Writing Relevance
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
Recently I began reading a new book from one of my favorite authors. I had been looking forward to this book because it was revisiting 1800's London and the author had done a beautiful job describing that time period. I also love the fantastical elements of the world she created. Urban fantasy is fascinating to … Continue reading Casting the Book
This month we're sharing excerpts of our work that relate to travel or vacation. And because I'm in the middle of a new work, you get a tiny taste of One Big Werewolf Wedding. The title is obviously in the works. And thanks to my stepmother, who requested I visit steampunk again, I have opted … Continue reading August Round Robin – Travel Teasers
Last week I noted the things that I managed to complete in 2018 - which was a lot and I'm still patting myself on the back for a good year. I recognize that only die-hard fans really care about this stuff, and for those of you out there who count yourselves among this rare breed … Continue reading Wherein I Forecast 2019 (Writing-wise, of course)
Even with a holiday visiting my mother - on the other side of the nation, I might add - I managed to make it passed the 50k mark and win NaNoWriMo. The rest of the year will be spent finishing this novel about ghouls and goblins and dragons. It has been great fun to write … Continue reading NaNoWriMo 2018 Results
Two weeks ago I mentioned the Writing Excuses Master Class put out a few years back. This is a free class that you can access via audio or transcript on the Writing Excuses website and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who enjoys the writing process. Moving along in the course, I have my … Continue reading Character Auditions – WE Master Class Blog
When we last visited the subject about what prompted our writing careers, I mentioned an assignment from the sixth grade where the teacher read the opening of a story and then told us to write what came next. While I still consider that assignment the launching point for my love-affair with the written word, there … Continue reading August Round Robin – Creation of a Writer
Anyone who's read my writing can tell you that I use violence a lot in my work. We don't call it that, though. We say it's "action-packed" and full of conflict because the word violence tends to connote negative things. And really, it should. As a parent, I find myself repeating the mantra that it … Continue reading Violence in Writing – July Round Robin
Characters are a bit like the writer's pox. Instead of itchy red dots all over our skin, we have itchy personalities peppering our minds. Some are louder than others and we end up scratching those first because no matter how many times we're told we shouldn't scratch, the itch cannot be ignored. As we scratch, … Continue reading What I Learn from my Characters – February 2018 Round Robin
I began writing Song of Swans several months ago and was determined that it would be more character-driven than my other works. I wanted to get into the depths of my characters, to follow them and find out what happens via their actions. This means that my outline has been smacked around quite … Continue reading The Character-Driven Plot
