Aaron Mullins
BESTSELLING BOOKS – AUTHOR RESOURCES
Ayrshire Authors: Writers and Books Set in Ayrshire
Ayrshire authors have produced some some of Scotland’s finest books, cementing the historic county of Ayrshire, Scotland as a hotbed of creative talent in the literary history of the world. I am fortunate to find myself now living in Ayrshire and i’m inspired by the other authors who were born, lived or wrote some of their most famous novels here.
Famous Ayrshire authors: From Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland, to more contemporary writers like Janice Galloway and Ian McMurdo, Ayrshire has a rich literary tradition that is well worth exploring.
There are also many great books set in Ayrshire, by brilliant Ayrshire writers and other authors who have decided to make Ayrshire their home. From this wealth of writing talent, I have compiled a list of the best writers and books set in Ayrshire.
In this article I will also explore the incredible writing community within Ayrshire, from the very successful Ayr Writer’s Club, to the ever popular Ayrshire Magazine, which regularly features local authors.
Read MoreList of Scottish Mythical Creatures: 55 Legendary Monsters and Folklore Tales
Welcome to the definitive list of Scottish Mythical Monsters, the most intriguing legendary myths and folklore stories revealing Scotland’s mysterious past.
In these famous Scottish folklore tales, you will discover which Scottish big cat may still roam the countryside. We explore Celtic mythology and folklore to discover where we might be able to capture a Scottish mermaid. And Scottish mythology may also provide us with clues to tell if a child has become a changeling.
If you are wondering which mythical creatures live in Scotland then you are in the right place to discover the kelpies, selkies, the Loch Ness Monster, and other famous Scottish folklore creatures that make up the history and legends of this beautiful country.
This list of Scottish mythical creatures comes from my bestselling book Scottish Legends: 55 Mythical Monsters and gives snippets and a peek inside the book, revealing the hidden past and origins of these amazing folktales.
Growing up in Wick, in the Scottish Highlands, I was aware of local legends, like the selkie’s grave in Castletown, from a very young age. As kids, we were surrounded by forests, mountains and the sea, which to our young imaginations contained all manner of beasts. I have even sailed down Loch Ness in search of the most famous Scottish mythical creature of them all!
Scottish Mythical Creatures
Scottish mythical monsters have always been a fascinating part of the rich history and folklore tales of Scotland. Ancient Scots were curious about the world around them and their fantastical explanations of natural phenomena often involved the creation of mythical creatures with amazing powers.
Read MoreHow to Write Children’s Books in 15 Easy Steps (with examples)
So you want to know how to write a children’s book? The good news is that writing and publishing your own children’s book is much easier (and cheaper) than it used to be. This article will share some of the best children’s book writing tips and show budding children’s authors how to write, edit and publish their children’s book.
When thinking about how to write a children’s book, we often imagine how it feels to read your own book to a child for the very first time!
Many authors love writing children’s stories and have great ideas for story books for kids, but don’t know how to turn that idea into a popular children’s book. It’s true that any writer can put together books for children, but with the help and support of this article, yours can be the one that kids love to read.
How to write children’s books: To write a children’s book you must choose an age range for your idea, create popular story characters and then illustrate your book. Children’s books can be self published or you can submit them to traditional kid’s book publishers.
Read More50 Scottish Urban Legends, Myths and Folklore Tales
Welcome brave reader to the definitive list of Scottish Urban Legends, the most intriguing legendary myths and folklore stories revealing Scotland’s mysterious past.
Where is the most haunted road in Scotland?
Who got caught cheating while playing cards with the devil?
Which innocent rhyme can be used to summon a violent poltergeist?
Find the answers to these questions and much more… including the truth hidden within each of these historical Scottish myths and legends.
50 Scottish Urban Legends
On this page you’ll find a huge list of 50 Scottish Urban Legends, Myths and Folklore Tales. These include scary urban legends, creepy stories and Scottish tales of the unexplained. The history and origins behind each Scottish urban legend are also explored, bringing these myths and folklore tales to life.
Read MoreAverage Length of Fiction Writing: 6 Forms with Typical word counts
Average word counts for books can be confusing. How many words are in a short story? What is the ideal length for a fiction novel? How long should my book be? Find the answer to these writing questions here.
There are six main types of fiction writing forms. These six categories are flash fiction, short story, novelette, novella, novel and epic. The length of your writing determines which fiction format your story falls into. The average word count, or typical length, for each fiction writing category is listed in the image and table below.
Read MoreWriting Fiction in a Dystopian Reality: How 2020 has Lost the Plot
When writing dystopian fiction in our somewhat dystopian society of 2020, everything you thought you knew about writing speculative fiction has been turned on its head.
Dystopian meaning: A dystopian world is one where there is great suffering or injustice. Stories of struggle are often set within a dystopian society in these books. Usually set in the future, dystopian fiction books are often aimed at the young adult book market. The Handmaid’s Tale is a famous dystopian series and 1984 is a dystopian novel.
I think you’ll agree with me when I say that 2020 is turning out to be the strangest year that any of us have ever experienced. And as authors who try to analyse events and capture the fears and feelings of our readers, it’s doubly difficult to write dystopian fiction.
Ten years ago I began writing a novel while at university. It was a detective crime thriller story, set in a dystopian society, in a world that had been ravaged by a virus. Militaries had seized control of governments and citizens lived under restricted conditions, similar to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Strangely enough, in the novel Britain had left the EU, something I thought would never possibly happen at the time. I wanted it to be a wild, unusual and frightening world in which to set a detective novel.
Read MoreMysteries and Misadventures: Tales from the Highlands
Scottish short stories from the Highlands of Scotland have always fascinated me. I grew up in Wick, in Caithness, and always promised myself that I would write a book full of Scottish mystery and crime thriller short stories that took place in and around the Highlands.
And you’ll never guess what happened to me this morning, before I even had my coffee…
…I opened a very exciting email saying my book had finally been published and the ebook and paperback versions of my new Scottish short stories collection was now available to buy.
Mysteries and Misadventures: Tales from the Highlands by me, Aaron Mullins, is a collection of Scottish short stories based in the Highlands of Scotland, featuring Caithness tales of the unexpected. Mystery, crime and thriller short stories abound in tales of Scottish life. The Story behind the Stories section reveals the inspiration for each short story, based on my childhood experiences growing up in Caithness.
Scottish Highlands Stories
So I suddenly found myself with a Scottish mystery short stories book launch to prep for. I knew I wanted to do a book promo video for the launch, so I set about making that first and adding it to my Aaron Mullins Author YouTube Channel:
Read MoreScottish Dialect: An Author’s Guide to Highland Dialogue
The beautiful lilt of a Scottish accent. It’s a wonderful thing to hear, but as I have discovered, an absolute headache to spell Scots dialect words so they sound just right to the ear.
How to write Scottish characters: with an authentic sounding Scottish accent, your character’s dialogue must contain the correct Scots words, to really bring the people of Scotland to life. Authors writing books in Scots must maintain the Scots language for their entire length, in their chosen Scottish dialect.
Writing Scottish Dialects
The Scots language consists of four main dialects: Insular, Northern, Central, and Southern. Many sub-dialects exist across Scotland, which in turn also have their own local Scots accents. For example, a Glasgow Accent, is a local variant of the West Central Scots accent, which in turn is a sub-dialect of the broader Central Scots dialect. These variations need to be taken into account when learning how to write a Scottish accent.
Read MoreCreative Writing Inspiration and Ideas: 10 Beach Writing Prompts
Beach writing prompts and creative writing inspiration often comes to us in waves of inspirational writing ideas. Sometimes quite literally, when we head to the sands for some beach story ideas.
Short story inspiration can be found within the relaxing sound of the waves. Poetry inspiration formed along with footprints with the soft crush of sand beneath your feet.
Beach writing prompts are scattered across the sand. Creative writing inspiration discovered among the lost items washed ashore. Beach short story ideas forming from a mysterious object bobbing on the waves. Good story ideas are sometimes hard to come by, but a stroll along the beach may be all the writing inspiration you need.
Beach Creative Writing Ideas
A walk along the beach is just what a writer needs to clear their heads of daily tasks, relax them, and release their imagination and ideas. Many studies have shown that a walk on the beach lowers stress and blood pressure, boosts mood and has many positive effects on mental health. All things that can also boost creativity for writers.
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Writers: Author Advice
My Top 10 Tips for Writers provides quick advice for authors on how to improve their writing.
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Aaron Mullins 