The Chopping Blog

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Do you need to hire an illustrator for your picture book?
March 04, 2024
If your artistic skills extend only to drawing stick people, don’t fret!
- Little Darlings
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Storm Watchers Descend on Tofino (the retreat was a success!)
March 01, 2024
We loved it so much, we’re already looking ahead to next year.
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We are taking a hiatus from writing contests
February 29, 2024
Yes, it's true. We're taking a break from hosting contests.
- Contest updates
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Clash of the Query Letters 2024—1st place
February 14, 2024
"I was a medical student when I lost my ability to fall asleep."
- Contest updates
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Clash of the Query Letters 2024—2nd place
February 14, 2024
"But staying focused while being so close to Oliver—with his smouldering glances and surprising sparks of tenderness—is harder than Scarlett thought."
- Contest updates
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Clash of the Query Letters—3rd place
February 14, 2024
"Crossing The Wilds on a bicycle with her baby in tow, Ina battles tornados, wild ostriches, and kidnappers."
- Contest updates
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Book reviews for Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling
January 27, 2024
"This is my new favourite craft book."
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On the Beaten Path: How to Use Beats in Fiction
January 17, 2024
Honor the tiny beat and it will carry the weight of a whole character for you.
- On the craft
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- 2 comments
Story Skeleton—Bel Canto
January 13, 2024
Patchett writes about something that is very hard to make interesting: the triumph of goodness over evil. Her tricks: the use of tension, and the transformation of character.
- On the craft
- Story Skeleton
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Story Skeleton—The Way of Kings
January 11, 2024
Sanderson's masterful intertwining of family dynamics with the epic fantasy setting offers a rich, multi-layered narrative experience that showcases his ability to blend personal motivations with grand-scale storytelling.
- On the craft
- Story Skeleton
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- 1 comment
The Trouble with Infodumps
January 05, 2024
While every genre is susceptible to the problem of info-dumping, it is most commonly an issue in speculative and historical fiction where world-building is of prime importance.
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- 1 comment
Story Skeleton—Lessons in Chemistry
December 27, 2023
Obstacles in a plot are like roadblocks a character must get around. Reversals, however, require a total change of direction.
- Story Skeleton
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- 1 comment

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