Win Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction

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As a writer, your journey to the end of the story is a long, tortuous one, fraught with problems—procrastination, distractions, self doubt. These dangers are countless, and unimaginable.

That is, until now.

Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction shows you all of that and more, through the use of wonderful, whimsical, and sometimes just plain weird imagery. In partnership with Jeff VanderMeer, we at BookLife Now are offering an exclusive look from Wonderbook: a map of this journey. So we ask you—where are YOU on the journey to the end of the story? Look at the image below and tell us where you fall. Answer in the comments area and you’ll be registered to win print copies of both Wonderbook and Booklifenow – three winners will be selected randomly, just add your comment below.*

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Of course we’re all writers here, too, and a few of us (unable to join in on this contest), offer our own glimpses:

Caroline Ratajski: I’ve emerged from the Plains of False Inspiration and I am currently stumbling along the border of Desert of Pointless Writing and Encounter With Self-Doubt.

Jaym Gates: I’m somewhere between the Oasis of Malaise and the Fortress of Distractions. I have the book, and it’s probably a decent book, but I have too many other things that need to be done, and no real energy to get back into momentum.

Bear Weiter: With my current novel, I really wallowed in the Plains of False Inspiration for a long time—everything and anything that came to me that seemed special, unique, was considered and explored. It took more time than I had expected to wade through there and get past it. Now I’m mostly working around the Fortress of Distractions, but that’s pretty standard for me—that one I know well, and battle often enough that we’ve almost become friends. Not quite, but almost.

Update: Jeff says “I’ll throw in a couple of extra things into the winner’s packages.” He has refused to elaborate, but free books, free postage, and extra stuff?! You definitely want this.

*Because this is a contest, a few quick notes. You must be 18 or older to enter—I know, that sucks, but it simplifies things legally. If you’re under 18, get one of your parents to enter for you. Three winners will be selected at random from all of the posted comments—we reserve the right to not approve your comment for spamming or inappropriateness (rudeness, tastelessness, and excessive profanity all fit in here). If you post a comment and use a bogus email address (yeah, I said bogus), you get nothing! No purchase is necessary to win—and we’re not selling anything anyway. Postage will be taken care of, but it may take a while for the books to arrive should you live outside of the US. The contest is open through October.

75 thoughts on “Win Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction”

  1. I'm currently running back and forth between the Oasis of Malaise, the Fortress of Distractions and the Bridge of Certainty. Although I think I left my muse at the Desert of Pointless Writing and Writing… I am nearing the completion of this draft and am ready to spend quite a bit of time exploring the Lake of Endless Revisions.

  5. I'm in the loop of procrastination, with frequent manic sojourns into, followed by retreats from, the plains of false inspiration.

  6. I’m all over the map, and then everywhere I turn I encounter that gloomy Grim Reaperish mole of Self-Doubt.

    I keep braining it with my shovel but there are hundreds of the damn things…

  8. After being carried off to the Estuary of Multiple Endings, the ol’ first novel has made its way upstream only to be stranded in the Lake of Endless Revision. It swims a little closer to shore every day. There is also a short story entering the fray, wandering the Desert of Pointless Writing… and Writing, occasionally glancing back to the Plains of False Inspiration and neurotically dreading the impending Encounter With Self-Doubt.

  9. I am trapped in the land of self-doubt. I'm doing great writing as a journalist, but all my insecurities come back when I return to the land of Fiction. Help!

  10. I'm desperately trying to cross Momentum River, but there's not a path that will hold my caravan. I may have to walk upstream a bit until I get clear of the rapids.

  12. I think I've just exited the Plains of False Inspiration, looking out towards the Desert of Pointless Writing. Hurrah for outlines!

  13. I am pulling myself by raggedy nails across the last, short distance (littered with shards of broken plottery) between here and the novel finish line, and wondering why I didn't stick to shorter dashes.

  14. I just started the whole ridiculous journey over again. I successfully navigated the whole path for the first book and am in the "there be dragons" bit off the coast of "true ending" with that tome while in the desert of pointless writing with book number 2.

  15. I'm firmly spinning in the Loops of Procrastination with a few dips into the Plains of False Inspiration. There're two novel sized stories I'd like to tell but can't decide which to tackle first so I've been writing short stories. Ten so far this year, drabbles not included.

  16. I'm spinning the Loops of Procrastination most days…but today I managed to hit a personal milestone and now feel MUCH better. Really looking forward to Wonderbook both for story writing and game development :-)

  18. I'm definitely on the plains of distraction, but I think maybe these bites I picked up in my various encounters with self-doubt are beginning to fester.

    I made one short story sale last year, which was a huge milestone. Since then I've stalled a bit – three-quarters of a novel and a couple of other shorts that have yet to find a home. But I've surrounded myself with enthusiastic and supportive people who are showing me the way. So at least I have some vague directions to Momentum River :)

  19. Loops of Procrastination. Having armed myself with the false armour of technology, short-cutting me to the fortress of distractions. Ohhh look it does this when I press that, now where was that thingamy jig from the tutorial I read 3 weeks ago that is just so essential before I can type another word.

  20. I laid siege to the Fortress of Distractions, won the battle, stormed the gates and locked myself in. From the arrow slits, I watch the line of figures marching towards the True Ending, and just when I am about to lower the drawbridge and ride out – ooh shiny!

  21. I'm headed down the Momentum River and headed quickly for the Estuary of Multiple Endings! Send help!

  23. having barely survived a long crossing of the Desert of Pointless Writing (… and Writing), a strange, horrifically beautiful creature waiting on the other side has kindly offered me shelter.

  24. Did you know: if you scuba dive deep into the Lake of Endless Revision, you can access a system of submerged caves that you eventually exit right near the loops of procrastination? Yeah, I found that out by accident.

  25. Most days it's the Loops of Procrastination. I suppose the linear nature of this metaphor implies that the Encounters with Self Doubt are better days? Doesn't feel like it!

  26. I’m stranded on the Lost Coast of Shipwrecked Endings. Please–someone send a map that includes the correct ending and a lovely rum drink inside a coconut.

  27. I'm fell in a hole in the Plains of Distraction beneath the shadow of the Mountain of Anti-Climax. Oh boy, how will I ever get out of here.

  29. The Lake of Endless Revisions at the moment, whilst looking back at the Bridge of Certainty, wondering how I ever managed to cross it.

  30. The Monster of Self Doubt lives within the loops of Procrastination and teleports randomly throughout the map.

  31. I've published two novels, eight short stories, and yet I'm still prone to spending ages in the Desert of Pointless Writing, slogging through the Moors of Self Doubt and Malaise, only to imprison myself in the Fortress of Distractions. (Alas, said fortress is where I'm raising children, a main cause for lack of writing time.) Still, I hope to prevail and make my way to the true finish for the seven partial manuscripts I've had littering my brain for the past few years.

  32. I am revisiting my encounter with self-doubt. Who am I to think I might be interesting anyway? I should stop writing. These are my last words.

  33. Hmm, I think I got lost somewhere in the desert of pointless writing and ended up backtracking to the loops of procrastination. Or perhaps I saw Self Doubt looming on the horizon and scarpered in the opposite direction.

  36. Locked in an oubliette deep in the heart of the Fortress of Distractions, guarded by the fierce blue dragons "Twitter" and "Facebook." I tried to tunnel my way out, but they showed me a cat GIF and all was lost.

  37. I thought I'd made it from the Loops of Procrastination to the Desert of Pointless Writing and Writing, but instead realized yesterday that I was somewhere in the Plains of False Inspiration. The Story shook off my hand, dove into the ground ,and disappeared. Looking off to the west, I see the same blasted Loops of Procrastination and I have…um…dusting to do. And the pantry to reorganize. And I should fold all the laundry. Also knit another five pairs of socks. Then there's the music to learn. Piles of papers to be sorted. The tack room's a mess. I need to get back to riding the bike, but the refrigerator has gunk in the vegetable drawers…maybe a nap is in order.

  39. Currently navigating the fortress of distraction . . . though for good reasons. I have a possible book deal, but that's going to distract me from the book that I actually want to be writing. First world problems . . .

  41. Like many, I'm in the Lake of Endless Revision with my book. For the half-dozen other plots I'm working on, it's definitely the Plains of False Inspiration, because I can't get things to work for the life of me. @_@

  43. I reached the "True Ending" of my first book two weeks ago, a bit past deadline, sent the complete text for my first collection of stories & novellas off to my publisher, and just today deposited the check for second half of my advance. Yet I know that only means I am now actually somewhere short of Start again, still undecided as to which of several projects to undertake next, and knowing that before I am near done with whatever that may be, I will have proofs of the first book to edit…still, as Mallarmé wrote: "Mais, ô mon coeur, entends le chant des matelots!"

  44. Two suits of tragedy in action
    Beguile blocks the Bridge of Certainty
    Keeping purpose from gaining traction
    A hollowed voice echoes through eternity
    Chastising for the infraction
    Another day gone to ignored opportunity
    A creation so near to satisfaction
    Maybe a Wonderbook filled with diversity
    Will lead me out of The Fortress of Distraction.

    Took me all day but, this is what floated around my head after I saw the map. However, this is the first time I have actually spent any time writing anything for the past month. I thank you for the inspiration.

  45. I am in a turnabout between encounter with self doubt and fortress of distractions. It seems that every time I wade through one, I find myself right in the middle of the other!

  46. Viewing this from above makes it clear that I need someone else to read my efforts. I thought I had crossed the Bridge of Certainty but maybe I fell off of it.

  47. Right now I'm finishing up an encounter with Self-Doubt, and am slowly edging my way to Misery…Wallow.

  49. Encountered a frightening situation at the Fortress of Distraction. I repeatedly battle through it, cross the Bridge Of Certainty, blackout and reawaken at the door to the Fortress.

    So, basically, a shitty version of Groundhogs Day.

  50. I've been stopped by the Fortress of Distractions – otherwise known as social media. :-)

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