Charlie March Website

Charlie March

Literary Editor and Writer

Charlie March is a literary editor and writer based in Edinburgh. In 2022, Charlie founded The Plottery, working with editors, beginner writers, and other coaches with the goal of helping anyone to write a book worth reading and raving about. Charlie has created 3 intuitive courses that cover mastering the art of prose, perfecting outlining, and building confidence. She also has created helpful resources for writers including templates and extensive e-books covering writing theory, world building, and character development. Charlie also published her first book Finish Your First Novel: A No-Bull Guide to Actually Completing Your First Draft in 2023 under her previous pen name, Char Anna. She's the host of The Plotcast, and shares additional tips and insights on her YouTube channel The Plottery. She has a BA in Filmmaking & Screenwriting and an MA in Creative Writing.

Education

  • BA, Filmmaking & Screenwriting, University of the West of Scotland
  • MA, Creative Writing, Edinburgh Napier University

Professional Achievements

  • Published a writing guide in 2023, Finish Your First Novel: A No-Bull Guide to Actually Completing Your First Draft, under the previous pen name Char Anna
  • Featured speaker at Spark to Story Summit in 2025
  • Featured partner at Novlr, the workspace for creative writers
  • Coached hundreds of writers through workshops, online programs, and writing courses

Favorite Piece of Advice

Start before you’re ready. Your story already exists in its full glory in your deep subconscious, and it’s your job as a writer to open yourself to exploration, trust yourself, and let the truth come out onto the page.

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Forum Comments (2)

Bullet journal ideas that are fun and inspirational?
My personal favourite bullet journal ideas that I always reach for are these:

  • A themed monthly spread. Pick any aesthetic (witchy, cottagecore, stars, ocean, winter...) and doodle little accents around your pages. Try to think of how you can incorporate elements from your aesthetic into your trackers, calendar pages, or your diary entries and get creative with it!
  • A reading goal bookshelf. I always draw a bookshelf on one of my journal pages with the number of books I'd like to read that year (or that month, if you're a little book gremlin). I leave the spines of the books empty and uncoloured. Then, once I finish a book, I write the title on the spine and colour it in. It's a sweet little incentive to keep you reading more and finish filling the bookshelf!
  • Small wins entries. If you're someone who struggles a lot with insecurities and confidence, this habit can really transform how you view yourself. You can do this daily or weekly or even as it happens, but choose anything you did that you are proud of (it could be baking a cake for the first time, or finally managing that yoga pose you were never able to do) and write it all down. Stay consistent with it, and it will act as physical proof of your achievements when your brain refuses to cooperate.
Writing a book and there's an age gap! need help immediately
A fair question to ask, and one more authors in the romantasy genre should be conscious of! The age gap in itself isn't necessarily a deal breaker, but it always comes down to two things:

1) How your characters treat it
2) Whether there needed to be an age gap in the first place

An age gap becomes uncomfortable when there are obvious power dynamics where the older character not only has seniority but also authority over the younger character, and they use that to influence or pressure them. If, however, the older character is fully aware of the difference in age, maturity, and life experience, doesn’t exploit their position, and actually holds back romantically until the younger character is of age, then it’s generally fine. Their choices and moral values speak for who they are.

And the second point I wanted to address is simply: does the character specifically need to be a minor? Simply making your protagonist 18 instead of 17 would raise fewer eyebrows. If it doesn't significantly impact your story, it's an easy fix worth doing to make sure the romance feels safe, intentional, and ethical to the reader, rather than relying on “historical accuracy” to justify something that reads as uncomfortable today. That’s why it’s important to remain vigilant, ask these tough questions you're asking, and even get sensitivity readers wherever you're concerned. Being conscious of these dynamics protects your story from accidentally sending messages you don’t mean to send.

Co-authored Articles (7)

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