Most of us know the saying (or some version of it) that writing is rewriting. First drafts are supposed to suck–they are a thing you have to white-knuckle your way through, like middle school and dentist appointments and family holiday dinners. Just get to the end, don’t look back, you can’t fix a blank page,… Continue reading Re:writing
This past week I’ve been thinking a lot about starting new projects. For the first time in a while, I have the opportunity to work on an entirely new project. At first, I was excited – I finally have time for all those cool ideas and concepts that were clamoring for my attention while I… Continue reading Pre-NaNoWriMo: Starting a New Project
This post is co-written by Akshaya and Mara. We all know what separates fantasy from every other genre—magic systems! And not just any old magic systems! No, these must be cool, unique, complicated, fully explained, excruciatingly detailed, never-been-seen-before-by-anyone, never-even-conceived-of-until-you-put-it-to-the-page, constantly-blowing-everyone’s-mind-with-their-uniqueness magic systems! Or…maybe not. Maybe it’s just that, as fantasy writers, that’s sometimes what we… Continue reading Magic Systems: When It Feels Like It’s All Been Done Before
When talking about filling the creative well, there’s usually something missing in the conversation, in particular when it comes to writing for the YA audience. I fear that in our quest to catch up on the books that we’ve been highly anticipating and stay on top of new releases from the novelists who inspire us… Continue reading Filling the Creative Well
One day I was wondering, “Am I Instagramming right? Is ‘Instagramming’ a word? What ARE words…” Anyway, the takeaway was the Instagram thing and so I went to my trusty interwebz and looked it up. And now I shall compile my obsessive search results for all of you! According to Buffer (Please note that this… Continue reading How often do I post on Instagram?
Once, when I was at a conference, I heard an author say the first hundred pages of a book teach you how to read that book. I love that so much, but the sad truth is, sometimes a reader won’t wait around for a 100 pages. And especially in YA fantasy, where things generally tend… Continue reading Info Dumping Isn’t Always Bad
Today on the blog we have the pleasure of hosting badass author Maura Milan! Her debut novel, IGNITE THE STARS, is an action-packed adventure in SPACE, out September 4. Seriously, this book is as amazing as its cover! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below! 1. First of all, congrats on your debut novel! IGNITE THE STARS… Continue reading Author Spotlight: Maura Milan
