Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers in the Storm blog 02/11/22


​Every story has a beating heart that gives it purpose. It’s the vision that keeps all the working parts of a novel focused on what really matters, enabling the author to outline more easily and write a purposeful story.
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But how can you be sure your story has one (and if it hasn’t, grab the defibrillator and shock it into being)?

Plots are the mechanism for moving characters through a series of events towards a goal. The heart of a story is its very reason for existing. The reason a specific author wants to tell a particular story. It turns a common idea into a unique journey, based on what interests the author and why.
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At the heart of every story is a theme that runs throughout, which colours the characters and flavours the narrative and conveys the author’s message in a way that affects readers deep in their souls.

Author: Sandy Vaile 
Previously published on the Writing and Wellness blog 03/08/22.


After more than a decade of writing and teaching fiction, I have the luxury of looking back on my journey (thus far) to see where I could have done things differently, to heighten enjoyment and expedite my arrival at the place I am now.

And I’m going to share those insights with you today. 

I’m Sandy Vaile, an author of fast-paced romantic suspense for Simon and Schuster US and a fiction coach who is empowering modern writers around the globe to write stories they're proud to share with the world (one author at a time).

There is limitless information on the internet about how to write and publish a book and yet thousands of authors struggle to find their place in the industry. I believe this is because the creative process isn’t something that can be pigeon-holed and contrived. Original ideas flow from our imaginations and no two minds or lives are alike.

If only I’d known a few truths when I started this journey, it might have made it easier and saved me a heap of anxiety. 

Author: Sandy Vaile 

Below are the values that guide Sandy Vaile as she supports aspiring authors across the globe to write fiction stories they are proud to share with the world.

If you'd like to learn more about how Sandy can help you achieve your fiction writing goals, grab a time in her diary for an obligation free chat.

Author: Sandy Vaile
Previously published on the Writers In The Storm blog, August 2022.


One of the fastest ways to alienate readers is to get your facts wrong, which can feel like an overwhelming responsibility when writing a story. But how far would you go to bring authenticity and interesting elements into your story? 

If you’re writing anything longer than a short story, you are bound to need to do some research. 

I’m going to demonstrate how research can benefit all stories, and then we’ll peek over the shoulders of a few authors to discover the lengths they’ve gone to, in the name of fiction research.