When I was still in school, I set myself the goal of having a career centered around books in as many ways as possible. Which means that now, as an adult, I wear two hats within the publishing industry. There’s writer-me, who signed with an agent in January, who participated in Pitch Wars, who writes… Continue reading Pub Life #1: Query Advice from a Literary Assistant
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
Fight scenes. Damn, these can be difficult. Too detailed and they’re boring. Not detailed enough and the reader won’t feel grounded. The best advice I can give is to build the scene in layers—start with the skeleton, then add the viscera, then the skin.
Last week, I explained the components of story structure using TANGLED as an example. Today, I’m going to talk about how you can build the structure for your story. If you didn’t read last week’s post, or you need a refresher, give it a read! I’ll be here when you’re finished. I used to think of structure… Continue reading Building A Structure For Your Story
Hi everyone! Welcome to our second roundtable! Today we’re discussing retellings, with an emphasis on cultural tales and mythology. Specifically, we’re talking about the difference between retellings and inspirations as well as things to keep in mind when retelling stories from other cultures. We linked to the Goodreads pages of the books we discuss if you… Continue reading Roundtable #2: Drawing Inspiration From Folklore And Fairy Tales
I know, I know. Structure is one of the least sexy topics when it comes to writing. Structure is four walls. It’s a set of rooms into which you must cram your big, wide world and characters and plot. This has to go there, and that has to go here, and no you can’t fit a… Continue reading The Components Of Story Structure (TANGLED Edition)
I’ve been daydreaming about writing this post for such a long time, but I’ll be honest: when I finally sat down to do this, it was hard at first to get the words out. Part of the reason why is because this still doesn’t feel real. And part of it is because, if I want… Continue reading How I Got My Agent With Christine Lynn Herman
In A World… is a series of posts about world building, where our contributors share strategies and tips for creating well-rounded worlds. For someone who loves writing science fiction and fantasy as much as I do, it’s surprising that world building has always been one of the most challenging aspects of writing for me. Just recently,… Continue reading In A World…: Building Conflict Into Your World
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
I am a huge fan of writing retreats. Whenever my critique partners and I meet up for a conference, we try to sneak in a few extra days together. Group retreats can be such a wonderful way to focus your creative energy while being surrounded by like-minded people to inspire and motivate you. But they aren’t… Continue reading Tips For A Successful At-Home Writing Retreat
Writer's Block Party 