With NanoWriMo 2021 officially over, I can report that during the last 30 days I not only managed to edit one novel to its completion, but two. And then I started working on a third. Because why not? The two novels I edited took about a week and a half a piece, with dedicated writing … Continue reading Happy December!
As of October 28th, Darkside of Bright has a completed first draft. Calculating how long this took, it was about 4 months of work start to finish, which isn't bad at all. There are things I am still debating changing but for now, it is going into a virtual corner to sit and simmer while … Continue reading Bring On The New
(A brief peek into this odd-ball brain of mine since the beginning of the current work in progress.) Me: Alright! It's an urban fantasy about a marital counselor to the supernatural. Werewolves, vampires, and all those magical creatures! It'll be great. Internal Editor: You can't be serious. Urban Fantasy is full of women in tight … Continue reading Arguments with my Internal Editor
She'd heard all these things before.She knew the chances of landing a traditional publishing deal were astronomical. All the statistics were the same. All the naysaying was the same. And that nagging voice telling her the minimum wage day job was all she would ever know?Yes, that too was the same.So why was this article … Continue reading The Article of Doom
I love high stakes stories. I love when the heroes have to battle against all odds and sacrifice all of themselves to reach the end goal. And I love when that end goal is "life as we know it" or Armageddon. And I love the hero who is plucky and normal but housing some extraordinary … Continue reading Abandoning or Embracing Cliché’s
Why yes, I did technically win Camp Nano this year. But the novel is not quite done. I do have a few scenes left to write, so the forward motion continues. However, the breakneck speed to reach 50k is going to taper off. There are obvious pros and cons to participating in NaNoWriMo, and as … Continue reading Wrapping up Camp Nano 2021
I shall open with a small confession. I have an amazing husband. He not only works full time, but he enjoys spoiling me with expenditures that I would normally not afford myself. For instance, a year's worth of Master Class where I can listen to Neil Gaiman chat about storytelling is not something I would … Continue reading Week 4 – Camp Nano 2021
Entering the world of Bright, where supernatural creatures live amongst us and steam engines rule! I hit my daily word goal before lunchtime, so I am feeling great. Though I do admit that whenever I do a National Novel Writing Month, the first week or so is always awesome. Midway through the second week, my … Continue reading Camp Nano 2021
Looking back at the works I've written, I see stories that missed the mark because I did not have a handle on my craft. I see characters who were not fleshed out well enough, and scenes that never grounded the reader inside them, allowing them to experience it. I see fragments that make more sense … Continue reading Looking Back
Writing is not for the faint of heart. When I started this whole writing thing, I was a child who thought it was great fun. One assignment from a teacher in the sixth grade opened the world of fiction to me and I played around with all the fantasy, making shallow stories that grazed through … Continue reading The Courage It Takes
AJMaguire 