If you’ve ever read any book reviews, or ever received any critiques on your work, chances are good you’ve heard the following feedback: “I just wasn’t grabbed by this scene/chapter/story. Nothing happened.” If your goal is to write a commercial book where everyone says “I read it in one sitting and I couldn’t put it… Continue reading “Nothing Happens In This Scene:” Brief Thoughts On Pacing and Context
I love stories. This likely does not come as a surprise, because I’m a writer. And if you’re here, on a blog called Writer’s Block Party, reading this post about writing, then you’re either tragically bored, or you’re a fellow lover of stories. So let’s take a moment to talk about stories–and, more specifically, how… Continue reading The Unique Telepathic Magic of Books
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
Mara: Hey everyone! I’m Mara, you might know me from the #chillwritingtips series (1, 2, 3). Meg: And hi, I’m Meg! I wrote that weird how to be a CP post about a slug. Welcome to a new post by Writer’s Block Party. Mara: (We’re like Mel and Sue from THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW!)… Continue reading To Joke Or Not To Joke: Writing Humor
Note: This post is done in a roundtable style where members of Writer’s Block Party discuss a topic together. Moderator/Editor: Mara Fitzgerald QUESTION ONE: Who are your favorite villains of all time and what makes them so great? Meg: I guess I’ll start that I find the idea of having a favorite villain SO FASCINATING.… Continue reading Roundtable #9: Villains And The Writers Who Love Them
Everyone loves writing contests! They’re a great way to get feedback and make valuable connections, and they’re totally not stressful at all. Nope, there’s absolutely nothing anxiety-making about putting our work out there to be judged and poked at and rejected. A really super duper fun thing about contests is how they’re extremely public. Everyone… Continue reading #chillwritingtips: In The Game Of Contests, You Win Or You Die…Right?
A quick intro: #chillwritingtips is a series about making sure we don’t lose our love of writing in the process of trying to get it published. The whole time I was querying, I wanted it to be OVER. I was not a fan of the waiting and uncertainty and dealing with my own writerly neuroses… Continue reading #chillwritingtips: I Don’t Have Any Exciting News, And That’s Okay
Maybe, once or twice in your life, you’ve done some light Internet stalking of agents and editors. And maybe, once or twice, you’ve seen them say something like this: “I want to see something that feels fresh but also familiar. It’s hard to predict what I’ll like. I want originality and something I haven’t even… Continue reading Does My Manuscript Need To Be Original?
I sent my first query for my first manuscript in the beginning of 2013. I thought the manuscript in question was fresh and fun and awesome. Actually, I knew it was fresh and fun and awesome, because I’d had a fresh and fun and awesome time writing it. I thought all my jokes were hilarious… Continue reading #Chillwritingtips: An Introduction
Writer's Block Party 