169 ratings | 8 reviews | avg rating:4.31

Mark’s Year In Books

Mark’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Mark’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Mark’s 2025 Year in Books

Mark Mapstone’s Followers (8)

Mark’s Bookshelves

to-read (0)
currently-reading (0)
read (182)
creative-writing (51)
unfinished (15)

Mark’s Friends (5)

Ben

838 books | 80 friends

Bobbie

65 books | 2 friends

Parikshit Juvekar

193 books | 146 friends

Lisbeth Darsh

26 books | 359 friends

Selena Aniston

20 books | 2,240 friends

Mark Mapstone

Goodreads Author

Born

Taunton, The United Kingdom

Website

https://skatefiction.co.uk/

Genre

Young Adult, Sports, Fiction

Member Since

October 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/markmapstone

edit data

Weeeeee!!!!!!! Scrhack! Clack! Clack! Smack! Shralp! Screeeech, Thack, Clank, Dank, Phleeeept!

Wee-woo, Wee-woo!

'Huh?

'Blah, blah, blah, bla-bla, blah!'

'Wuuuh? Nah. Jeez.'

'BLAH, BLA-BLAH! NAH!'

'Nah. Bla-blah. B-blah, blah.'

*silence*

*pulls out gun* 'BLAH!!'

'Whoa!! ok, ok, ok, chll. mayt. f'sake. Jeez' ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Mark Mapstone questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

How did you discover writing?

Mark Mapstone Through National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). I think I read about it in the paper during Oct, and made up my mind there and then that I'd give it…moreThrough National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). I think I read about it in the paper during Oct, and made up my mind there and then that I'd give it a go. I was not much of a writer before that, barely read any books (only some non-fiction and work/business stuff), and knew next to nothing about fiction. However, I loved the idea of being able to tell someone that I'd written a book. I had no idea how to actually do it. When I read about the nanowrimo approach of writing 1667 words a day for 30 days, I thought, I can do that. So 30 days later I had a crappy first draft. I packed it away, because I had no-idea what to do with it. The following year, I did it again, and the next, and the next and the next. It felt like my own personal London Marathon every year. They're still sitting on a hard drive somewhere, and I doubt they'll ever surface. Either way, it got me to start wondering if I could actually do this properly. (less)

flag

like
Comment

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Mark Mapstone Firstly, there are two types of writers' block:

The first is procrastination because one doesn't know what to write, are nervous about their ideas, or …moreFirstly, there are two types of writers' block:

The first is procrastination because one doesn't know what to write, are nervous about their ideas, or are just a novice at what they're doing. This is really common and many writers have this block at some stage in their life. Freeing yourself from it could be as simple as starting to free-write (dump) words on a page in the morning, and vow to never show it to anyone. This freedom can get the writing muscle moving.

Not knowing what to write about or believing your idea sucks, is also common. The way around this is to think of the start of your story as scaffolding: it will be edited out later. The blank page is a real battle to get past so it's good to think of the start as a run-up, which you can change later.

Planning can really help with this form of writers' block. I have found that planning really helps me. I can come to the page anywhere in the story and start writing if I've planned out the chapter. I have banished the word 'stuck' from my vocabulary by planning.

The second type of Writers' Block is much more serious. It's a form of depression or mental health. This can happen with successful debut authors who feel paralysed by the pressure to succeed again. This can also happen with writers who are going through some difficult issues at home which completely takes over their mind. Creativity will often go out the window for as long as this concern lasts and it may take years. There's nothing anyone else can say or do until time or therapy has worked its magic.

So, that's it. Luckily, I've never been depressed and only have to deal with a little worry over my idea or the blank page. (less)

flag

like
Comment

See all 5 answers from Mark Mapstone…

Combine Editions
Mark Mapstone’s books

Average rating: 4.38 · 8 ratings · 1 review · 7 distinct works

	The Blocks: An Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Book 1 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Abandoned: An Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Book 2 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2017 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pool Staker: An Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Book 3 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Punch Drunk: An Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Book 4 really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nutbar DIY: An Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Book 5 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Escapeboard: Ethan Wares Skateboard Series Omnibus Edition - Books 1 - 5 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wild Code 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Mark Mapstone…

24 posts
Mark Mapstone's Blog

An Authors Hate for Waterstones Bookshops

View more on Mark Mapstone's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 26, 2022 04:18

View all 24 posts »

rss
Mark’s Recent Updates

Mark Mapstone rated a book it was amazing Summer Frost (Forward Collection, #2) by Blake Crouch (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 08, 2025 03:54PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Summer Frost by Blake Crouch. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Summer Frost by Blake Crouch <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Mapstone rated a book it was amazing The Noise by James Patterson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 18, 2025 02:40PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Noise by James Patterson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Noise by James Patterson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Mapstone rated a book really liked it Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 08, 2025 03:48PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Divergent by Veronica Roth. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Divergent by Veronica Roth <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Mark Mapstone shared a quote nice “My father says that those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it. That’s why we have to give power to those who do not want it.” Veronica Roth
Oct 28, 2024 04:00PM · like · more quotes by Veronica Roth
Mark Mapstone rated a book it was amazing The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 19, 2024 03:45PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Scorch Trials by James Dashner <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Mark's books…

Mark’s Quotes

“The conflict between how we wish to be perceived and what we really feel is at the root of all character.”
― John Yorke, Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story

3 likes

“Great characters are consciously or subconsciously at war with themselves.”
― John Yorke, Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story

6 likes

“A character’s want is a superficial conscious desire for the thing they think they need in order to present themselves to the world, a”
― John Yorke, Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them

6 likes

“People construct a public face in order to deal with the conflicts that rage inside them.”
― John Yorke, Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story

0 likes

“A character’s façade, then, is an outer manifestation of an inner conflict.”
― John Yorke, Into the Woods: A Five Act Journey Into Story

1 likes

More of Mark’s quotes…