You’ve Got Main Character Energy Do kids these days still talk about main character energy? It was used for awhile as both a compliment and insult–compliment when noticing that someone was confident and taking charge of thei…

How are your writerly fears? Dealing with them with Main Character Energy? Author Natalie Hart provides us with MCE, today at WU.

Author Up Close: Eriq La Salle—Keep Writing. Keep Going. Keep Creating. Welcome back to another installment of Author Up Close, my exclusive series for Writer Unboxed where I interview authors at various stages of the publishing process. Today, I’m delighted to s…

Author Grace Wynter interviews author (and actor) Eriq La Salle, today at WU.

Overlooked Tools I moved recently. My new place is great. It’s all set up, but that took some doing. Unpacking. Arranging. Assembling some flat-pack furniture. Hanging pictures and art. Naturally, I needed tools. W…

There are numerous tools we can use in our storytelling. Agent and teacher Don Maass provides a list of those we tend to overlook, today at WU.

Lovely essay from a writing friend I’ve known for almost two decades. It’s about time, and you should spend some reading it.

Writers: “How can I face my fears and get back to writing?”

@kimbullock.bsky.social: “Geronimo!”

From Bodysnatchers to the Borg and Beyond Given the association of misfortune with this day, Friday the 13th, I guess you could attribute it to the (bad) luck of the draw that, for the second month in a row, it’s my day up. And this time I…

Is our ability to think what defines us as human? If so, and if we’re willing to concede its preeminence to AI, must we redefine what it is that makes us human? Author David Corbett implores us to think, today at WU.

Can “justifiable” stonings be far behind? I mean, they’re right there in the “sacred” texts.

Reality…But Better: Never Let Facts Get in the Way of Fiction The holidays before these last holidays, my wife and I, our kids, and my in-laws went to Ecuador to cruise around the Galapagos Islands. As wonderful as that sounds, full disclosure, I had some dou…

Sometimes what feels like the perfect story idea, taken from real life, is too prosaic for the page. Author Matthew Norman takes us from (too) smooth sailing to dramatic stormy seas, today at WU.

Readings for Writers: Miguel Delibes and George Saunders The conceit of a story set at a wake or vigil certainly isn’t new. Five Hours with Mario (Cinco horas con Mario) by Spanish writer Miguel Delibes, tells the story of Carmen Sotillo’s hours sitting …

“We have to figure out what a novel does better than a screenplay. It’s a difficult question, especially now, after generations have had the page supplanted by the screen…” Author Elizabeth Huergo explores the central question for writers of our time, today at WU.

Reading as an Agent Two very recent WU posts (HERE and HERE) got me thinking about how I read. In one mode, I read manuscripts with an agent’s eyes. In another mode, I read novels (published or pre-) as a craft analys…

Curious about what a literary agent is looking for in a reading experience? Agent, author, and teacher Don Maass shares his reading mindset, today at WU.

Lovely essay.

Can’t wait for this one! Grab your coffee and join us. ☕️

Who Are You? Part Two Do you remember the scene in that classic film What about Bob? in which Bob arranges to have himself tied to the mast of a sailboat? He wants to be included in his friends’ activities despit…

Identity, both as perceived by oneself or by society, strongly affects characterization. Kristin Hacken South delves the depths of character, using herself, living in Egypt, as an example. A fascinating post, today at WU.

You’re the best!

The Twilight of Literacy…? I swear, I know what the word doomscrolling means. After all, it’s been around since the twenty-teens, and was added to dictionaries several years ago now. I’ve regularly used the term, even in ess…

'Reading fiction builds empathy, strengthens our patience ...broadens our understanding of the world beyond our horizons.' But are we seeing 'the sunset of literacy'? Powerful warning from @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social writerunboxed.com/2026/02/25/t... #writingcommunity #books

Trying to turn my fear into hope, one reading session at a time. Care to join me?

On Magic and Spirituality in Story It might be a surprise to some of you that, when it comes to magic in story, WU’s resident fantasy geek (yours truly) is not the most ardent proponent. This is the case in regard to both my reading…

This is a fascinating article from @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social over at @writerunboxed.bsky.social on the use of magic and spirituality in stories.

Practicing Radical Gratitude Though today’s post is not an insightful rumination on fiction craft or the publishing business, and isn’t as polished as I might wish it to be, I hope you’ll stick with me. This is a post about gr…

What do you have to be “radically grateful” for? Author Therese Anne Fowler celebrates finding her way home, today at WU.

🖐️🐉Review alert!🐉🖐️

To Touch a Silent Fury by @rasandpiper.bsky.social

This book was phenomenal with some of the best 1st POV prose I've ever read. Highly recommend this one!

Full review at FanFiAddict, link below #booksky

The Oathsworn Legacy by K.R. Gangi YouTube video by Willow Wraith Press

Mini book rec Monday! #booksky 📚

The Oathsworn Legacy by KR Gangi

- Witcher-esque monster slaying 🧌⚔️
- Brotherly banter 🗣️
- Conspiracies & mercenaries 🗡️🛡️
- Lots of action 🧨

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzLG...

😮‍💨 I needed this today.

The Parent Trap: Regulations for the Fictional Parent In fiction, it is not at all uncommon to meet characters whose parents are lacking in some regard or another. Some parents are physically present but emotionally distant; some die for the sake of t…

Parents are often distant or missing in stories—particularly in the fantasy genre. Author Kit Aldridge explores the ways parents can deepen or even elevate a story, today at WU.

1. It was not an accident.
2. It was not a staffer.
3. While the president may have dementia his racism is not due to dementia.
4. He isn’t sorry. He means every racist thought he shares.
5. His base agrees with him.
6. He will do it again.
7. No one in power will hold him accountable.

The Greengrocer Writes a Fantasy Novel “…spent years running from the prince who bound her into his service.” “…a runaway queen and a reluctant prince are thrown together on a quest…” “…as her kingdom barrels toward destruction…” “…King…

Why are so many fantasy books and series centered around monarchy? What are the alternatives? Kelsey Allagood explores fantasy’s royal problems and solutions, today at WU.

A provocative, timely, and necessary essay.

Radical Immersion: Becoming Your Character We hear actors talk about immersing themselves into a character, often using techniques rooted in the methods of the great character actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski. But why don’t we tal…

You’ve heard of method acting—deep immersion that carries on past “cut!” Why not try method writing? Author Boo Walker walks us through it, today at WU.

I needed this essay today. 🙏

Looking To Reclaim a Rhythm There’s been a palpable feeling here on WU through the opening weeks of 2026. Behind many of the posts and comments I’m sensing alarm and outrage, disappointment and sadness over the state of the w…

There are times when our work seems trivial and inadequate. But, says @vaughnroycroft.bsky.social @writerunboxed.bsky.social, it's how we reclaim and fight for our humanity writerunboxed.com/2026/01/26/l... #writinglife #writingcommunity #authorlife

Looking To Reclaim a Rhythm There’s been a palpable feeling here on WU through the opening weeks of 2026. Behind many of the posts and comments I’m sensing alarm and outrage, disappointment and sadness over the state of the w…

Chaotic times have you alarmed? Disappointed? Angry? Distracted? Author Vaughn Roycroft makes the case that doing your work is an act of rebellion, today at WU.

Last of the Atalanteans Discussion With Friends YouTube video by Zachary Shaye

**SPOILER FILLED**
So honoured by such a wonderful group of minds chatting about
Book 2 in my Drowned Kingdom Saga
THE LAST OF THE ATALANTEANS!
If you've read the book, hope you watch and find it insightful!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7ug...