Writer Block

Refine Your World’s Magic Source

It might take the form of a glittering crystal powering a dragon’s acid breath. Or a river of power that can be tapped to create a wizard’s fireball. Or a demonic pact granting awesome healing powers. Along with knowing the source of magic, I also like to decide how the source acts and is used. NOTE: I try to throw some ideas out there and hope some of them help. I make clear-cut categories only…

Create Magic Sources for Your World

The source of magic energy can say a lot about what is important in a world. This is because magic can be one foundation of a world. Magic sources affect far more than spell-casting — they influence history, culture, mythology, and the magical races of that world. NOTE: I often say “source” in this post but this could read as “sources”. I’m a great fan of multiple sources of magic. Those who…

Writing Prompt: Ready to Rumble

This photo made me laugh. The guy prepares for the opening of car wash business hours as if he was preparing for the start of a gang war! But whatever the fight, it’s all about set-up. A still moment before the start of a fight or other intense action scene can build reader anticipation. Reader anticipation about a coming fight is not only built by obstacles in a sympathetic character’s path. It…

Author Interview: Ashley Capes

Q: How would you define and describe writer’s block? A: The word ‘block’ sounds so powerful, so final, huh? But I try to think of it as two separate but not unrelated problems that are both beatable. The first problem seems to be when motivation is low, which is probably the hardest to fight for me. But the other is perhaps more to do with story itself. Sometimes when I start with an idea or…

Featured Recent Release: March 2017

This month’s featured book release is Imperial Towers by Ashley Capes. This is Book 5 in his Book of Never series.All his books can be found at Amazon and Kobo. Stay tuned tomorrow for an interview with author Ashley Capes! Only one thing stands between Never and answers – his brother. Driven toward the enemy-occupied Imperial City, Never’s doubts grow. Even with new knowledge about his powers,…

I’m on a YA paranormal kick. At the moment, it’s the third book in The Mortal Instruments, a series by Cassandra Clare. Again, I’m surprised by just how much description is actually in fast-paced paranormals. Setting details are something I often forget to add once I get into a chapter’s first draft so now I’ve modified my scene outlines to include details for setting right after my notes about…

Writing Prompt: Gleeful Destruction

This picture got me thinking about gleeful destruction. This destruction could be celebratory like when children break a pinata. Or the delight might come from accidental destruction, maybe a burst seam during a vigorous pillow fight.  Or the glee might follow deliberate destruction — a defeated enemy, severed chains, a poisonous relationship ended. This week’s writing prompt: Plan or write a…

Make the Magic Work: Create a Stronger Magic System

I’m a slow learner sometimes.

Think it’s enough to start with the fireball, add the ley lines to power it, a few grimores to learn it, the occasional magical talisman to power it up… and trust the rest will fit itself neatly into the world on its own? This writing by the seat of your pants approach can work for other writers. It didn’t for me.

Confusion (and revisions) accumulated as I added…

Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up from real life or emotions instilled by the writer.

In Step 1, we looked at various seeds to plant in order to produce the reader emotions of anxiety, fear, and sorrow. The…

Writing Prompt: “Portal”

I created this writing prompt, “Portal”, for the late middle of a book. Flashbacks are portals to the past. They can be an effective way to show contrasts between the way things were and the way things are. But the time change inherent in all flashbacks can jolt the reader’s sense of continuity. For that reason, it can be useful to use a “portal” — a feature in the story’s present that sparks a…

I’m sorry for the long gap since the last post. I’ve been ill but am now feeling much better. So without further ado…

Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up from real life or emotions instilled by the writer.

In…

Writing Prompt: “Honorable Destruction”

I created this writing prompt, “”Honorable Destruction”, for the middle section of a book. Villain motivations are a powerful way to power the story. Perhaps the most potent type of villain motivation is one that the reader thinks is right, justified, or places him on high moral ground.

Write a scene where the antagonist confronts the protagonist about the difference in their paths. show what each…

The well-written book can provide a cathartic experience for the reader.

Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up from real life or emotions instilled by the writer.

Before you can give the reader a cathartic…

The well-written book can provide a cathartic experience for the reader.

Catharsis is the expulsion, repulsion, or purification of toxins and impurities. Emotional catharsis can allow the release and possible transformation of many different negative feelings. These may be toxic emotions built up from real life or emotions instilled by the writer.

Before you can give the reader a cathartic…

Discover Your Work’s GPS

The process of writing a scene can be very much like using a Global Positioning System. By learning the components of your own work’s GPS you will be able to generate scenes faster, and more efficiently.

When creating co-ordinates, the standard GPS relies on one receiver that takes in information from at least four satellites and creates concrete co-ordinates that move through time and space.

When…

Threshold Guardians test the hero’s skill, understanding, or intuition.

Threshold Guardians are an archetype from the Hero’s Journey but can be used in any plot structure style and by pantsters too.

Almost any character can become a Threshold Guardian.

Alliescan make excellent – and sometimes unexpected – Threshold Guardians. These might be friends, mentors, or loved ones. The closer their bonds…

FInding Theme Through Characters

Theme links directly to your protagonist’s character arc.

The starting and ending points of the character arc may be a different mindset, set of values, or situation. The character may grow, fall, or transform from one state to the other.

Whatever the case, built into this journey is the assumption that one state is better than the other. Ask yourself which state is better and you have a theme…