The Peculiar Path to Publication
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky This week I released my latest novel, Tasmanian Gothic. I first started drafting it back in 2016,Continue Reading
Category: Writing
He said, She said – when the words outside the speech marks aren’t working
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I’m currently slogging away at NaNoWriMo – the first time I’ve genuinely attempted it since my disastrousContinue Reading
Hitting it out of the park: Understanding the four act structure using sport
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Everyone loves a good sporting idiom, metaphor, or analogy – “A game of two halves”, “throwing aContinue Reading
Writing the final act: a step-by-step guide
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky In some ways, the fourth and final act in a novel (somewhat confusingly titled Act 3 (sinceContinue Reading
How to ‘just write’ – Newton’s First Law and Finding Your Writing Mojo
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Man, I’m on a writing roll at the moment. This blog was getting a little dusty and thenContinue Reading
Is your plot skeleton showing?
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I started writing short stories eighteen months ago. Seduced by the competitions and submission opportunities, I thought itContinue Reading
Energising your plot – working with narrative energy to improve pacing
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I’m in the second act doldrums of my current WIP (but not for long, because the break intoContinue Reading
Divergence and Convergence – the curse of the second act
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky It seems that every time I reach the middle of a WIP, I start musing on the problemsContinue Reading
Play like a girl: Challenging gender stereotypes in spec fiction
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Today, I’m launching a dystopian anthology with eleven other indie authors. On the Brink features some amazing storiesContinue Reading
Indie Author Spotlight – Emma Pullar, author of ‘Avian’
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky For long-time readers of my blog, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of dystopian narratives and indieContinue Reading
The 15 Minute Four Act Structure
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Over here, in my part of the world, it is winter. Which means flu season. Which, when youContinue Reading
Forget the Goal – Your character just needs conflict
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Everyone has seen them – the pithy pieces of writing advice that can fit on a 940×780 pixelContinue Reading
Writing and Editing a Sequel – Lessons of an Indie Author
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky It’s been almost five months since my last blog post. In previous years that would have been aContinue Reading
Editing Your Sequel – Step 3
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Welcome to my blog series on how to edit your sequel. If you’re new to the series, youContinue Reading
Editing your sequel – Step 2
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently, I wrote about my experience in drafting the sequel to my debut science fiction novel, Resistance (Divided ElementsContinue Reading
Editing your sequel – Step 1
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently, I wrote about my experience in drafting the sequel to my debut science fiction novel, Resistance (Divided ElementsContinue Reading
Sophomore Syndrome – How to handle your sequels…
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky *Brushes away the cobwebs* Hello! Yes, it has been quite some time since I last shared my angstContinue Reading
Rinse & Repeat – The Four Act Novel Structure
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently I reached the midpoint in the first draft of Divided Elements (Book 2). As anyone who has read myContinue Reading
*Resistance* Book Launch – Event #1 – Excerpt Reading with Author
This event is NOW LIVE!! Purchase your copy of Resistance (Divided Elements #1) on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo or Nook. Share yourContinue Reading
#Spotlight on Mikhaeyla Kopievsky of Resistance (Divided Elements #1)
Originally posted on Lit World Interviews:
MIKHAEYLA KOPIEVSKY is an independent speculative fiction author who loves writing about complex and flawed characters…
Author Spotlight
I’m over on Writing Without Limits for an author spotlight interview. Come on over to hear about I became enamoured withContinue Reading
Your First Act is not a plot device
By Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Lately I’ve read a few stories that had something not quite right about them. At first it was difficult toContinue Reading
Time for Reflection (2) – What I learned about first drafts
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently, I was feeling all kinds of nostalgic about nearing the finish line for Divided Elements | Resistance, and decided itContinue Reading
Time for Reflection (1) – What I’ve learned over the last three years
by Mikaheyla Kopievsky Inshallah, I’ll be uploading my debut novel Divided Elements (Book 1) – Resistance to the cyber marketplace for pre-ordersContinue Reading
Insert Break – when to start a new paragraph, scene, or chapter
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky When I first started writing seriously, I was surprised at how I suddenly started to second-guess myself aboutContinue Reading
Plotting to the Midpoint: Why you need a half-time plan
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky With Divided Elements in the hands of my copy-editor, I’ve been using July to get some new writing done.Continue Reading
Critique Enlightenment – What you can learn from critiques of your creative work
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky My debut adult sci-fi novel, Divided Elements, is currently going through its final pass by my critique partnersContinue Reading
Show, don’t Tell – What it really means
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I have to admit, I’ve always been a little confused by the old adage ‘show, don’t tell’ –Continue Reading
Writing for your readers…and yourself
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky During the initial drafting of Divided Elements, I realised that I needed more eyes on it than just mine. AsContinue Reading
To be or not to be – Why the ‘to be’ verb is not always passive
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Ah, the passive voice – much maligned by writers and critics alike. Search the internet for articles on theContinue Reading
Reversing Chekhov’s Gun – Why you can’t introduce new information in Act III
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky There is a well-worn narrative principle that often does the rounds in writer’s circles. You would have seenContinue Reading
Protagonist & Plot Problems – The 3 types of problems in stories
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky So, we’ve figured out that stories are about stuff happening. And the best kind of stuff happening isContinue Reading
Starting your novel – Your protagonist needs a problem
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I recently had a moment of enlightenment regarding this whole writing a book thing. The start of a storyContinue Reading
How to start your novel – The first part of the first act
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Starting a novel is no easy task. The problem with beginnings is that they are all about set-up, and set-upContinue Reading
Should I Stay or Should I Go? – Knowing when (and if) to give up on your novel
Just over a year ago, I put some space between me and Divided Elements. I had hit a major stumbling block withContinue Reading
Mikhaeyla Kopievsky 