Atmosphere: what is it really? It sounds ethereal, hard to describe and even harder to define in your own writing. Atmosphere is another word for mood; it’s the feeling a writer wants their readers to experience, like suspense or foreboding, longing or joy. Individual scenes can have a particular mood, while the overall novel has… Continue reading How to Create Atmosphere in Your Writing
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
The End. Small words, three letters each. But when you put them together, wow are they big. The conclusion, the finale, the denouement. Powerful, shocking, bittersweet, heartwarming. An ending can be so many things. I’m not going to say the ending is the absolute most important part of a story; beginnings are important, too, because… Continue reading Why I Love Endings (And Also Hate Them)
In A World… is a series of posts about world building, where our contributors share strategies and tips for creating well-rounded worlds. World building is hard. Fantasy or contemporary, with multiple points of view or one, it’s not an easy task. Just check out the many other posts that are part of the “In A World..”… Continue reading In A World…: World Building in First Person
Path to Pub is an ongoing feature in WBP where we talk about each step to publication and beyond. From idea to drafting to book deal! I volunteered to write this post because I haven’t drafted a book in a long time, and you always love the step of the writing process you’re NOT on.… Continue reading Path to Pub: Drafting
Path to Pub is an ongoing feature in WBP where we talk about each step to publication and beyond. From idea to drafting to book deal! Brainstorming has always been my favorite part of the writing process. It’s a weird thing to love because brainstorming is just coming up with ideas, and as writers, we… Continue reading Path to Pub: Brainstorming
Note: This post is done in a roundtable style where members of Writer’s Block Party discuss a topic together. Moderator/Editor: Katy Pool Foody: Hogwarts from Harry Potter is one of my grandest archetypes of magical worlds, especially because many of the stories I write take place in semi-modern fantasy settings. I’m forever in awe… Continue reading Roundtable #7: Settings
Writer’s Block Party is honored to host literary agent, Peter Knapp, for this week’s #DVPit blog hop. For more information on #DVPit go here: dvpit.com In my apartment, sitting on top of my armoire, is a large shoebox full of keepsakes: ticket stubs and playbills, museum maps and gallery catalogues, postcards and birthday notes, party invitations,… Continue reading #DVPit Blog Hop: The Passage of Time in Your Novel
Hi everyone! Welcome to our third roundtable! Today we’re discussing female friendships, with an emphasis on what makes them compelling in fiction and media, why we write them, and how to write them well. *Note: This post is done in a roundtable style where members of Writer’s Block Party discuss a topic together. Moderator: Katy… Continue reading Roundtable #3: Female Friendships
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