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
Tag: Writing
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 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 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
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
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
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
Five Turning Points and the Gaps Between – All you need to know about Story Structure in one blog post
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I think about story structure. A lot. I’ve read countless books and studied hundreds of movies to gainContinue Reading
Understanding Story Structure – Part 2: Macro Structure
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Earlier this week I began discussing story structure – looking at the macro structure of entire novels and theirContinue Reading
Understanding Story Structure – Part 1: Global Structure
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky If there is one thing you should learn before embarking on writing your first novel, it is storyContinue Reading
Whose Story Is This, Anyway? : Selecting the right POV for your novel
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Selecting the right Point of View (POV) for your book can be tricky. If you are anythingContinue Reading
Books = Stories about stuff happening
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Books are a lot of things, but mostly they are stories about stuff that happens. They are notContinue Reading
The only two things your protagonist needs to be…
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky What makes an effective protagonist? There are a lot of theories out there that list a number ofContinue Reading
Straight & Narrow vs Zigzag Helter-Skelter: Which Character Arc is your Protagonist on?
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Now that I’ve past the midpoint of my WIP, Divided Elements, and am on my way towards the secondContinue Reading
Form Follows Function – The Ongoing Process of Structuring Your Novel
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky It is a common misconception amongst writers that the structuring process is an activity undertaken only atContinue Reading
Tipping the Balance – How to find Plan B and write your Midpoint
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky As with all things chased with dogged persistence, the middle of my first book, Divided Elements, is growingContinue Reading
Fighting the Blank Page – How to Beat Writer’s Block
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Writer’s block – it happens to the best of us. You are brimming with the desire and motivation toContinue Reading
5 Reasons why Community is critical for indie authors and self-publishers
Being independent doesn’t mean you have to go it alone. Check out my latest post on Publishing Insider on howContinue Reading
Science vs Art in Writing: Antagonistic or Symbiotic?
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently, I strayed from my usual posts on tips, tricks and techniques on how to write and letContinue Reading
Utopia
Is there anything more soul-satifying, deeply engaging or expressly utopian than that moment when you find yourself immersed in writingContinue Reading
SWOT your Antagonist: Driving the middle of your story with well-rounded characters
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Ah, ‘the middle’ – bemoaned the world over. Middle child syndrome causing siblings to feel overlooked and resentful; middleContinue Reading
How to diagnose a sick story using Triple-Loop Learning
Got that feeling that something just isn’t right with your work in progress? Check out my recent post on PublishingInsider forContinue Reading
Mind the Gap: Writing the story between your plot points using Gap Analysis
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Once upon a time, I used to be a pantser (one of those people who writes byContinue Reading
We need some space…
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky It’s the phrase that you dread when you’re in a relationship, the thinly-veiled euphemism for a breakupContinue Reading
Understanding the role of the First Draft
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky The messiness of first drafts can either be terrifying or liberating (or occasionally, both). Initially, I wasn’tContinue Reading
Stuck in the middle: Fighting mediocrity with strong plotting
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently I hit the middle of my novel and discovered that it was everything everyone said itContinue Reading
Breaking the Patriarchy
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Did you know that Bilbo Baggins was a girl? Neither did I, but it appears that Michelle Nijhuis’Continue Reading
Failing NaNoWriMo
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I had the best plans to really put some stream of consciousness writing down on my ElementalsContinue Reading
Sculpture & Fiction
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky The first draft of a novel always feels like a marathon for me. I will write aContinue Reading
‘Mr Miyagi’ your opening scene
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky I want to write a great novel. To craft worlds of complexity, develop engaging characters and tellContinue Reading
Fiction & Fashion
by Mikhaeyla Kopievsky Recently I was browsing through pinterest, looking for images that would help to crystallise my ideas forContinue Reading
Mikhaeyla Kopievsky 