the next book.

However, if I could send some writing advice to my younger self, this is what I would tell him!

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/advice-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-writing-tips-for-young-writers

Writing a novel you can be proud of is a difficult task, made more difficult when you lack the tools to overcome the challenge. I will be talking about the fantasy genre, giving you some ideas and tips, as well as useful tools you can use to construct your story, characters and world. This will be a series of posts and in this one, we will be talking about world types, naming methods and magical systems.

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/the-fantasy-story-writing-toolkit-ideas-and-tips-part-1

Metro 2034 by Dmitry Glukhovsky, the sequel to Metro 2033, follows a new expedition through the metro and its many dangerous tunnels. Sebastopol, a station often attacked by monsters and bandits, is often requesting more ammunition and supplies, but communications are down. Every party of soldiers sent to investigate never returns. Luckily, a grizzled soldier takes up the task and requests the help of a story-teller named Homer.

Article: https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/metro-2034-by-dmitry-glukhovsky-book-review

Last week, I discussed worldbuilding, especially techniques that have helped me overcome my worldbuilding problems, as these are the techniques I have the most experience with. Yet, I failed in one major respect in that article as I didn’t provide written examples of these scenes, rather I only discussed the scenes and their core elements.

It was a missed opportunity, but it won’t be missed now. In this post, I will be writing example scenes and underlining why their simplicity goes a long way in worldbuilding. Let’s begin!

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/worldbuilding-example-scenes-you-can-write

Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky is best described as a surreal, post-apocalyptic adventure, centred around life beneath the ground in the metro tunnels after nuclear weapons devastated the planet with their destructive force and worse still, their lingering radiation. This is not a story of how or why the bombs dropped, but the exploration of one’s will to live in the face of many strange dangers that assault the body, mind and heart of the main character, Artyom.

Here is my spoiler-free review of Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky.

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/blog/metro-2033-by-dmitry-glukhovsky-book-review

Cat

Cat was not a cat. She was a woman that worked a boring job in a corporate hell. Catherine, or Cat to her friends, wasn’t a sociable woman. In fact, she actively tried to avoid people as much as possible. However, her time came to move from one company to the Company. A new job in a new city. She was alone in a townhouse that didn’t seem to fit her. She often left it in a mess the same way she used to leave her apartment, however, it wasn’t a mess of clothing or junk food wrappers. It was a mess of books.

https://www.thepennedsleuth.com/