Author: Sophie Melissa

  • Six of Crows [book review]

    Six of Crows [book review]

    4 out of 5, I was super impressed! Key Aspects… Wow oh wow! This was my first dive into Leigh Bardugo & I was totally blown away. I picked it up at the bookshop because #bookstagram was crazy obsessed with it & I needed to know what the fuss was all about. YA is not…

  • World Building From A Reader’s Perspective

    World Building From A Reader’s Perspective

    Ever since becoming a serious writer and embarking on the long hard road that is world building a fantasy world, I have been unable to read a novel only as a reader, instead my mind is focused on the aspects of planning that have gone into the work. Although I am usually quite impressed with…

  • The Queen of Nothing [book review]

    The Queen of Nothing [book review]

    4 out of 5, it exceeded expectations! Key Aspects… If you read my book review of The Cruel Prince then you know that I dove into this series headfirst & couldn’t put it down… until I had to wait for book three that is. Well book three finally got released in November & so I…

  • Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

    Dealing with Imposter Syndrome

    Writers face lots of challenges in the industry – the gatekeepers of traditional publishing or the cost & skill set required to self publish; the sheer volume of books being published alongside theirs, getting their novel out there & seen; learning how to market their work & the royalties that mean most of us have…

  • Writing First Chapters

    Writing First Chapters

    I’ve scoured the internet in search of information to understand how we, as writers, might better write out first chapters. Right from the get go. Although my first chapter has already been written I have every intention of making sure that I have included the points listed below when it comes to editing. There is…

  • Forming A Writing Routine

    Forming A Writing Routine

    I have been a dedicated writer for around five years. Before that I barely wrote at all and struggled to find the time or ideas for it. When starting university I was encouraged to spend much more time writing as not only did I need some of it for assessment but also because of the…

  • The Cruel Prince [book review]

    The Cruel Prince [book review]

    3 out of 5, It’s pretty darn great! Key Aspects… Oh my god… oh my god… oh my god… this book. There aren’t enough words in the English language to fully express how much I adore this book, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I originally picked this book up for the simple reason that #bookstagram seemed…

  • How to Handle Feedback

    How to Handle Feedback

    As writers, we inevitably have to deal with feedback, whether it comes in the form of a friend giving you their opinion on your story idea; in the form of alpha/beta feedback from a draft; or from readers once the story is actually published. Feedback & reviews are everywhere – they will come from every…

  • How to Make a Story Bible

    How to Make a Story Bible

    A lot of planning, ideas & research goes into writing a novel, even more so if you’re constructing a series. It can be a challenge to keep track of everything you’ve worked out for your characters & plot, especially if you’ve been writing your novel for a while or have lots of moving parts. A…

  • Notes To Make Writing Easier

    Notes To Make Writing Easier

    Writing is a lot of hard work… it’s also a crazy amount of words. At a minimum of 60,000, creeping up to a potential amount of 120,000 words if you write epic fantasy sagas. It’s a lot of information to remember. Especially if your story then becomes a series. Now obviously there are notes that…