Author: Jessica Parks

Building a world can be magical…

What you need to know about Mangaria…

Mangaria is divided into eight realms, one for each of the created races and the Land of the Forgotten. Though the land was initially divided equally, after the Fall, humans, elves, and the halfbreeds took over most of the land.

Adarlan– the home to all, Adarlan houses mostly humans across its land and Xylians across its waters, but the largest city is Alimoore, a home to ALL of Mangaria’s peoples.

Duindor– home of the Faeries and the Mages (though most of the Mages tend to leave Duindor and study in the City of Alimoore in the Great Academy).

Gorbain– the mountainous land of the dwarves.

Mearis– divided into various providences with their own governing rulers is the largest land of the humans.

Rihdel Valley– home of the Elves and the breathtaking City of Light.

Tarazel Forest– home of the Western Elves and the Tribals (half human, half Changeling nomads).

Varsha– home of most of the Changeling clans.

The Forgotten Lands– protected by miles-wide and deep marshland, this is a cursed land, originally home to the Celestiums- creators of Mangaria.

Author Bio: https://jnikolauthorpage.wordpress.com/about-me/

Mangaria Fan Art: https://jnikolauthorpage.wordpress.com/mangaria-the-series-fan-art/

Coming Soon!: https://jnikolauthorpage.wordpress.com/coming-soon/

Some tease that writer’s block occurs when the voices in your head stop talking to you. I believe the opposite. It is when all of the voices talk at a roar and your mind cannot pull the single voice of musing to the front. My mind tends to relate scenes like movie reels. I get intense snippets of the story that make me want to jot it all down. But the voices argue over what was said, when the event occurs, what the motivation was, how the characters reacted, would it fit with the plot?, and it drowns out the scene. I’ve been trying to write this novel for over twenty years. I’ve written up to 800 pages and then scratched the whole thing. I have restarted the exposition four times. My characters are no longer as they were. The voices still block me some days, but I can say without a doubt… it is a beautiful curse of blood…and stones.

July 2026- I need a hero! Not a stalker….

Okay, don’t mis-hear me on this. My favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. I love most retellings (especially with Belle as the huntress), but that doesn’t mean it’s a role model for true love. I mean really, what woman doesn’t want a library the size of a college and dishes that wash themselves? We all know that was the REAL takeaway. But now a days, most stories- Romantasy- have this ideology that we love the idea of enemies to lovers in the most extreme way.

Now I’m not saying we don’t. I have read many a slow burn/ will burn the world down for you- story. They are attractive. But I think where we get off track is the toxicity of that attraction. Now, stay with me, because I know I have just ticked you off three ways to Sunday. Okay, so I teach Sunday School and my middle-school aged girls want to read my writing and I realized…. there isn’t much out there today that I would recommend to those girl’s parents for them to read. Not even some of the books I’ve read. Here’s why…well other than the extra spicy scenes… we don’t want our little girls to think that men mentally, physically, or emotionally abusing them is ok. We don’t want our little girls to think that toxic masculinity is okay. And on the opposite side, we don’t want our little boys thinking that girls want to be mistreated like characters in a story- because let’s face it- if her daddy or best friend finds out- our little boy is in TROUBLE.

So here’s my proposal. Why not create our stories with the love of God as a model? I know, you’re immediately going- ugh boring. You’re not hearing me. God is jealous for his people. He flooded all of creation but kept His favored alive. He burned cities and sent plagues and killed the first born for His people. He let His only son DIE for his people. Sound familiar? But, He also cherishes His people. He encourages His people. He builds His people up. He establishes a foundation of goodness in His people. So let’s have love stories like that. Write a story where your daughters can say- “I want a man like…” and your sons can say “….. is the kind of woman I want”. Write heroes… not stalkers.

I would like to say that I have a ritual that is ideal for writing the best scenes. It would make the creative juices flow, is great for busy schedules, and allows for flexibility. I would really like to say all of that, but it would be a lie. My writing changes with me, my life, my schedule, my location. Some days I can put aside the world and write. Other days I stare at my closed notebook in frustration.

Writing is an expression and a passion. We write when we are inspired and motivated. We mourn when the spirit of procrastination attacks. There is no set method for great writing. I have read about (and attempted) various author methods of quality writing. Here is what I have learned:

1. I am NOT a 4 am writer. It lasted two days and accumulated a total of three paragraphs.
2. I can NOT write at the same time every day- or even every day! There are days where life has to be prioritized and that is okay.
3. I am NOT okay to write if I am NOT OKAY- mental health is a thing. It really does impact all parts of life- including creativity. Find joy and rest and you will find inspiration to write.
4. I do NOT write well with a timer. I tend to focus on how much I am NOT getting written instead of just writing. It becomes stressful and when I am stressed the inspiration gets blocked.
5. I can NOT compare myself to other writers. I will write when I write and I will not apologize or feel like a failure if that timeline doesn’t match up with others.

I found that I can write when I am completely relaxed, in an inspiring setting, and I have no expectations on my time. This is very rare, but when it happens, the writing pours out and the story unfolds. So, my suggestion to you. Find what works for you. Test your writing. Do you work best with music, talking, or silence? Do you prefer, pen and paper, laptop, tape recorder, or typewriter? Do you write in the morning, afternoon, or by moonlight? Do you write at home, in a cabin, by the lake, or on a beach? Enjoy what works when it works and don’t be upset if something changes. Life doesn’t stand still, it constantly changes, and so will your writing.