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fantasy

Young Adult Writing Tips With Oathbreaker Author @ShelleyWilson72

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Today I am super excited to have Shelley Wilson with me on the blog. Shelley is a fellow Young Adult and non-fiction writer. She’s also a long time Bloggers Bash attendee.

I’m always sniffing around Shelley’s blog to see what Young Adult book she’s reviewed this week because I love her recommendations. But today, there’s something FAR more exciting.

Today she’s spilling the beans on her own new YA werewolf release Oathbeaker (out today) as well as giving us hot tips on writing Young Adult fiction. Which you can get here:

Amazon UK 

Amazon US

Without further ado, Shelley… Welcome.

[Read more…] about Young Adult Writing Tips With Oathbreaker Author @ShelleyWilson72

Please Your Readers – 3 Trope Tactics

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tropesI’m a genre whore. 70% of what I read is Young Adult fantasy or dystopian fiction. I’d make it 100% but I actually want to read my friends books and occasionally I like dipping my toes in other stuff like (thrillers, crime, literary fiction) and then there’s non-fiction business, marketing and mindset books and of course, my other love, conspiracies.

But the point is, I’m a big slutty slut slut when it comes to YA fantasy/dystopian. I gobble it up like a starving orphan. Why?

Because I love that shit. I love it so much I’d motorboat them books all night long and carry a caffeine drip to work because I stayed up so late reading (happens a LOT).

But, having read a lot of books in the same genre I can confidently say, they are ALL the same story. No really, they are. But its the familiarity that drags me back.

And it’s the familiarity that drags other readers back too. We actually want to be told the same story, over and over and over. It’s just that we want to be told it in a different way, so it doesn’t feel like the same story.

That’s where tropes come in. Tropes give your readers the familiarity they crave, which is why they are so important to you if you’re a genre writer. [Read more…] about Please Your Readers – 3 Trope Tactics

Lies – 5 Tips to Master The Perfect Character Arc

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character arcI confess… Instead of reading the half dozen books I already have on the go, I accidentally (ok, on purpose) opened a guilty pleasure novel. And no, that’s not a sexual reference, you filth-bag, I meant my fave genre – YA fantasy).

Because it’s my genre I took the opportunity to research. I never read a book without taking a lesson from it.

This time I learnt all about the character arc and one awesome method for achieving the perfect curve! The book I read: Frostbite by Richelle Mead (part of the Vampire Academy series), used an awesome technique in which to perfect that arc – Lies.  [Read more…] about Lies – 5 Tips to Master The Perfect Character Arc

A Writers' Guide to Science Fiction vs. Reality – Alien Species

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Alien SpeciesI was always more of a star trek than a star wars fan. Specifically, Next Generation, with ol’ Captain Jean-Luc Picard. He was ‘da man’ according to my dad. To which, of course, I immediately wanted to rebel against any such assertion, so I insisted on calling him Captain Plackard for the better part of half a decade.

In both those franchises, there are more creatures and ugly aliens than puss filled spots at a 15th birthday bash.

But what of ‘real’ aliens? And what if you wanted to add a pinch of reality to your science fiction?  [Read more…] about A Writers' Guide to Science Fiction vs. Reality – Alien Species

3 Reasons To Use Crop Circles to Build Worlds – Weekly Wonder #11

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Crop CirclesI’ve always wanted to find a crop circle. I mean, realistically I’d find it, do a flappy hand jig, then pause and have a horrible “oh” moment as I realise I’d have to be in the air to actually appreciate. But still. It’s on my bucket list.

They’re works of art, whether they’re made from the hand of a human or from the oddly artistic feet of an alien space craft, there’s no doubt they still look awesome.

But what is the significance of them? Why do they cause such controversy? and why the shit is it relevant to my writing? [Read more…] about 3 Reasons To Use Crop Circles to Build Worlds – Weekly Wonder #11