If you’re here for swords, then I’m afraid this isn’t the blog post for you – though I do have a few, and they are beautiful!

No, today I’m thinking more about the difficulty of writing a good argument.

Honestly, it can feel impossible! As the author, you often want to make the reader feel empathetic to both sides of the argument. That way, the argument feels far more realistic. There’s often good and bad on both sides of a debate.

You always want to make sure that the plot moves forward through the argument, otherwise it can end up feeling very bitter and mean, without actually taking the plot or the characters on the journey.

The best kind of argument that I like to write is one that is quite similar to the ones that we have today. Historical setting doesn’t always matter; jealousy over who our loved ones spend time with, ways that couples spend their money, what to name a child – those arguments have been going on ever since there were people!

So they next time you read an argument in a book, just think about that poor author who probably agonised over every single word!