Sonya M. Black

This week, I am interviewing S.J. Lem, author of Waterfall Traveler, who writes Young Adult Fantasy. Her debut novel, The Waterfall Traveler, is available for pre-order and will be released April 19, 2017. What are common traps for aspiring writers? I can't speak for all, but I had two: self-doubt and procrastination. The latter is probably a symptom of the first. So many times I thought my writing was terrible and worried that people wouldn't like my novel. But I wanted to w

Endings are one of the easiest and hardest parts of a story to write. They wrap all the threads of the story together and present them to the reader, all tied up and pretty. Or they should anyway. Sometimes, a story ends up being forced and ‘The End’ feels false. Many of us start out with an idea for a character or setting. We have great opening hook and good insight into the world we are working in. We might even have an idea for where we want the story to end. This is impor

10 ways to break through writer's block and get back to writing.

Characters are the backbone of every story. An interesting character is complex and layered. They start out as one thing in the beginning, and through the crucible of story, they morph into something new. They have flaws and strengths and the two play against each other. Interesting characters have agency in the story, and their choices have consequences. Creating a character with agency can feel a bit daunting. You, as the writer, want to control the outcome so that the stor

This week, we have a special Sneak Peek. The Waterfall Traveler by S.J. Lem is available for pre-order and will be released April 19, 2017. Take a peek and order your copy today! All eighteen-year-old Ri wants is to cure her adoptive father Samuel from his hallucination-inducing illness. Everyone in her village tells her it's impossible. But when she meets two newcomers in the forest—a gruff rogue with a vendetta against the gods and a charming fugitive with the power to trav