#WritersOnWriting

[athenanfaymont]

On Growth, Craft, and the Right to Say: Yes, Sarah J. Maas Got Better ✍️📚

After I posted about Tamlin’s villain arc — or more precisely, the lack of one — I got a lot of responses. Some were supportive (thank you! 💖), and others were… let’s say passionate in their disagreement. So I thought it was only fair to clarify something:

Yes. I do think Sarah J. Maas improves her writing significantly as her books go on.

And no. That doesn’t mean I hate her or her work — quite the opposite.

🌱 Let’s start at the beginning. A Court of Thorns and Roses is a decent book. Enjoyable, romantic, intriguing enough to keep you turning the pages. But let’s be honest: the character development is inconsistent, the pacing shaky, and the prose is a little flat. The book is structured almost entirely around two major events (Feyre entering the fae world, and Under the Mountain), and everything in between feels like it’s still trying to figure itself out. There is a clear intention to create mystery when she is alone in the palace, but the author is unable to achieve it.

If you don't believe this, read it again and you'll see the HUGE difference in pacing, depth, and intention once the Under the Mountain arc begins. The improvement in the writing and plot is clearly evident.

✨ Fast forward to A Court of Mist and Fury, and suddenly you have layers. Inner monologues that actually hold weight. Character decisions that carry consequence. Trauma handled with more subtlety. Useful dialogue. And writing — actual writing — that feels more fluid, vivid, and intentional. 🌊💫

🧱 By A Court of Silver Flames, we’re deep into themes of mental health, recovery, shame, and desire with a complexity that would’ve felt impossible in the first book. We get to Nesta's arc because Maas is already capable of writing something with that complexity. Before, when she tried (and I have to go back to Tamlin), she wasn’t able to.

This isn’t slander. This is growth. You can love a series and still acknowledge its early flaws. You can be grateful for what it gave you and still wish it had been tighter, smarter, deeper from the beginning.

🌟 SJM didn’t start as a literary genius — few authors do. But what matters is that she got better, that her books are now of higher quality, and that we can enjoy them more fully.

And that’s something to appreciate. 💜📖

[scriptwriters-network]

Hollywood Outreach Program ~ Early Bird Script Submission

Deadline is July 15th

The program aims to help writers improve their craft so they may learn the skills necessary to help them achieve their goal of selling or optioning their work. For feature-length screenplays only.

More information.

[nadiabdi-fantasyauthor]

A novel is never done. It's only due. There's always something to change, always something that can be made better. #blackauthorsoftiktok #murdermysterybooks #blackbooktok #booktok #freepalestine🇵🇸❤️ #readingdiversely #fantasywriter #fantasyreader #writersonwriting #urbanfantasybooks #writersoftiktok #writersoftiktok #authorsoftiktok

[leannareneehieber]

I’m so thrilled to be on The Portalist today discussing the why and wherefore behind my work. Come check out some macabre history and offbeat inspirations! 

[freedformwriter]

Fast Fiction Feminist

Why we can be heroes AND heroines. This week, I'm reviewing the feminist pop-culture takedown The Heroine's Journey.

It’s a bright, sunny day, and a woman – okay, she’s a goddess – is just going about her daily business when BAM! her husband is murdered by his brother and chopped into pieces, or BAM! her daughter is sucked under the earth by the god of death, or BAM! her sister-in-law murders her for staging a power coup against the underworld. Right. I’m not sure if that last one works. But Ishtar is only…

[cherehughes]

My article on the Key Features in No-Fear Critique landed today on a distinguished writer's website, DIYMFA. I am honored.

"Chere Hughes talks about her experiences with DIYMFA critique sessions and what makes them unique and fun."

[countmorivond]

VLOG 13: Poetry; poet’s grammar and musicality, the Decasyllabic of sonnet writing + more idiosyncrasies from your ignoble nobleman. Please. Subscribe. 

[inkhoneypub]

New Monday ~ Keep Writing

New Monday ~ Keep Writing

There will be people who will do everything in their power to stop you from pursing your dreams. A whole lot of people will be one of three things. Extra positive, who ignore all negatives. Extra negative who ignore all positives. The third is the best kind. They will be the ones who aren’t afraid of the positives or negatives. They live in the balance of realism. They will accept both as…

[yoneblogger]

New post on @consult_culture and @medium #writing #writing #yonekoshiraishi #blogger #blogging #bloggingwriter #bloggingwriting #blogging #bloggers #blogger #yoneko #bloggersofinstagram #writer #yonekoshiraishi #consult_culture #consultculture #writersofinstagram #writerscommunity #writing #writing✍🏼 #writerslife #writerslife☕️ #writerslife☕️☕️ #writersonwriting https://www.instagram.com/p/BsMc7mgFRus/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1h1202xfghyp8

[busterjustis]

Vintage 1970s copy of The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr and E.B. White. This is a charming vintage copy of the classic writing reference book. Such a helpful little paperback! https://etsy.me/3L3NSbZ 

[nv-rivera]

My goodness there were so many gems I could have pulled from this call, but why not share the words of wisdom Natalie gave us in parting. She said that she could tell from the group’s questions that the 400+ crowd was full of intelligent people, she advised that we “Stop being intelligent. Get dumb and write your asses off.” The writing practice is all about getting out of own way, letting the writing do the writing, and getting to know our own minds. Can’t get enough of the #writingdownthebones work. If you haven’t read any of Natalie Goldberg’s books yet, I can’t recommend the enough. #amlearning #amwriting #writersonwriting #gettingdumb #stopwritingalone https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb28ESorm2g/?utm_medium=tumblr

[exileonpeachtreestreet]

A Note from Tudor Author Dr Wendy Dunn

A Note from Tudor Author Dr Wendy Dunn

A note about self publishing from Tudor author Dr. Wendy J. Dunn

Dear all,

My current Work-in-Progress, Falling Pomegranate Seeds: All Manner of Things, was originally set to be published this year. In light of the current global circumstance, however, I decided to delay its release.

I am delighted to announce that I have officially set a new publication date: January 15th 2021.

I…

[scriptwriters-network]

Our Script Submission Programs are NOW OPEN!

Early Bird Deadline – July 15, 2025 - Hollywood Outreach Program, High Concept Screenplay Program and Television Outreach Program.

Short Story Film Program Deadline – September 30, 2025

More information here.

[leannareneehieber]

I'm so proud of this @cincinnatimagazine article discussing my Ohio roots, my @miamiohtheatre background and my new series with @scribd & @bryantstreetpub: TIME IMMEMORIAL, about a woman living all her past lives in the present. I'm so humbled by this amazing feature & hope you'll check it out (link in bio!) & then enjoy this new series set in my Dark Nest universe! I narrate the audiobooks too! It's been so fun to star as Captain Liz Marlowe: Druid priestess, explorer, Nazi hunter and starship captain! -- #authorsofinstagram #inthenews #newbooks #captainlizmarlowe #cincinnati #ohioauthors #inspiration #writersonwriting #writingprocess https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWYSKRNQT_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[elisalromagnoli]

New blog post up! . I talked about NaNoWriMo hangovers. Link in the bio. . . . . . . . #instareads #bloggerlife #writerblogger #writeup #writersround #bloggersofig #nanowrimo2017participant #nanowrimowinner2017 #wanderlust #bookworm #typewriters #writersonwriting #writinghelp #creativeculture #whenshescribbles

[inkhoneypub]

When You Think About the Psychology of Your 'Positive'

When You Think About the Psychology of Your ‘Positive’

Writers know that there are both heroes and villains. The conflict and balance makes or breaks the story. If everyone is nice, the story will be boring. If everyone is evil, the story has no purpose. Some people like mindless ‘nice’ or brain dead ‘awful’. Both, in a weird way, make somebody happy. That’s been the focus of this blog for a while now. ‘happiness’. A thing I studied for a very…