Groundbreaking YA Fantasy from The Writing Collective
We at the Writers’ mastermind are celebrating the release of the first in what is sure to be an unforgettable series, Hecctrossipy Book One: The Legend of the Land. This genre-bending YA Fantasy is by Writers’ Mastermind founding member, Bia Bella Baker, and our community will agree that it has been inspiring to watch this culmination of her publication journey. Here’s a bit about this epic tale!
HECCTROSSIPY: BOOK ONE: THE LEGEND OF THE LAND
The alignment of the three moons is a sign of positive changes to come… But the moons never promised that such changes will happen to everybody…
On the pre-industrial planet of Velva Leena, two sisters eagerly anticipate the Hecctrossipy Festival, Continent 15’s yearly tradition that celebrates the victory over a legendary evil monster who had the power to manipulate the elements and create chaos.
Artheena is smart, talented, beautiful, and blessed with multiple gifted abilities. Mell May, on the other hand, is simple and average. Both are in love with Leeandro Paul, a celebrity heart-throb who has an intriguing way of turning the leaders of the land into his followers.
Artheena has a premonition of marrying him during the alignment of the three moons. While on her quest for true love, she gets caught up in unexpected adventures, embarrassing situations, and experiences beyond her wildest dreams, including an outrageous contest that challenges Continent 15’s strict, conservative social standards.
Through it all, Artheena and Mell May’s close bond is also challenged. When the festival comes, the sisters have the time of their lives… Until Leeandro Paul makes an announcement that shocks his fans, an unimaginable secret that might tear the two sisters apart for good.
What readers are saying…
‘Hecctrossipy marks the debut of a bold and distinctive new voice in YA fantasy. The fantastic adventures of Artheena and Mell, and their battle for the affections of the charismatic Leeandro Paul, will thrill fans of The Hunger Games and teen fantasy romance. This is all set within the impressive feat of world-building that is the planet Velva Leena and Continent 15, amid the feverish anticipation of the Hecctrossipy Festival, commemorating victory over a fabled monster who had the power to manipulate the elements and create chaos… I for one certainly look forward to the next instalment!’
Andrew Murray author of Shroom Raider
‘A bountiful feast for the senses, a stunning world building debut from a very promising talent – if you like your science fiction with a huge slice of teenage angst, and a cast of terrifically realised characters… look no further than Hecctrossipy – this is that start to what I can only imagine being a fabulous series!’
In many cases, we are the only thing holding ourselves backfrom wild success as an author. This is partly because we don’t feel comfortable “promoting” ourselves.
Just forget about the word self-promote, shameless or otherwise.
It’s about allowing ourselves to shine.
So stop selling yourself and start sharing yourself.
We need to expand fearlessly because life is too short to play small and sit around waiting for people to discover your writing.
Someone is waiting to read your words.
Do you believe in your stories?
Then you have nothing to fear. Offer this gift to the world.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?
― Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles”
Learn how to be your own PR manager (MASTERCLASS)
(Time to complete: 35 minutes)
Learn public relations skills to take your book releases to the stratosphere without feeling like you’re selling your soul.
As a writing coach, Joseph Sale knows that everyone has a story burning inside them. It’s his job to nurture that flame, and when the time is right, let it shine. He has coached numerous writers from nobody/nothing humble beginnings who have gone on to receive professional publication credits after working with him through one-to-one sessions. His story-writing technique derives from the classical 5 Act model, but adapted for the modern age with influences from Henry James and other American writers.
In this masterclass with Joseph Sale we will discuss:
How to formulate an opening that hooks
The correct place to add backstory and details
How to “turn the screw” to crank up the suspense and tension
The secrets to creating a satisfying, impactful ending your readers will never forget
Who this class is for
New writers who want to learn the framework powerful storytellers have used throughout the ages
Experienced writers who want to hit all the right narrative notes to take their storytelling to the next level
What’s included
A 6-Part Video Series
The 5 Act Structure Workbook – analyze your stories for optimum structure
Ongoing structure chats and challenges in the Facebook group
Live Q&A Zoom call with Joseph Sale (recorded for replay)
Cost
FREE. Included with your 30-day FREE trial at the Writers’ Mastermind. Register here.
Act 1: The Opening
Every story must have a beginning. The problem is, where and when to begin.
In this part, we discuss:
Creating the Inciting Incident
Who needs to be introduced
Nailing the opening line
Establishing Person, Place, and Action
Setting Up External Forces
Act 2: The Complication
How to develop the narrative, “turn the screw,” and complicate things for our protagonist.
In this part, we talk about:
How to make the reader care about our characters
Where to add flashbacks and backstory without bogging down the flow
Introducing villains in interesting ways
Establishing stakes and then raising them
Act 3 : The Crisis
Most people view stories as one continuous process of escalation. But actually, they are more dynamic than that.
In this part, we discuss:
The crisis that needs to happen in Act 3
How do get our readers invested in the outcome
Why we need to give our characters the upper hand, at least for a moment
Act 4 : The Revelation
The point in the narrative where a surprising truth comes to light.
In this part, we talk about:
The descent into hell, the lowest part of the story
How the revelation can be physical, emotional, spiritual, or a mixture of all three
Examples of Act 4 revelations
Act 5 : Catharsis
The story reaches its climax and denouement, the final part of the story in which everything converges and is resolved.
In this part, we talk about:
How to create a sense of catharsis for the reader
The dynamic of loss and gain
How to balance your ending for maximum impact
Bonus Lesson:
What happens when the story structure is out of sync?
What interesting things can be done with the 5 Act Structure?
Joseph Sale gives us examples of The 5 Act Structure using real movies and books from all time periods and genres.
How to register
Get FREE accessto The 5 Act Structure Masterclass with Joseph Sale, plus all our other masterclasses, resources, and Zoom calls.
Being a writer today is a battle. In a world where material wealth is the marker for success, you fight against the system, you fight against the world, you fight against time, and you fight against yourself.
Your creativity is a tender sprout erupting from the cracked earth, and you must water it, feed it, and shield it from the elements. Guard it with bared teeth and a snarl, because deep inside you know that if you lose this gift of writing, you will have lived your life in a desperate, choking silence.
But you can take up arms against all the things you think you should be doing this weekend and surround yourself with knowledge and inspiration.
Here are 5 TED Talks for writers that will fill you on a mental, emotional, intuitive, and spiritual level so that you will be ready to claim your right as an artist and do your best writing yet.
Slow–mo Multi-tasking?
Do you have many writing projects going on at the same time?
Multi-tasking has a bad reputation, but Tim Harford talks about “slow- motion multi-tasking” and all the great minds who worked by this kind of system (like Einstein and Darwin).
This technique makes the most of the ebbs and flows in your thinking while cross-training your brain in other disciplines to prime it for creative breakthroughs.
Social media is as much a curse as it is a blessing.
This is one of writers’ most pressing concerns during our virtual meetings in the Writers’ Mastermind. In almost every conversation, someone has said that they would like to throw their phone or computer out the window.
Joseph Gordon Levitt has been acting since he was a child. I first became a fan of his after catching him in Mysterious Skin and Brick. He is not a writer, but he is an artist, and even though he has “made it,” he confesses that he is still susceptible to the toxic charms of social media.
Ask yourself, honestly. Are you writing for attention?
We may not even realize it when we are writing or promoting our writing that we are being quietly steered by the fickle mob or by the desire to keep up with or outdo others.
In this video, Levitt talks about how creating for attention takes us out of the flow state and makes for sub-standard art. Don’t fall into the trap!
Julie Burstein compares our creative output to the Japanese art of raku pottery in which the imperfections are treasured.
Julie talks about embracing the whole breadth of the life experience and growing from the broken places.
She also tells us not to try to control the outcome of our stories so much. At a certain point we have to let go and be open to what is coming to us beyond the confines of our usual thoughts.
Creating a nursery for wildly, creative writing spurts
How does your environment affect your writing?
What kind of people do you surround yourself with?
The mission of the Writers’ Mastermind is to create a place where a writer can surround themselves with great minds while having all the knowledge they need to make their dreams come true.
Actually, this is not a TED talk, but I had to include because it outlined so thoroughly how the Writers’ Mastermind works.
Tina Seelig talks about optimizing our creative environment using the “Innovation Engine.”
We can create the conditions to write at a level we never dreamed of by focusing on the following elements:
If you watch only one video in this post, make it this one.
I saved this for last because it will set your creative kindling on fire.
Elizabeth Gilbert talks about how historically creative people have reputations for being mentally unstable. Writers are in danger of becoming undone by their gifts. As much as we crave success, we are equally terrified by it. What if the muses don’t return?
Elizabeth explains how linking our creativity to suffering will lead to anguish. We should not accept misery as part of the deal. There is only so much we can do to invoke the mysterious and fleeting spirit of genius, but there is also an upside to this. We are not wholly responsible for things not turning out the way we’d hoped.
She tells us how to manage the emotional risk of baring our souls in our work by detaching from the ego and distancing ourselves from our writing. We must empty ourselves to be the conduit for inspiration. We must allow ourselves to slip into the flow, that hypnotic state of creativity that approaches the divine, where we get to be gods for one exquisite moment.
Bottom line, you have to be there. Keep showing up.
Writing places are important, and there is a reason for this. As animals, we like to fall into the groove of routine. It makes things easier on our brains. A habit puts us in mode and eliminates the need to waste energy on making decisions.
It may be a particular corner of the house, a Starbucks, or your closet. But if you write there frequently, you will notice that once you get there, you are more likely to be ready (or ready as you’ll ever be when it comes to writing).
I’ve felt creatively blocked, which is unusual for me. I think it’s because I’m in limbo. I’m still stuck in Florida due to airport closures that keep getting extended and I don’t know when I’ll really be able to go home.
This sense of waiting is branching off into my writing. Psychologically, everything is on pause. It’s like I am holding back until life flows freely again.
I know many writers feel the same right now. Many people are waiting to see when they can get back to work, go back to school, or just live life normally again. It’s like we’re holding our breath, words muted by masks, hands forbidden from reaching out to touch those we love.
Being absorbed with creating stories is usually a great way of coping with stressful situations, but in my case lately, it has not been. Of course, the pandemic is a crazy situation that is still sometimes hard to comprehend. I’ve thrown myself into work, which involves an industrious get-things-done energy, but when it comes fiction, a stubborn barrier stands between me and the unconscious creative source.
One of the reasons I think this could be is that I do not have my writing place. At home in Panama, the home office is for work only. When I write, I come out to the dining room with my dogs where there is a huge picture window that frames the mountains. In between sentences, I rest my eyes on the panorama as I wait for the whisper of the muses. They speak to me in the parade of clouds over the mountain peaks, the sway of the trees in the breeze, the songs of the birds flitting about. All is wild and boundless.
But since February, I’ve been staying with my family. I live and work in a pleasant little guest room. But I spend 90% of my day in the same spot. I sleep here, work here, practice yoga here, watch Amazon Prime here, video chat with my husband here, and I tried to write here. But nothing happened. I think this confinement is why I’ve had such trouble connecting with new ideas.
But I have finally broken the curse. We’ve begun Zoom write-ins twice a week in the Writers’ Mastermind. These Zoom meetings are where writers from all over the world get together online for an hour of undistracted writing time.
This write-in ritual has given me the routine my brain was looking for. I get some tea, close all fifty-seven of my browser tabs, open my document. I log onto Zoom and check in with everyone. Then we all go on mute and get to work. Afterward, we all stay for a quick chat and to trade resources and advice.
Getting past the writers’ block is an uphill slog, but working alongside fellow writers in this virtual space made me motivated and inspired to push through the resistance. These meetings have become my new “writing place.”
Designating a writing place is an effective way to get your head in the game, but sometimes we don’t have the choice of an ideal place. If we want to get any writing done, we have to squeeze it in on the train, or in the middle of the night, or on lunch break, or in a noisy household. I heard about a mother who sat on top of her refrigerator to work so she could supervise her children from above without being visible.
We have to be adaptable and write wherever we find ourselves or how we find ourselves mentally or physically. If we always wait until we feel like it, we will accomplish little. If something’s not working, we must explore new ways to create the best conditions for ourselves.
Happy Writing wherever you may be!
-—Christa
Where was the most unusual place you’ve written in?
Where is the best place for you to write?
Do write better on the move or in one spot? In a public place or private?
