Katie Bachelder

Writing Towards Compassionate Connection

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  • Hey, I’m Getting Published! (And Why I’m Going the Self-Publishing Route)

    I finished my first novel one month shy of two years ago. It was a beautiful feeling. Of course, the idea of “done-ness” for a novel is relative. I knew it would go through a round or three of edits once a publisher got their hands on it–that’s just the way it’s done–but there’s a…

    Katie Bachelder

    March 29, 2023
    Book Updates
    books, Fantasy, new adult, publishing, self-publishing, writing, young adult
  • Graceling Realm Book Announcement and Graphic Novel Review

    When I got a notification on Twitter that Kristin Cashore’s ready to announce her next book, complete with the cover reveal and release date, I cannot express how utterly surprised and unprepared I was. A new book?? So soon after Winterkeep? I would be lying if I said her previous book lived up to my…

    Katie Bachelder

    March 9, 2022
    book review
    book news, book review, books, Fantasy, Gareth Hinds, Graceling Realm, graphic novel, Kristin Cashore, Seasparrow
  • Wheel of Time: A Case Study in Series Pacing

    A few weeks ago, I delved into the pacing of a rather interesting novel, A Deadly Education. But that is one novel (admittedly, the first of a series), and it led me to ponder: compared to individual novels, what does the pacing of an entire series look like? And, with those thrilling sneak-peek images for…

    Katie Bachelder

    August 21, 2021
    story-beat study
    book series, books, Fantasy, pacing, plot, reading, Robert Jordan, series, Wheel of Time, writing
  • A Discussion of Narrative Style: Exploring 1st Person PoV in Fantasy

    I’d heard a lot about The Cruel Prince by Holly Black in the months prior to me purchasing the novel (which was way back in March if I remember correctly). It’s taken me a while to get to it because I can’t seem to stop myself from buying books this year, but I finally got…

    Katie Bachelder

    August 13, 2021
    Reading Reflections
    ACoTaR, books, Fantasy, first person PoV, Holly Black, Natasha Ngan, novel writing, Sarah J. Maas, The Cruel Prince, writing
  • Book Reviews: A Deadly Education and Rule of Wolves

    I was going to put off my RBR until I had at least another book to throw on here, but then I started craving another Fire reread, so I figured I may as well just write up these reviews now before too much of it slips my mind. It’s just as well, because, if you…

    Katie Bachelder

    August 6, 2021
    book review
    A Deadly Education, book review, books, diversity, Fantasy, Grishaverse, Leigh Bardugo, Naomi Novik, reading, Rule of Wolves
  • Fantasy World-Building Fundamentals

    A few weeks ago, I broke down some of the major trends in fantasy that might affect what elements of world-building a writer might want to focus on to ensure they had the details they needed to create an immersive world. (See: The 3 Tiers of Fantasy World-Building.) However, that was a general overview based off…

    Katie Bachelder

    July 30, 2021
    For Writers: Builder’s Theory
    books, Fantasy, fantasy writing, magic systems, novel writing, setting, world-building, writing, writing tips
  • Extended Book Series and the Fallibility of the Human Memory

    As a fantasy reader, I am well familiar with book series. And although I’m just as fascinated by standalone fantasy and the rise of the duology (specifically for their tight narratives), I will never complain at stumbling across a book I really love and finding out that it is the first in four, or seven,…

    Katie Bachelder

    July 23, 2021
    For Fun :)
    book blogger, book series, books, Fantasy, inheritance cycle, novel writing, reading, series, Wheel of Time
  • A Deadly Education: A Case Study in Pacing

    It is always pleasant to be taken by surprise with a novel, and, a few cultural missteps notwithstanding, A Deadly Education provided just that. (For the concerned reader, I do plan on delving into this in my book review, but this post is already long enough as it is.) The author, Naomi Novik, uses world-building…

    Katie Bachelder

    July 16, 2021
    story-beat study
    A Deadly Education, book review, books, Fantasy, plot, reading, setting study, story-beat study, world-building, writing
  • RBR: Firekeeper’s Daughter, Kings of the Wyld, etc.

    Alright, friends, I’ve read a handful of books in the past two weeks and it’s time for another rapid book review. There’s actually a pretty nice variety in the books–a historic YA fantasy, a YA thriller, an adult epic fantasy, a play, and a YA epic fantasy. So there’s probably something for just about everyone…

    Katie Bachelder

    July 9, 2021
    book review
    Alix E. Harrow, Angeline Boulley, book review, books, Fantasy, Firekeeper's Daughter, Kings of the Wyld, Nicholas Eames, reading, Spin the Dawn, Tom Stoppard
  • The 3 Tiers of Fantasy World-Building

    Last week, I wrote a post about genre writing and it got me thinking about how to know when a book has enough world-building and if it has enough of the right kind of world building. (The post was a setting study for Monsters of Verity if you wanted to check it out.) Rather than…

    Katie Bachelder

    July 2, 2021
    For Writers: Builder’s Theory
    books, epic fantasy, Fantasy, genre, Good Omens, Harry Potter, novel writing, setting, setting study, The Magicians, urban fantasy, Wheel of Time, world-building, writing
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