C. P. Lesley, Novelist

Writing post about using clothing measurements to test old theories about a historical character

On managing date sequences while writing historical fiction, with an example from the age of Elizabeth I and the author's own work in progress

Writing, then recognizing and removing, backstory from a forthcoming novel

On using my skills as a historian to inform a standalone novel in progress

On questions raised by some authors' decisions to use artificial intelligence (AI) to produce their novels

A writing post on the importance of titles and the difficulty, sometimes, of finding the right one for a particular novel

Annual roundup of what I did in 2025 and hope to accomplish in 2026

Writing a novel when fictional characters act as if they have minds of their own

Writing post about beginnings and endings, as well as how they define the structure of a novel

Updates on my writing process, specifically the rough draft and the first revision, with reference to Song of the Silk Weaver

Book release announcement for C. P. Lesley's historical fiction novel Song of the Steadfast, due out in June 2025 from Five Directions Press

On problems with keeping characters' details straight while writing the Legends of the 5 Directions and Songs of Steppe & Forest series

C. P. Lesley's annual overview of tasks attempted, accomplished, and not yet attained in 2024

A discussion of what an author means by "watching characters grow" in a single novel or across a series

A short discussion about the pluses and minuses of procrastinating while writing, exemplified by my own work

A glimpse into the history of wild silk and its possible relevance to my forthcoming novel, Song of the Silk Weaver

On the not so nice parts of history and their inclusion in historical fiction

On the value of merchants' travel accounts as sources for historical fiction, or what we can learn from the traveling salesmen of history

Interview with the author Michelle Moran, whose latest novel, "Maria," explores the true story behind "The Sound of Music"

The joys and perils of historical research when writing fiction, with special attention to the author's next Songs of Steppe & Forest novel