5 First draft tips that make revising easier
Editing a novel is painful, but there are a few things you can do when writing your first draft that will make the second and subsequent drafts easier. Future you will thank past you for these efforts!
How to deal with envy
Envy is one of the most horrible emotions and we've all felt it. It's the force that needles you in the heart when someone else gets your desire. It's the thing that sours your enjoyment of what you love most. Here are some ways I've found for overcoming envy before it destroys your relationships or self esteem! And you know what? Envy can actually be good once you make peace with it.
Author Interview: Hailey Griffiths
Nightmares aren’t supposed to come true. The Vale of Astyria is under siege — it just doesn’t know it yet. And the one person who does, is safely trapped in a cage of her own making. Elle, ex-Grace and exile, is out of reach of the dangerous Fire Mage, Jago, and his merry band of murderers. But safety isn’t everything, and as Jago worms his way deeper into the heart of power in the Vale, Elle will need to sacrifice her own safety for that of her people. With the Mistwall closed, Jago is cut off from his reinforcements, but there’s nothing more dangerous than a cornered fox. Luckily, Elle…
Disney to make Children of Blood and Bone movie
Disney and Lucasfilm are taking over production of the West Africa-inspired YA fantasy, Children of Blood and Bone, that took the world by storm last year. The story’s set in a kingdom where genocide has wiped out everyone who can perform magic. Those who were children at the time of the slaughter, and therefore survived, are oppressed by a cruel king who killed magic at its source on the day of the genocide. Zélie is one of the survivors and she has to go on a journey to restore magic to her people. The book grapples with the subject of power – who gets to have it, who should have it,…
Author Interview: N. Gray
N Gray answers some questions about her latest novel and writing life.
Daughter of Smoke & Bone – Laini Taylor
It's a masterpiece. I bought it three times.
A Kingdom of Exiles – S. B. Nova
There are three things I loved about A Kingdom of Exiles that have stuck with me even though it’s been months since I read it. Here’s the blurb The brightest of stars are always born on the darkest of nights. Serena Smith is unusual. Growing up in a backwoods village, her life is lonely and dull. Then, on her eighteenth birthday, she’s gifted a magical heirloom only to be snatched by fae and condemned to a lifetime in chains. Dragged to Aldar, a fae kingdom ruled by a tyrant witch, Serena discovers a forbidden love, and meets fellow outcasts, each with their own dark secrets. As the lives of warriors,…
Author Interview: Fiona Snyckers
"I love the trend towards domestic thrillers. It used to be that you couldn’t write a thriller unless the fate of the entire world was at stake, and only one white man could save us all. Now thrillers are being written on a smaller, more intimate scale by a diverse variety of voices, which is great."
How to get a million things done
There's a difference between being productive and pushing yourself towards a breakdown. Here are some tricks to get a lot done without burning out.
What do you value most?
It’s my 32nd birthday tomorrow and there’s no denying it, I’m well and truly an adult now. The question is, am I the adult that I always wanted to be? I always imagined that I’d be the sort of adult who did a lot of baking. I even wrote a little song to the tune of “If I Were a Rich Man” about owning an oven when I was in university res. That did not, um, pan out. I’m whatever the opposite of a domestic goddess is (a domestic demon?). I can cook maybe five things well, and half of them Graham doesn’t eat or I can’t eat. In truth,…
