11 Things I Learned in Malta about Writing – 4 Everyone Needs a Balcony

On a 2014 holiday in Malta I saw many things that could help me with my writing. I will be sharing one each week. Here is point 4 I learned:

Everyone needs a balcony


Absolutely every building in Malta has a balcony, and each building’s balconies are different from the next. Balconies are cooling in the heat and you can enjoy the view. Your readers need to enjoy the view too. Make sure you have enough description to draw them in.

Arthur C Clarke, Prophet of the Space Age

Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 1917 – 19 March 2008) was a British science fiction writer, science writer and futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. Clarke authored nearly 100 books, and many of his ideas around science had links to future technological innovations.

11 Things I Learned in Malta about Writing – 3 Be Creative

On a 2014 holiday in Malta I saw many things that could help me with my writing. I will be sharing one each week. Sorry I missed a week, I was struck down by a virus. Here is point 3 I learned:

Be creative

Although the buildings are the same colours, and all have flat roofs, every building is different. Some architectural details, especially in the balconies, make each building unique in its area.

Don’t use the same old plots. There are only supposed to be a small number of unique plots, but the books that succeed are creative and find a new twist. Adapt a plot from a different genre, do something unexpected. That way your story will stand out from the crowd.

Robert A Heinlein's Best Books

In my history of science fiction series, I wrote last week about Robert A Heinlein. This week I’m talking about some of his most famous books. My favourites are Stranger in a Strange Land and Time Enough For Love. Goodreads ran a listopia poll and these were the top four:

1. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

11 Things I Learned in Malta about Writing – 2 Build with Local Stone

On my 2014 holiday in Malta I saw many things that could help me with my writing. I will be sharing one each week. Here is point 2 I learned:

Build with local stone

All the buildings in Malta are built from the local limestone, so they are all a creamy yellow colour. When you write, don’t pull things out of nowhere, use what’s around you, even if you have to put it there earlier in the story.

Ancient Greek drama would sometimes get the hero into an impossible situation and then one of the gods would appear and rescue them. It’s called Deus ex machina, and it’s cheating.

Robert A Heinlein, Dean of Science Fiction

Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7 1907 – May 8 1988) was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", his controversial works continue to have an influential effect on the genre.

Heinlein became one of the first science fiction writers to break into mainstream magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940s. He was one of the best-selling science fiction novelists for many decades, and he, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C Clarke are often considered the "Big Three" of science fiction authors.

11 Things I Learned in Malta About Writing – 1 Rain is a Blessing

In 2014 I had my first foreign holiday, in Malta. Thanks to British rule before they became independent, much is like home. The main language is English and they drive on the left. But, in more than distance travelled, it’s a whole different world. I saw many things that could help me with my writing. I will be sharing one each week.
Here is point 1:

Rain is a blessing