When I first approached the topic of this post, I was deeply intimidated. There is no facet of creative writing that could render me more self-conscious, that I devote half so much mental and emotional energy to, than prose. Every writer, published or not, has started reading a book and immediately thought “Oh no. This… Continue reading How to develop your personal prose style
Writing one book is a daunting endeavor, let alone an entire series. And after spending months or years putting the finishing touches on one novel, the prospect of plotting out another can often seem overwhelming, especially if you aren’t much of a plotter to begin with. I’ve published a trilogy, and I’m in the midst… Continue reading How much do you have to know about your sequel ahead of time?
I’m pinching myself that I get to write this post. Why? Because the idea of writing in multiple age categories still feels so new to me. Being an author has been my dream my entire life, but for a very, very long time, I only ever imagined myself as a YA author. The idea of writing anything… Continue reading Writing in Multiple Age Categories: The Why, the How, and the Fun
This post is part of our Pub Finance series where we talk about all things money and how it pertains to being a writer and author careers. You can find the other posts here. HOW DO AUTHORS MAKE MONEY? A MASTERPOST “By selling books, of course!” Yes, of course authors make money by selling books,… Continue reading Pub Finance #2: HOW DO AUTHORS MAKE MONEY? A MASTERPOST
In A World… is a series of posts about world building, where our contributors share strategies and tips for creating well-rounded worlds. In my opinion, world-building in a fantasy book is broken into two main categories: 1) the setting, and 2) the magic system. For as much as we love magic, it’s not a topic… Continue reading In A World: A Pondering of Magic Systems
Note: This post is done in a roundtable style where members of Writer’s Block Party discuss a topic together. Moderator & Editor: Amanda Foody QUESTION ONE: What do you define as foreshadowing? Is it a clue? Is it one of those “…” cliffhanger lines? Easter eggs about what is to come? ASHLEY: I think foreshadowing… Continue reading Roundtable #11: Foreshadowing
Introduction As Benjamin Franklin once famously stated, “…in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” And as a fantasy writer who crafts stories about perilous adventure and tragic characters, I much prefer reading about the former! As creative professionals, we have undergone intensive effort to hone our crafts, laborious research… Continue reading Hi Writers…Let’s talk about taxes
Act I is the foundation and first impression of your story. It defines everything that comes after in terms of character, tone, and pace. Its how you convince your reader that they’re in capable hands. I could ramble about how I adore beginnings and the Act I formula and playing with pacing and structure, but… Continue reading On Plot: How to Nail Your Act I
In A World… is a series of posts about world building, where our contributors share strategies and tips for creating well-rounded worlds. If you write speculative fiction, you have probably heard the advice before to treat your world like a character. This advice is definitely spot on and is a key to creating vivid, dynamic settings… Continue reading In A World…: Writing A World Like A Character
I’m beginning the post with a rant from my teen self. Bear with me. Ok, so I read a lot of posts like this when I was a teen writer, and they almost all irritated me because they felt condescending and should’ve been titled “Advice for Beginning Writers.” At seventeen, I’d read dozens of craft… Continue reading Advice for Teen Writers: Questions I Actually Wanted to Ask As A Teen Writer with No Chill
Writer's Block Party 