Melanie Bell

Category: Writing

  • A Little Thing That Went Big

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    Last month, I had a personal essay published on Huffington Post. I wrote about the challenges of being petite and mistaken for someone much younger on a regular basis. It was a small essay, about being small. I never expected it to go so big.  As a mostly literary writer, I had a decent track…

  • Some Recent Fantastic Reads by Black Authors

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    Black lives matter. This should be something obvious, not something that needs to be said. But recent news shows just how deeply racial tensions run, how embedded they are in our institutions, and how much harm they cause. In the interest of supporting Black creators, I’ve put together a list of books by Black authors…

  • The Bestseller Experiment: Can You Write a Bestselling Book in a Year?

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    For two years, I’ve wanted to go to London Book Fair. This year I was finally going to get there, accompanying colleagues to look after ICE Publishing’s stand, network, and learn. Then, as you can probably guess, the fair was cancelled due to the coronavirus. The sound reason did not dim my disappointment. Despite the cancellation, though, I got one good thing out…

  • Following The Artist’s Way Again, Over 10 Years Later

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    During the first year of my undergraduate studies, I encountered a book called The Artist’s Way. A classmate who’d completed a visual arts program told me about the volume and how his class had used it at art school. Julia Cameron’s book has sold over 3 million copies and inspired countless artists, but this was…

  • The Reluctant Author’s Guide to Revisions

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    So, you’ve finished the first draft you were writing. Congratulations! It takes a lot of effort and discipline to get this far. Take time to acknowledge the work you put in, celebrate its completion, and take a break in order to give yourself some distance from the work. Maybe you’ve done this. Maybe that break…

  • 2019 in Review

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    It’s nice, at the end of the year, to look back on the last 12 months and celebrate accomplishments big and small. Time passes so quickly that it’s easy to wonder where the year went. Taking time to reflect on the last year helps to remember and appreciate that the time went to good use.…

  • 5 Reasons to Go to a Writers’ Conference

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    Last month I attended Gollanczfest 2019, a one-day celebration of science fiction, fantasy and horror writing and publishing, hosted by leading UK SFF publisher Gollancz. The conference had two separate strands. A reader’s ticket gave access to author panels and signings, while a writer’s ticket granted entry to the smaller venue across the street, where,…

  • How to Write What You Don’t Know

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    “Write what you know.” It’s one of the oldest truisms of creative writing. Life experience offers a wealth of material and ideas. Once you’ve experienced an aspect of life for yourself, it’s easier to depict it accurately, because you know what you’re talking about. However, there are heaps of books out there about aliens and…

  • 5 Ways to Use Travel as a Springboard for Writing

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    If you love to write and have the privilege of being able to travel, you might dream of doing both things in tandem. Maybe you’ve heard stories of digital nomads who hop from country to country and make a living from their laptops, or writers who travel in their camper vans. If that’s not a…

  • SFF Book Recommendations and Aristotle’s Building Blocks of Writing

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    Writing is a holistic activity, but when it comes to honing our craft, it’s useful to break it down into parts. The June 30 episode of Writing Excuses, a podcast about the craft of writing that focuses primarily on fantasy and science fiction (SFF), introduced Aristotle’s elements of tragedy. These six aspects of writing apply…